newsletter
SUMMER 2014 / ISSUE 1
WELCOME
TO OUR
NEWSLETTER
A lot has happened
at Epoch over the last
6 months or so. This
has been a period
characterised by great
change for us; a real
OUR BRAND
NEW WEBSITE
We’re immensely pleased to say that we
launched our new website in March 2014. It was
a long time in the making but you can view the
finished article at www.epochwm.co.uk.
epoch no less! All
are improvements or
enhancements and are
designed to augment
what we hope is an
already well-rounded
proposition to you.
This is not an issue
of Epochonomics,
our commentary on
the markets and our
portfolios. An issue
of that will be coming
shortly and will also
have an increased scope
of coverage. In time, we
may combine the two
together to provide a
complete overview of
what’s happening in the
industry, to our model
portfolios and to us as a
business but for now we
will see how they work
as separate documents.
If you have any
comments or
suggestions, please
email [email protected]
or call him on
01225 324145.
The site has been designed to appeal
to new and existing clients, as well as
professional partners whose clients
we deal with and interested nonclients. We have tried to encapsulate
the essence of Epoch within itprofessional, fresh, not stuffy, straight
talking. We hope that it can be a
tool which can be used by anyone to
better understand how we can help
clients achieve their lifetime goals.
It is our intention to keep the site
fresh with new content being added
on a regular basis. We also have
a Resource Library of documents
which will help passing visitors
with some aspects of their financial
planning needs. Those who have
a log-in and password can enter a
more in-depth Resource Library or
access information on their holdings
with us via the secure Client Area.
To get your log in, contact your
adviser, or Tom Annear on
[email protected].
In time, we will look to add tools
to the site which should help bring
financial planning (or specific
aspects of the process) to life. We
hope that the impact of this new
site will reinforce our credentials as
an award winning firm of Chartered
Financial Planners whose ethos is
firmly to put the client first.
THE BEST
FINANCIAL
PLANNING
FIRM IN
THE SOUTH
WEST
In January 2014, at an
awards ceremony in
London, Epoch was
awarded the title of
Adviser of the Year
2014 for the South
West region. The
award recognised our
professionalism, our
service proposition,
the level of our success
as defined by the
proportion of fee income
which is recurring and
increased profitability,
as well as the level of
technical qualification
within the staff.
In what was a challenging
selection process, and
in one of the most
competitive regions, we
were satisfied to even
make the shortlist of
five firms. But to win at
only our second attempt
shows the steps we have
taken in recent times to
really show our skills off
to the wider financial
planning world.
There is more detail
in the News section of
the website, but suffice
to say we were over
the moon to receive
the award as we have
always felt that we put
our clients first and this
award is made by those
who value firms with this
perspective; those who
are here for the long term
and who prize a mutually
rewarding relationship
with clients.
EPOCH DISCRETIONARY
SERVICE LAUNCHED!
We are extremely excited to be able to talk about
this most recent of developments.
Many of our clients invest via one of
our model portfolios. They do this
because although they have different
personal and financial goals and
aspirations, they share the common
goal of wanting to maximise the
return for a given level of risk. Or
rather, minimise the risk for a given
level of anticipated return.
For a number of years, Epoch has
offered “advisory model portfolios”
which require clients to specifically
authorise changes to underlying
investments through a full advisory
process. By contrast, the Epoch
Discretionary Service (EDS) allows
clients to authorise us to make
adjustments to their investment
portfolio as we feel appropriate,
without recourse to them each time a
change is considered necessary.
As Epoch directly manages the
monies invested through the EDS,
this means our investment managers
can react more quickly to changing
market conditions and potentially
take advantage of a wider range
of investment opportunities and
minimise possible threats.
For those clients for whom it is
suitable, moving their assets into
an arena where we have discretion
to make changes when we see fit
will allow them to benefit from a
smoother and simpler administration
process. The EDS allows us to make
changes when we believe it is right
to do so. Please note however that
the timing of investment decisions
may not always be profitable. Also,
note that past performance is no
guarantee of future returns and it’s
possible to get back less than was
invested.
The service will not be suitable for
all clients as there are a number of
advantages and disadvantages to
the service, so for more information,
please get in touch with your usual
contact, or visit the website.
WE’RE IN THE TOP 5% OF
FINANCIAL PLANNERS
Just before Christmas 2013, we
concluded a fairly drawn out process
of becoming Corporate Chartered
Financial Planners. This means that
the firm- as well as individuals within
it– has attained superior technical
qualifications to the expected
benchmark of adviser competence
(Diploma) and has a high degree of
professionalism. The title is awarded
by the Chartered Insurance institute,
under powers granted to it by the
Privy Council.
There are currently 616 Chartered
Financial Planner status firms as at
the end of July 2014, out of a total of
23,636 firms. This covers both directly
authorised firms and those who are
part of a network. This puts us within
the top 3% of all financial planning
firms in the UK.
This was the first significant external
endorsement of our firm. Our next
goal is to become an Accredited
Firm, awarded by the Institute of
Financial Planning, an internationally
recognised body of Financial Planners
who have an extremely rigorous
application and awarding process.
