Testimonials

This is to express my appreciation of the work of James Gardiner of Westminster Wealth.

Over a number of very difficult months over the 2020 lockdown, James threw himself into solving our very tricky mortgage problems, not once but several times coming up with solutions when I was convinced that they were well-nigh impossible.

Throughout the whole long and difficult process, James was never-failingly clear, calm and supportive, always taking exceptional trouble to support us and guide us. Working with him was like to talking to a loyal friend of many years and the usual terror of discussing financial matters somehow disappeared as he helped us to see things in the most practical and clear-sighted way.

I would recommend James in the warmest terms to anyone seeking help with mortgage difficulties of the kind we were facing.

- Gerard McBurney

We engaged Westminster to assist in securing the care of a beloved aged relative who could no longer manage alone, after helping her move into a care home and sell her old home, her only significant asset.

The care home fees were very significant with a real risk that the funds from the sale would be depleted and not provide her lifetime care. At a time of unprecedented stress and logistical difficulty, James assisted by proposing a suitable immediate care annuity based solution, and by obtaining a range of quotations from select insurance providers. This was a significant piece of work, requiring meticulous attention to detail, and a great deal of patience and perseverance chasing documentation and reports from many sources.

James left no stone unturned to seek out the optimal solution, and the best offer annuity selected has ensured absolute security of care for our relative and peace of mind for her family. All elements of the solution and the process were clearly explained to us in a totally transparent manner along the way. We unreservedly recommend James and Westminster Wealth for their service in this domain.

- Jeremy Shotts

“As a first time buyer it was all a bit of a minefield though Martin Cook guided me through the process effortlessly ad secured a great mortgage for me that suited all of my needs”.

- J.F.C. London

I first sought the advice of Westminster Wealth in 2014 in order to discuss the adequacy of my savings, pension entitlements and other assets vis-a-vis my approaching post-retirement needs. Following an in-depth review of my financial situation Chris Loake recommended and then set in place a package of investment and pension arrangements that have given me good capital growth, allowed me to draw down funds when necessary in a tax-efficient manner, provided me with sound, sensible advice and generally relieved me from stress and anxiety. It has proved to be a continuing and real pleasure for me to rely on his professional expertise and skill.

- Tim H

We’ve been really pleased with the work Phil Ogden has done for us at Westminster Wealth. We were in the lucky position of having a lump sum, but had no idea where to start to make it work best for us in the long term, while also keeping some options open in the short term. Over a series of meetings Phil helped us work through our options and our priorities. We’ve ended up with a plan we understand that meets our short and long term goals. This has removed all the stress, leaving us free to enjoy our circumstances and think about things other than investment funds, pensions, etc. Fantastic result!

-Jemima K

To Howard and Gemma; Thank you for your kind and wise words, which I passed on to her. A fortnight ago we had a lovely family Legacy Lunch, which involved giving her the cheque. Both her father and her were deeply appreciative. Thank you so much for arranging it all so beautifully.

- Lyn Hall

We've used WWM for investment planning for three years. We have been extremely happy with the service we have received, even in these difficult financial times. The advice has always been sensible, thoughtful and in keeping with our needs. Additionally they are never pushy, and more than happy to recommend solutions that do not generate big or even any commissions for WWM

-S.R. Ophthalmologist

Andy, thanks for all your help with the mortgage. You made it all very effortless, stress free and easy for Eunice and me as well as getting us a great deal. All in a fantastic service. We are very grateful and look forward to using you again when we come to remortgage in a few years time.

- John M, Property purchaser

I didn’t expect to find somebody who was prepared to spend so much time in helping me understand this complex area of financial planning. I now have a good understanding of pension planning as well as the specifics of many different plans.

- J Ruffle, Director

Chris Taylor has been my Independent Financial Adviser for 20 years or so and over that time I have built up considerable trust in his approach and advice, covering many aspects of savings, pension and life assurance. Sadly, my wife died from cancer in September 2012 and, aside from coming to terms with the personal loss and looking after my two boys, there was a lot of work to do to settle our joint financial affairs. Chris, together with his assistant Billy, immediately offered to assist and with my ready authorisation took it on themselves to contact the many financial services providers involved.

