Frequently asked questions
About us
Who are Schroders Personal Wealth?
Schroders Personal Wealth is a financial advice firm backed by UK banking giant Lloyds Banking Group and leading investment manager Schroders.
Schroders Personal Wealth offers holistic, financial planning services to UK customers on a restricted advice basis. We want to improve the way financial advice is offered, by making it simple, affordable and accessible to more people. For us, it’s about more than just financial advice. We believe that a good financial plan can help change people’s lives, giving you and your loved one's peace of mind.
What is Schroders Personal Wealth registered address?
Schroders Personal Wealth is our trading name, which is operated by Scottish Widows Schroder Personal Wealth Limited. Registered Office: 25 Gresham Street, London EC2V 7HN. Registered in England and Wales No. 11722983. Authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority under number 830170.
Will my investments be covered by the Financial Services Compensation Scheme (FSCS)?
Most types of investments are covered by the scheme up to the current limit of £85,000. Please refer to your terms and conditions for more information on the FSCS limits which apply to the service or products you have.
More details can be found on the FSCS website at: https://www.fscs.org.uk/what-we-cover/investments/
Am I eligible to get advice from Schroders Personal Wealth?
To get advice from Schroders Personal Wealth, you’ll need to have: £100,000 in savings, investments and/or personal pension(s), and/or £100,000 of sole annual income.
I am a financial adviser how do I find out more about working for Schroders Personal Wealth?
If you are a financial adviser interested in learning more about careers at Schroders Personal Wealth visit our careers page.
What we do
What products and services do Schroders Personal Wealth offer?
Schroders Personal Wealth offers holistic, financial planning services to UK customers on a restricted advice basis. Our advisers can help you with protecting your family, investing and saving for retirement, the choices you make at and in retirement and also more specialist services such as how you pass on your wealth to your loved ones.
Our partnership with Lloyds and Schroders means we can accommodate your financial planning needs throughout each life stage, to help you and your family achieve your goals.
While Schroders takes the lead on investment matters, Lloyds Banking Group provides access to much broader resources should you have specialist needs that we may not be able to meet. Tax advisory and tax compliance and wills services are not regulated by the FCA.
Schroders Personal Wealth offers restricted advice. What does this mean?
Schroders Personal Wealth provides restricted advice which means that whilst we will advise on a broad range of client needs, the products that we advise to meet these needs are restricted to a range of providers. We are confident that our product range is comprehensive and suitable for our client needs and is drawn from leading providers and in-house expertise.
How it works
What will I need to bring with me to the initial meeting?
When you meet with an adviser they will focus on getting to know your current financial situation and understanding your goals. To help with this they will ask you to bring some paperwork with you. They will explain this in detail ahead of your first meeting.
Will I need to fill in any paperwork before the meeting?
No. There is nothing for you to fill in ahead of the initial meeting.
Will I have to travel to meet my adviser?
No. Meetings are designed around your needs and you can meet with an adviser virtually or over the over the telephone.
You say the initial consultation is free: how much will I have to pay for any subsequent meetings?
Not only is your initial consultation free, but your financial planning appointment and the presentation of your financial plan and recommendations are also provided with no financial commitment from you.
There are no hidden fees and charges. You'll only start to pay if you choose to go ahead with our recommendations from your personalised financial plan.
Our advisers will explain the costs and charges of the products and services you choose before they’re incurred. You can then make an informed choice about which services you take.
How long will my consultation last?
Your free initial consultation will last between 15 and 30 minutes.
This is followed up with your financial planning appointment. We recommend you set aside about 90 minutes for this. If your situation is complex it might take longer than this for your adviser to capture all the information needed to prepare a comprehensive financial plan.
Once your adviser has prepared your personalised financial plan, they will present their recommendations which will take around an hour.
Can I call my adviser if I remember something that I forgot to tell them?
Absolutely. You can call or email them if you feel there is something you didn't cover in the consultation.
Email is not a secure method of communication, so please do not include personal information in any emails you send to us.
How often will I meet with my adviser?
Our Ongoing Advice Service includes an annual review which is an opportunity to update your adviser on any changes to your circumstances.
They can then run through your plan to make sure it continues to meet your needs. But please feel free to phone us at any time if your circumstances change and you feel that you need to revise your financial plan.
When do I settle the fees and charges?
Our advisers will explain all our fees and charges. It’s all straightforward. More details of our pricing can be found here.
How can I access my financial plan once it has been developed?
You can view all your financial information, including your personalised plan, by logging into our secure online Wealth Platform.
The Wealth Platform is where your investments with us are held and administered. It helps us provide you with reports, for example tax reporting and performance information. You can access it 24 hours a day 7 days a week.
Pricing
What is a risk profile?
Before providing investment advice to you we need to assess your attitude to risk. This will inform our recommendations to you.
Our advisers will help you decide which risk level is right for you, and this will help decide the right investment profile. If you have a long time before you need to access your money you can possibly accept a greater level of risk with your investments(for a higher potential reward) than if you might need to sell your investments in the near future.
But being able to accept more risk is not the same as feeling comfortable taking that risk. This is where a discussion with an adviser is really important so they can help guide you to the most suitable risk profile and strategy.
If I want to cancel my ongoing advice, can I?
Yes. It’s a monthly charge deducted from your account in arrears and you can cancel at any time.
What is the Personal Discretionary Portfolio Service (PDPS) fund management fee?
Our Personal Discretionary Portfolio Service (which your adviser might refer to as PDPS) is an actively managed discretionary investment service where we make all the day-to-day decisions on your behalf. If offers you a number of choices depending on the level of risk you are comfortable taking, and the range of investment products you need to help you achieve your financial goals.
There is a fund management fee which reflects the active management of your portfolio by our managers. This fee is subject to VAT depending on product and is shown in the rates and charges document.
Do your prices include VAT?
VAT is charged on products and services where applicable.
The one-off advice fee and ongoing review fee do not incur VAT. These are VAT Exempt financial intermediary services.
The PDPS discretionary fund management fee is subject to VAT at the standard rate subject to product.
If you require specialist financial advice, your adviser will discuss this with you directly, and this will be subject to VAT at the standard rate.
Our Advisers
What will my relationship with Schroders Personal Wealth advisers be like?
We offer both one-off advice and ongoing advice. If you choose to take on-off advice you will receive quarterly statements on your investments, and you will be able to contact a support team with any queries. If you opt for our Ongoing Advice Service you will have dedicated access to financial advisers who will support you on your journey and will be there to answer your questions.
Fees and charges apply for our Ongoing Advice Service. Speak to one of our Personal Wealth Advisers for more information.
Where are your advisers located?
We have a network of regional hubs located throughout England, Wales, Scotland, and Northern Ireland to provide you with the support you need.
As part of our drive to make advice more accessible to more people we meet clients virtually or over the telephone. However, our local presence means that our advisers can meet with our clients face-to-face if needed.
Are your advisers paid commission?
We're committed to your financial wellbeing so you can be assured that every recommendation is driven by your specific needs and goals, rather than financial gain for our advisers.
All of our advisers are employed and are paid a salary with no commission earned from sales. Our advisers are remunerated for providing advice to new and existing clients and ensuring good client outcomes through meeting their needs.
Let's start with a free initial consultation
We'll begin with a free, no obligation conversation to understand if our service is right for you. There are no hidden fees or charges, and you’ll only pay if you choose to go ahead with the recommendations in your personalised financial plan.