Being a firm of Chartered Financial
Planners involves a serious focus
on professionalism. It involves a
tremendous amount of ongoing hard
work to maintain our standing and to
demonstrate that our integrity and
client centric approach is above that
of those without the award. It requires
us to maintain a programme to keep
our knowledge up to date for the
benefit of all clients. For more details,
visit the News section of the website.
EPOCH SUPPORTS PRECIOUS LIVES ATLANTIC
CHALLENGE (PLAC) IN AID OF CHILDREN’S HOSPICE
SOUTH WEST (CHSW)
We were very happy to be involved in
the raising of much needed funds for
CHSW by sponsoring a charity dinner
at Prior Park School in April. The
dinner was held to specifically raise
funds for the PLAC which will see two
intrepid rowers attempt to break the
record for crossing the Atlantic Ocean
from Manhattan to Scilly Isles- 55
days to cover over 3,000 miles!
The event allowed us to help raise
vital funds (over £12,000 and
counting!) for a very necessary
and deserving cause. The charity
provides hospice care for young
people with life limiting conditions
and their families. When the charity
was established in 1991, the closest
hospice for children was in Oxford. By
opening hospices in Devon, Cornwall
and Bristol, the charity has been able
to transform the support available to
parents and children in the South West.
It felt like a very natural fit for us as
although none of us at Epoch have
been through what users of the
charity will have gone through, we
felt a special affinity with the aims of
the charity and were happy to help
them with their important work. More
details are on the website.
EPOCH
SPONSORS
BATH YOUTH
RUGBY TEAM
We were delighted when
we were approached to
sponsor the U15 Bath
Youth Rugby team
for the South Coast
International Festival of
Rugby 2014. A large part
of what makes us tick is
the ability to integrate
with, connect with
and support our local
community. We believe
that it’s important
to give back to the
community we live in
and serve professionally.
Supporting Youth
Rugby made sense to
us; we (as an office)
have a number of rugby
fans within our ranks.
We also have ties with
the management and
parents of the team. We
knew it was important
to help the team and
lend our support. Clearly
we couldn’t take to the
field so decided that
sponsorship was the
next best thing!
The weekend was a
success by all accountsthe weather was
fantastic and the team
did really well, winning
the tournament. View
more information on the
story in the News section
of the website.
FOR HE’S A JOLLY GOOD
(DOUBLE) FELLOW!
WE ARE
LOOKING FOR
MORE PEOPLE
LIKE YOU!
Those who know Markas know how
driven and academic he is. A cursory
look at his business card or email
footer will give a glimpse at the
professional accolades gained over a
lifetime dedicated to the acquisition
and application of wisdom.
As one of our clients or
associates, you’ll know
that we’ve been growing
in terms of staff and
clients. We’re proud of
our growth and ability
to make our mark in a
competitive industry.
That said, we’re not
resting on our laurels and
would like to ask that if
you know of anyone who
would benefit from our
award winning financial
planning services, that
you put them in touch
with us.
He has now become a member of a
very elite group of people- those who
are awarded the highest titles from
both the Chartered Insurance Institute
(CII) and the Institute of Financial
Planning (IFP). There are around 1,600
Fellows of the CII and around 128,000
Regulated Individuals in the UK (source
CII and Citywire). This puts a CII Fellow
in the top 2% of all financial planners
in the UK. Furthermore, there are only
around 80 Fellows of the IFP meaning
a Fellow of this organisation is in the
top 0.1% of financial planners.
To have both titles is an even greater
achievement and one of which both
he and we are rightly proud. Although
both the CII and the IFP have given
information on numbers holding the
distinction, data protection prevents
the either from publishing full details
without permission which means we
cannot compare names. Whilst there
are no confirmed numbers as to how
many hold both title, we are sure that
he’s part of a very select group!
HELEN OFF TO KILI
In October this year, one of our
own - Helen Witcombe - will be
climbing Kilimanjaro, Africa’s
highest peak to help raise funds
for Children’s Hospice South
West (CHSW).
Her adventure will see her arriving
in Tanzania on 17th October 2014
and she will spend 6 days trekking
to the top of the tallest freestanding mountain in the world.
It stands at 5,895m, or for those
who work in feet, a staggering
19,341 above sea level! As Helen
says: “This is a challenging trek
at altitude. Anyone who knows
me will know how much I enjoy
my home comforts so this will be
a tough challenge for me both
mentally and physically.”
The charity Helen is raising money
for is one we have supported
already this year, but one we felt
was worthy of further help. CHSW
provides much needed assistance
to young people who have a
shortened life expectancy and
their families. They provide three
hospices across the South West
(Bristol, Devon and Cornwall) and
have helped many hundreds of
families since their first hospice
opened in 1995. Visit their site at
www.chsw.org.uk.
She has set a fundraising target
of £2,000 which we hope she
can smash! To donate, please visit
justgiving.com/HelenWCHSW
For more information contact us on:
[email protected]
01225 322 790
As a thank you, for
any individual, family,
business or other entitity
you refer to us who
goes on to become a full
client, we’ll send you a
case of wine.