The processes to be followed were complex and time consuming, with frequent requirements for retrieval and validation of original documentation. Chris and Billy worked their way through the stack of work involved to achieve a 100% success rate of settlement, much more quickly and effectively than I would have been able to do on my own. As a result, I was able to concentrate on the personal side of my life and the subsequent Probate process was also uncomplicated and readily completed. I cannot commend Chris and Billy too highly for the way in which they stepped in to help in this way, thereby demonstrating that a good IFA relationship is not only transactional and, in this case, was very much two-way.

- Stephen Balogh, Senior Partner at Oaklin Consulting

I have dealt with Howard Sheard of Westminster Wealth since 2007. Over this period of time he has always given me well researched and impartial advice both on products I have asked him to investigate and those which he has suggested would suit my personal and business needs. Whenever I have proceeded with a product, the administration has been thorough and efficient. A particularly complex transaction was the transfer of the administration of my pension scheme across from 3/4 different providers. This transfer was carried out on Howard’s advice to not only streamline the paperwork but to save me money in terms of fees.

I believe that not only does Howard make me money, but he saves me money as well. Knowing he is keeping an eye on my investments leaves my mind free to concentrate on my business interests.

- Stuart W Sapcote, Chairman, Sapcote Group plc

I have dealt with WWM on numerous occasions over the past few years, starting with a simple remortgage and moving on to pensions and then onto other investment advice. Jamie Perkins has helped me to determine the types of products that would interest me, that suited my needs and made the process of investing in them extremely easy. I have always found Jamie to be extremely knowledgeable, professional and proactive and will certainly be looking to him, and WWM, for advice and support in the future.

- Louise Gelling, Deloitte

I have worked with James Gardiner for a while now and he has always been objective and professional in our dealings. His advice has always been clear and concise, and operating on a fee basis has continued to provide reassurance of his truly independent capabilities. I trust him implicitly with handling my overall financial planning matters and would feel absolutely comfortable recommending his services.

- Simon Pilcher, CMS Cameron McKenna

Patrick has been my financial adviser for nearly twenty years and I have always found his advice to be of great value. He has an enviable knack of being able to explain issues in a very straight forward, easy to understand way. Over the years Patrick has recommended a variety of savings and protection products and whilst the advantages of his investment ideas have always been clear to me, I tended to follow his protection ideas with less enthusiasm, just trusting that he knew what he was talking about. How glad I am that I did!

Last year I was diagnosed with cancer and the critical illness policies that Patrick recommended I take out all those years ago have really proved their worth. The claims paid have meant that I am now financially secure and at what was a stressful time, it was a great relief not to have to worry about money as well! Fortunately the medical prognosis is encouraging and I look forward to Patrick continuing to share his financial wisdom with me for many years to come.

- Paul Bennett, Director of Financial services, Mazars LLP

Westminster Wealth have always provided friendly advice that is easy to understand. They explain things in such a way so that I can feel comfortable about making decisions on my finances. I feel that they treat me as an individual and tailor their advice just for me.

- Harvey Bertram-Brown, Creative Director

I have known Patrick since the late 1980s. I can truthfully say that I have never been disappointed with the advice I have received. In fact the quality of the advice and the products I have invested in have resulted in supporting my family and me through bad times as well as good, along with now providing me with a substantial pension pot. I have worked in IT in the Finance Industry since the early 70’s. Thus although I am financially literate I admit the limits of my knowledge. Patrick has never recommended any product that has caused me to question his advice.

The qualities that Patrick has are (from the perspective of a satisfied client): Ability to translate a client’s needs into deliverable and relevant financial products; Honesty about the limits of his product knowledge but also able to know where to go to complement this, so providing a complete service; Honesty about fees and costs associated with both his service and the recommended products; Always ensuring that clients know the plusses and minuses of financial products. Thus in these days of scepticism about all things financial and the quality of financial advice it is good that advisers such as Patrick exist.

- James Morgan, June 2015

Just to say that I recently used Philip to help me set up a SIPP and was extremely impressed with his depth of knowledge, professionalism, clarity of thought and attention to detail. He goes out of his way to ensure that everything is easy to understand and I have no hesitation in recommending him.

- Tim Cowan, Anderson Health

I have worked with Philip Hamer for several years on pensions and investment planning and, during that time, I have been consistently impressed by several key factors in the way he works. When we first started working together, Philip spent a considerable amount of time on building his understanding of my personal situation, financial position and attitude to risk and reward. He has an impressive attention to detail and mathematical ability, to the extent that he has been able to remind me of elements (and cash balances) that I had forgotten! Not only does Philip have very extensive knowledge of the market, including a wide range of funds, but he also prepares extremely thoroughly for every client meeting, to ensure that I have the best relevant choice of available options.

