Our Investment Philosophy

Managing investments in service of our clients’ retirement plans is a critical piece of the jigsaw. The stakes couldn’t be higher! We manage US based portfolios in USD, UK based portfolios in both GBP and USD and some legacy Malta based portfolios in both GBP and USD. We manage for appropriate growth, but also to avoid permanent loss.

We cannot guarantee performance, but we promise prudent, consistent, accountable, professional management of your money that is coordinated across jurisdictions and currencies and compliant in all with a view to securing yours and your family’s future.

 

When it comes to your investments, here is our philosophy.

 

  • Equities Determine Growth (Asset Allocation)

We invest for the long-term (10 years+) and we believe that over the long term it is exposure to equities – as in stock and shares, real companies – that determines ultimate return. Not USA or China, or Pepsi or Cola, or whether you invest now or next month – what really matters is exposure to equities Vs fixed income. More equities, more return (but more volatility). More fixed income, lower returns (but lower volatility).

  • Diversification

We practice massive, global diversification – across sectors/industries, countries, capitalization and even investment management styles. This is not “black or red” at the casino or betting on a single horse. We balance opportunity for return against risk – never make a killing in a single stock/asset, never get killed by a single stock/asset.

  • Straightforward, Low-Cost, Passive

The best investments are simple and low cost. We find that alternative investments are usually expensive and illiquid and we consider equity returns have been sufficient for the vast majority of clients. This is why we stick to equities and fixed income. We believe most investors can get all the growth they require from equities at minimal cost and maximum liquidity. We mostly prefer passive index funds, because they are straightforward and low cost. But we do employ actively managed funds within strict limits to achieve some meaningful long-term outperformance, without putting the portfolio as a whole at risk.

  • Investor Behaviour Is Ultimate Determinant

Ultimately, we believe the biggest determinant of investment returns is individual investor behaviour. We could have a literal crystal ball and be able to see into the future (unfortunately, we don’t), but it would be no good if an investor couldn’t stay invested and/or panicked out at the bottom of the market (crystalising losses and missing out on the bounce back) or piling into “what’s hot” at the top of frothly market. This behaviour – and more like it – can decimate long-term returns and there is nothing we – or anyone else – can do if an investor behaves this way.

How We Charge

At Plan First Wealth, our fees are transparent. We communicate with our clients so they understand how their fees are calculated and how much they will be paying.

All fees are explicitly agreed in advance and whilst fee payments may be facilitated by a product provider, trustee or custodian, any fees we receive come directly from our clients and/or their account(s). Nobody pays us but our clients and we are beholden to nobody but them.

Our fees are tiered and differ by product and/or platform (please refer to our ADV for a breakdown), but generally, are the same for everyone for the same account size. Upfront, we may charge an onboarding fee for financial planning or an account opening fee to facilitate a UK pension transfer. On an ongoing basis we charge a percentage of assets under management for an agreed upon level of service. More information, including specific fee breakdowns, can be found in our Form ADV Part 2A.

We do not charge extra fees and we do not discount fees (because that would not be fair to other clients). All our services have already been factored into the fees we charge.

PFW Fee Guarantee

If during your first 6 months as a client of PFW you are dissatisfied with the service we provided, we will refund all advice fees charged during that period.*

*This includes any financial planning and advisory fees. Account Setup fees and fees charged by the platform or trustee are not covered by this guarantee.