Grace Agnew
Partner

1. If you are too busy or find finance boring – you may have better things to do with your time and do not want to continually review the financial markets, read small print and keep up to date with new products or opportunities.

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2. If you like things simplified – you may find the financial industry difficult to understand or are uncertain how all the different options could fit in with your life. I take the jargon out of finance and get to the heart of what matters to you.

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3. If you have not yet thought about your financial future – If you would like to start thinking about how your finances can work better for you and build a personal strategy around your financial future. You can always confide in me in relation to your personal and financial objectives.

By working with me, anyone who is earning money can enjoy focusing on their lives and spending their time doing the things they love. We will work together to put a financial plan in place that will help to provide the future they desire.

The following case studies are for guidance only and do not constitute financial advice. You should seek financial advice regarding your own personal circumstances before embarking on any course of action.

Inheritance Tax planning

Objective: To provide a cost effective solution for clients that had a potential inheritance tax (IHT) bill.

Outcome: The clients, a husband and wife in their 60s, were unaware they were potentially leaving a large IHT bill for their children to pay when they both died. They did not wish to take out life cover to pay for any IHT because they thought this may be too expensive. We discussed all of the options available to them. After guidance, we agreed a whole of life policy was the best option, because this was the most cost effective option, which ensured their children inherited all of their assets.

Objective: To provide a 50 year old self-employed client with a teenage family with additional cash. However, all of his assets were tied up in property.

The client needed access to extra cash and did not like the idea of equity release or borrowing money from a bank. He was unaware that the pension age was due to increase from the age of 50 to 55 years in April 2010. As the client had recently celebrated his 50th birthday, I recommended he take the maximum lump sum of 25% tax free cash from his pension.

The client originally thought he had to be aged 65 to utilise this option. I advised him that it was possible to take 25% tax free cash from his pension. This option was the most suitable for the client and gave him the extra cash he needed.

Financial review

Objective: To provide the client with greater financial clarity and simplicity. My client had different company pensions, a mortgage, various insurance policies and several different bank accounts.

Outcome: After discussing all of the options that were available to the client, I advised on the solutions that were most suitable for her at this time. Recommendations included reviewing her pensions, after which, the client was aware of exactly how much was in her different pensions and what income she could expect in retirement. The pension did not meet her expectations and so she took the decision to increase her personal contributions. In addition, she had not claimed back the higher rate tax relief on her pension for the previous four years. As a result, she received a sum of money back from HMRC.

After reviewing the client’s expenditure, it was decided that she could switch from an interest only to a repayment mortgage, allowing her to pay her mortgage off more quickly.

The client already had life and critical illness cover but this was very basic. I upgraded her cover and also advised her to take out income protection, so that if the client could not work her mortgage and bills would be covered.

The client was extremely happy with the advice and is now in a better position financially.

Group life assurance review

Objective: The client asked for a review of his company’s group life assurance.

Outcome: I discovered the company was paying more than they needed to. By changing the insurance provider, the company could receive exactly the same life cover at half of what they were currently paying.

I am a Partner in Foster Denovo, the multi-award winning firm of financial advisers. I have worked in the financial services industry since 1999, and have over 10 years’ experience. I am a fully qualified financial adviser, with the full Financial Planning Certificate and the Advanced Financial Planning Certificate in Savings.

I have the IFS Diploma for Financial Advisers (DipFA) – a level of qualification required by all financial advisers.

I also have the STEP Certificate for Financial Services – Trust and Estate Planning.

Achievement recognition – I have been recognised for my consistency and quality of client relationships by receiving the Top Associate 2012 award and the Outstanding Partner Contribution 2013 award at Foster Denovo.

I am a member of the Institute of Financial Services and have a university degree obtained in New Zealand, where I am originally from, in Psychology and Business Management.

I have Australian qualifications within investments, securities, superannuation and life protection and this is advantageous for this sector, especially with the experience in working with a wide range of clients in the UK and overseas.

M Patel – Director, Symantec

“Grace is an exceptional financial adviser and is key to all my financial decisions – Grace goes above and beyond in assisting her clients. Grace has been acting for me and most of my family for 7 years now. We seldom make a financial decision without consulting Grace. In short, Grace is highly recommended.”

Bird – Career by Design

“I have found Grace to be extremely approachable. She manages to combine a friendly, relaxed style with a professionalism which provides a feeling of confidence in her abilities. Grace works hard to ensure that I am made aware of the most appropriate products for my circumstances and follows up on the conversations and actions in a very efficient manner. Overall, I am very happy with the service I have received from Grace.”

Luke Wilkins – HR Director, CLS Communication Ltd

“Grace Agnew has provided financial advice to CLS Communication ltd since 2009. In that time she has provided advice to individuals within the business as well as reviewed a number of policies and practices on behalf of the company. In this period Grace has been professional, clear in her advice and effective in the administration and transactional areas of providing her service. I would recommend Grace to any company or individual seeking a financial adviser of quality.”

Professor Emeritus John Cronly-Dillon MA/PhD/FRSM

“I have known Grace for 6 years. She came highly recommended to me through another financial adviser, who had been dealing with my late mother’s investments. I appointed Grace to look after my own personal financial affairs in 2005 and have been entirely satisfied with this decision ever since. Grace is an efficient, well informed, matter of fact woman with an acute sense of judgement. In addition she has an extremely agreeable personality, which makes it a pleasure to do business with her. I have no problem recommending Grace to you unreservedly.”