Our planning meetings are always thorough, as Philip takes the time to ensure that I fully understand the benefits and risks of each option and supports me to make the best choice for my personal circumstances. He is always on hand to give me financial support and advice when I need it, even when it offers him no financial benefit through fees. As a result, I trust Philip’s advice implicitly, because I know that he is working towards my best interests, rather than simply focussing on his fee.

- S Devereux, Business Development Manager

After your last visit I decided I really wanted to write and thank you for all the support you have shown me over the years, visits to my home once travelling to London became too much and all the help you have given me with my investments over the years, what is now 20+ years since we first met. You have always been at the end of the phone if I need to talk to you and I am more than aware of the effort it takes to travel out of London to see me, just to answer some questions and say hello. After the terrible experiences I had with my previous adviser, I was more than a little cautious to take on someone new but thank goodness I did as you have such high standards of integrity, I have never had to worry that you were giving bad advice and I have seen my investments do well whilst in your care. In short you are one of the rare breed who give the financial industry a good name and I would recommend you to anyone.

- Betty Talbot, client of Philip Hamer

Five years ago I decided to start looking for an expert to manage my retirement portfolio. I hoped to find someone I could trust who would put my mind at rest and manage my money well. Philip Hamer was recommended to me and after meeting him I found him to be patient and willing to give as much time as I needed to help me understand my options, and he quickly put my mind at rest. Since then he has continued to give me sound advice, always making time for me, either face to face or over the telephone if I have any questions. I would happily recommend him.

- Eileen Chalfont, Retired Private Investor

First time buyers, support with arranging our mortgage. Martin Cook was incredibly helpful, he found the best mortgage rates for us, made the whole process clear and stress free which as first time buyers was a huge support. He constantly stayed in contact with us and the estate agents so we didn't need to do any chasing and we feel went above and beyond what we expected. Thank you Martin.

- Jake & Gemma

I was looking for a remortgage and to take some equity on my property. Martin Cook perfectly understood our needs and explained the recommendations, deadlines and processes in a very comprehensive way. He is very professional, reactive and very responsive. We were successful very quickly in getting the remortgage and the equity we wanted. It would have been difficult and time consuming to do it on our own and Martin was a fantastic help. I have already recommended Martin to many friends and colleagues and no doubt I will call him immediately next time I need to remortgage.

- Arnaud & Karim

Martin Cook explained the options available to me and gave me the knowledge I needed to make the right selection for me. He was very prompt, thorough and clear in all our communication. And when I encountered an unexpected problem during the legal process ….. he very quickly helped me through the process of finding a replacement mortgage to avoid any delays. Martin kept me informed at every step of the process and supported me whenever I had any questions.

- V.C. London

Martin Cook is clearly very knowledgeable and conducts himself in a friendly, professional manner. From the outset he ensured an understanding of our requirements whilst clearly explaining the options available to us and what was possible. Our financial situation was not entirely straightforward and his experience enabled him to act for us and reach a successful outcome. He ensured that his background research into our situation was thorough and consequently submitted a realistic application which was approved without issue.On a personal level Martin is friendly and easy to deal with, always happy to answer any questions and replies promptly when not available immediately.

- J.B. London

As a first time buyer it was all a bit of a minefield though Martin Cook guided me through the process effortlessly and secured a great mortgage for me that suited all of my needs.

- J.F.C. London

We engaged Westminster to assist in securing the care of a beloved aged relative who could no longer manage alone, after helping her move into a care home and sell her old home, her only significant asset.

The care home fees were very significant with a real risk that the funds from the sale would be depleted and not provide her lifetime care. At a time of unprecedented stress and logistical difficulty, James assisted by proposing a suitable immediate care annuity based solution, and by obtaining a range of quotations from select insurance providers. This was a significant piece of work, requiring meticulous attention to detail, and a great deal of patience and perseverance chasing documentation and reports from many sources.

James left no stone unturned to seek out the optimal solution, and the best offer annuity selected has ensured absolute security of care for our relative and peace of mind for her family. All elements of the solution and the process were clearly explained to us in a totally transparent manner along the way. We unreservedly recommend James and Westminster Wealth for their service in this domain.

- Jeremy Shotts