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FAQs
We understand it can be daunting reaching out to a financial professional. To ease any worries you may have, we’ve answered some of the questions we often get asked below.
If you have any questions we haven’t answered below, however, please don’t hesitate to get in contact with us.
As a family-run practice, we have offered a friendly, professional, client advisory service since 1978. Started by John Hitchell and now run by his two sons, James and Richard, our ethos is that we treat clients like family, and always try to go the ‘extra mile’. Our clients tell us they are looking for consistency and that, being younger than the average advisers in the UK, our long-term view allows us to build long-term professional relationships.
Both Richard and James Hitchell hold individual Chartered Financial Planner status. Chartered status is awarded by the Chartered Insurance Institute (CII). It is considered the ‘gold standard’ in financial planning and is a symbol of technical competence. It also signifies a public commitment to the highest professional standards, continuing professional development, and adherence to a Code of Ethics. Having two individually Chartered Financial Planners within our practice means your advice will come from a practitioner at the forefront of their profession
Yes - We have chosen to be part of 2plan Wealth Management, one of the leading wealth management firms in the UK.
As independent financial advisers (IFAs) we offer unbiased financial advice to clients. Unlike advisers who work for a specific company or financial institution, IFAs are not tied to any particular products or services. This means we can offer a wider range of options and tailor our advice to your specific needs and goals. IFAs are regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) in the UK and are required to hold appropriate qualifications and abide by strict ethical standards. At Hitchell Financial Planning we are dedicated to helping clients achieve their financial goals through personalised, independent advice.
Richard is a SOLLA 'Later Life Accredited Adviser' the recognised benchmark of advice skills when working with clients (and their attorneys) in later life. The accreditation is awarded after a rigorous assessment process to individual advisers in recognition of demonstrating best practice, appropriate knowledge and older client care procedures.
We prefer to hold face-to-face meetings at our Tunbridge Wells office, where we have the facilities to provide an enhanced experience, including a big screen for presentations. You can find full details on how to reach us on our contact page.
Additionally, we offer virtual meetings using Microsoft Teams or Zoom. If you haven’t used Microsoft Teams before, we’re happy to guide you through the process of accessing it.
While we can accommodate home or office visits by prior agreeement, we believe the experience is best when conducted at our office, ensuring a comfortable, confidential and professional environment for our discussions.
Yes, please let us know if you would like us to reserve a car parking space for you when you visit the office.
Yes, we are a short walk away from Tunbridge Wells station, with regular trains from Charing Cross and Cannon Street.
The discovery meeting is about getting to know each other, your story and what you want the next chapter of your life to look like. Having details of existing pensions, investments and protection plans is helpful, but it’s not essential.
No, the initial discovery meeting is at our expense. We won’t charge you to find out if we can help you. The initial meeting is a chance for us to see if we can add value based on your circumstances, and for both of us to get to know each other better.
Please use the contact form below, call us on (01892) 532700, or email hello@hitchell.com.
If you call and an adviser isn't available for an initial chat, please leave a message, and we will call you back as soon as we’re able.
We also offer an online bookings system to allow you to select your preferred meeting time. Please speak to one of the team to find out more.
Once we have completed the initial consultation and decided how we might work together, the next stage of the process begins with the gathering together of your financial and personal information.
We’ll review your existing financial plans, policies and commitments and undertake a period of thorough research to allow us to assess your objectives against your finances and make our recommendations to you.
This includes creating a bespoke 'Voyant' financial plan providing you with an overview of your plan assumptions and key projections, including Cash Flow, Net Worth, and Asset Allocation. In addition, it provides Insights into achieving your goals. It indicates the state of your current financial health.
The planning fee typically costs between £995 and £2,950, depending on the complexity of your finances and how long it takes to create your financial plan. An average charge is £1,495.
We promise we won’t do any work, or incur any costs, without discussing and agreeing it with you first.
Unlike many, we freely admit that no-one knows which fund managers will turn out to be the most effective over the years. And, if we were to employ our own fund managers to manage individual funds, it’s unlikely that they would be the best in the business at all times.
Successful investing requires a global approach, as well as the skills, resources and experience to navigate the continuously changing landscape.
Our approach involves working with specialist research and ratings agencies to identify and select the world’s best fund managers, which we bring to you through a range of investments strategies.
Our key partners:
Fundhouse provides us with dynamic fund research. As an independent, owner-managed, award-winning research firm, their mission is to be a force for good in financial services.
J.P. Morgan engages with us to provide expertise for our strategic asset allocation. As a global powerhouse, they aim to be the most respected financial services firm in the
world, serving corporations and individuals in more than 100 countries. We have access to dozens of leading companies offering both active and passive funds. We also offer a range of funds with a focus on Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) responsibility for those who wish to consider the sustainability and societal impact of their investments. The vast range of options available to us enables us to create a portfolio that matches your values, your goals, the timescale over which you want to see growth, as well as your attitude to risk.
Once we have completed the preparatory work, we will then prepare your personal report detailing tailored financial recommendations for all the areas you wanted to review. In partnership with you, we then agree the recommendations you wish us to implement and devise your investment strategy.
We will help you complete the relevant applications and take as much of the administrative work from you as possible, keeping you updated on progress at all times.
Our client proposition document explains our fees in greater detail, and we will fully discuss and agree fees before any actions are taken.
The cost is completely dependent on the recommendations we implement. Whilst this may sound frustratingly vague, we’ll always work hard to ensure you get the best value for money, and we won’t do any work without getting your approval first.