Meeting your financial adviser
Preparing for the meeting
- Complete our choosing a financial adviser checklist and arrange a meeting with a financial adviser.
- Gather any documents that you think your adviser might need and bring them along with you, for example, information on previous pensions you have paid into or your current investment portfolio and so on.
- Bring along proof of your identity and address. If you are unsure what you might need to bring, call the financial adviser in advance.
During the meeting
- Always answer your adviser’s questions fully and honestly. It will help both you and your adviser to get a clearer picture of your overall circumstances.
- Take notes during your meeting in case you forget something later and ask questions about anything you don’t understand.
- Take time to consider any recommendations carefully and don’t sign anything unless you have read and understood it fully.
Questions to ask
Click the dropdown for specific questions you should ask your adviser if you are getting advice on investments, pensions, insurance or mortgages.
Investments
Investments
- How will this investment meet my future needs?
- What are the main risks with this investment? Is my capital, or any growth in the investment, secure?
- Is this investment regulated and am I covered under the Investment Compensation Fund or the Deposit Guarantee Scheme?
- What charges are involved? How do they compare with similar products on the market?
- Are the charges ongoing or are they a once-off?
- What, if any, ongoing services will be provided by you and what will the cost be?
- Do I make regular payments, for example, monthly payments or a once off payment or both?
- What would happen if I missed a payment on the product?
- What is the minimum recommended term of the investment?
- If I cash in my investment early, will I have to pay a penalty?
- Do I have to pay tax? How much and when will this have to be paid?
- Will the investment affect my tax or social welfare benefits?
- How will I find out how my investment is performing?
Get more information on investments.
Pensions
Pensions
- What pension plans are available in my circumstances, for example, Personal Retirement Savings Account, Personal Pension Plan or employer pension scheme?
- What is the difference between a defined benefit and a defined contribution pension?
- Can I pay Additional Voluntary Contributions into the pension?
- What charges are involved? How do they compare with similar products on the market?
- Are the charges ongoing or are they a once-off?
- What, if any, ongoing services will be provided by you and what will the cost be?
- How much tax will I have to pay? What tax will I have to pay on my pension income?
- How often will I get information about my pension?
- What are my options when I retire? Is an Annuity or an Approved Retirement Fund an option? What are the pros and cons of each of these?
- Will I also be entitled to the state pension?
- Will the pension provide for my dependants when I die?
Also think about any other assets that you can use in your retirement which may provide you with an income such as other property, savings, investments etc.
Get more information on planning for your pension and pension benefits after retiring.
Insurance
Insurance
- What exactly am I covered for and for how long? If it’s an annual policy, how and when will I be contacted about the renewal?
- Is this cover necessary for me? Are there alternative policies that will suit my needs better?
- How will my premium be calculated?
- Is there any excess or exclusions?
- Could the premium increase for any reason?
- Is the insurance policy subject to reviews? If so, how often, and could my premium be increased at reviews?
- What happens if the insurance company goes out of business?
- When and why could my claim be refused?
- What support do you offer during a claim?
Get more information on insurance.
Mortgages
Mortgages
- How much can I borrow?
- What deposit do I need? What documents will I need to give the lender to show them how I saved the deposit, for example, statements from savings account?
- What is the best type of mortgage for my needs?
- What are the monthly repayments over different terms, such as 20, 30, 35 years?
- How long will my mortgage approval last?
- What is the APR (annual percentage rate)?
- If I get a discounted rate, what rate applies at the end of the discounted period and what effect will that have on my repayments and the total cost of the loan?
- What cash back offers or other incentives are available? When will I receive the money?
- What effect will an increase in interest rates have on my repayments?
- Are there flexible terms available?
- What are the penalties if I change from a fixed to a variable rate?
- What type of insurance do I need with the mortgage?
- Am I eligible for the help to buy scheme?
- Will I have to pay stamp duty?
- Do you charge a fee if I don’t go with your mortgage offer?
Get more information on mortgages.
Last updated on 16 September 2021
