Investment Planning

Anthony Rotondo

I was introduced to Estate Capital through a friend. I’d tried a number of advisers who weren’t generating much in the way of returns, and I wanted something more.

Initially my investments were showing a loss – this was in 2015 – but Chris reassured me that given time, things would recover. And he was right: within 6 months we had our money back and a little bit more. You have to bear with it, be patient, and take a long-term view.

Unbiased advice

Before going to Estate Capital, I was using the bank’s own advisers, but naturally they’re only going to sell you their products. With Chris being independent, he can look at what’s available in the market globally. The way I look at it is that if I’ve got a problem with my heating I get a plumber in – it’s the same with financial advice: you need a specialist who can look after it for you.

Chris is very professional: he calls a spade a spade, he’ll tell you what’s good and what’s bad, which is great, because you don’t want to get messed around.

For example, I had a company pension and wanted to know whether to transfer it or not. I went through the figures with Chris, and he advised me to leave it where it was, saying it would get a better return that way. He could have moved it across and received the commission, but it was clear he had my best interests at heart.

Reassurance during turbulent times

It’s worrying when you see the stock market going up and you look at your portfolio and it’s not doing as well, but with Chris you’ve got someone on your side who knows about it.

For example, just before Christmas in 2018 I asked him about the impact of Brexit. In 2016 he had taken some money out of funds and kept it in cash prior to the referendum and immediately afterwards reinvested, which was a good thing. We are able to invest in areas such as emerging markets, while staying on the cautious side of things, and since then, this has seen an upward trend. He was able to reassure me that we were doing the right thing.

Regular ongoing support

At the initial meeting you answer questions that show your attitude to financial risk, and once Chris knows that, he can advise you accordingly long term. Then when you have your review, he goes through your portfolio, showing what you’ve gained, what you haven’t, giving you a full breakdown of your financial history.

He explains it in simple terms. I appreciate where people coming from when they see a financial adviser – they’re putting their life savings into someone else’s hands, and if something goes wrong, there’s no time for them to recoup that money. But Estate Capital is an established company, they have to be regularly audited by the Financial Conduct Authority, so they have to prove they can be trusted.

With Estate Capital you also get the personal touch. Chris is extremely proactive and will ring you to reassure you if the markets have gone down, explaining why things have gone that way, what he thinks will happen, and that it will come back. And he’s always right. It’s a great source of comfort for me.

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