Ernest Grant

At Ernest Grant, we strongly believe that the best results are achieved by understanding our clients’ individual financial circumstances, aims and aspirations, then designing a personalised financial plan to achieve these goals.

Our investment strategy plans follow a robust process, led by our Investment Committee, who oversee the use of appropriate investments. This is managed in line with our Investment Philosophy, by third party experts who meet our stringent due diligence criteria. The Committee turns our Investment Philosophy into a set of core beliefs, which are reflected in our advice. The Committee undertakes due diligence on a whole market basis to identify the products and investment solutions best suited for our clients’ needs.

Our Investment Philosophy is based on six core beliefs:

• Asset allocation and diversification are the principle drivers of long term investment performance
• Our clients are unique and a ‘one size fits all’ investment strategy is not appropriate
• The overall cost of ownership of our clients investments is important
• Transparency of costs is important to our clients
• Optimum results are achieved by delegating the right jobs to the right people
• We will remain fiercely independent throughout

We are firmly committed to maintaining our independence as a firm, so our advisers are expected to advise on all retail products on a whole market basis. The Committee identifies shortlisted products and investment instruments that we believe are suited to the majority of our client profiles.

We consider eight key aspects when establishing the best investment solution for each client:

• Life stage and financial planning time period
• Financial objectives
• Financial knowledge and investment experience
• Understanding and acceptance of risk
• Capacity for loss
• View on costs
• Desired level of client involvement
• Wealth/portfolio size

Investment Risk:

Risk is an element of everyday life; whether it be crossing a busy road or buying a house. Consciously or subconsciously, we all evaluate the risks and potential outcomes of our actions and make decisions based on our willingness to accept risk. We undergo a similar evaluation when investing money but it can be difficult to predict the risks and outcomes involved in financial decisions. It’s crucial to first assess financial and emotional risk tolerance.

To assist our clients’ understanding of risk, we’ll discuss their specific objectives and the factors which may affect their investments. We’ll design a financial plan that takes risk into account and provide an investment recommendation suited to the desired risk profile, alongside the most suitable tax planning strategies. The value of your investments (and any income from them) can decrease, as well as increase, so you may not get back the full amount you invested. Past performance is not a reliable indicator of future performance.