As our clients are our clients and not their money, what is most important is that there is a fit between us. So is there a typical Fiduciary client? Probably not - it's more that they are all fascinating people who are great to work with. Yes, some are exceedingly well-off and others are of far more modest means - but what tends to unify our clients is the way they like to work with us, and us with them.

We find our typical client is a 'watchful delegator'; neither a pushover nor a disengaged non-participant. Instead, they tend to be committed to their future, trusting in our judgment given sufficient information, open in character and willing to listen, debate and question when necesssary.

If you are looking for an 'execution only' service to facilitate your own investment strategies we are probably not the firm for you. Equally, our full-service ethos doesn't necessarily fit well with someone who takes a back seat and just wants to be told where to sign. In both cases there are probably more suitable, and perhaps cheaper, alternatives.

Below are two examples of situations in which professional advice can be invaluable.

If you are facing divorce or have recently divorced, we can help you deal with the new financial reality of your situation and ensure that your settlement is well cared-for. As a case study in point, the majority of one client's pre-credit-crunch divorce settlement was in the form of RBS shares. This would have been a specific risk even in good times and by applying basic principles of diversification and selling the shares down as quickly as practicable the client was largely spared from seeing her settlement virtually wiped out in the ensuing crisis. Recent case law prohibits a divorced person going back to Court to ask for more in such a situation.

And of course, Prestwood can help both you and your divorce solicitor model the effects of any particular settlement on your financial future (and, in fairness, on your partner's).



We have considerable experience dealing with medical professionals given our background working for two medical-specific financial planning practices. Despite the common preconception that the NHS provides all the answers, particularly with regards to retirement planning, this can be far from the truth.

For example...

• If you are a consultant with significant private practice on which you have based further retirement planning, how do you now reconcile the recently-reduced lifetime pension allowance against the combination of NHS and private provision?
• How do you protect against additional tax charges if you are over the lifetime limit?
• Should you take your NHS Pension at 60 and go back to work, or carry on accruing extra years of pension rights? Where is the breakeven point?

We also speak at seminars for those in the NHS either approaching or already in retirement, and would be happy to organise a bespoke session for a group of colleagues.