Press Relations: financial planning

Monday, January 17, 2011

TOP ACCOLADE FOR NORTH-WEST FINANCIAL PLANNER.

HW FINANCIAL SERVICES

MANCHESTER AND PRESTON

PRESS RELEASE

January 17, 2011.

TOP ACCOLADE FOR NORTH-WEST FINANCIAL PLANNER.

Photo download here.

Ann-Marie Banks, a senior financial planner with HW Financial Services, part of UK top 20 chartered accountants Haines Watts, has attained a triple financial sector accolade.

Ann-Marie, 35, from Preston, and based in Manchester, has been appointed a certified and chartered member, and an Honorary Fellow of the CII – the Chartered Insurance Institute.

The CII is the premier professional organisation for those working in the insurance and financial services industry, and is dedicated to promoting higher standards of competence and integrity through the provision of relevant qualifications for employees at all levels and across all sectors.

Ann-Marie’s three-way recognition is an unusually high standard of achievement, and means she is qualified well above any financial services sector requirements for operating as a financial planner.

“It was extremely hard work and involved intense study, but I suddenly find myself with the highest possible qualifications in my field,” said Ann-Marie, has responsibility for the financial planning teams in Manchester, Merseyside, Preston and Cumbria.

“In an era of enormous pressure on financial planners to deliver the best and most rounded possible advice for small business owners I can confidently state that I’m now pretty well positioned to address practically any financial planning challenge or issue facing owner-managers.”

Ann-Marie was born in South Africa, but grew up in Lancashire and is a former student of Brownedge St Mary’s, Bamber Bridge, and Runshaw College. Previous employers have included Scottish Widows, Tenon and Chartwell Financial. In 2010 the former Lancashire county netball player also qualified as a Premier League netball umpire, again, the highest level of achievement possible.

Haines Watts is a UK top 20 chartered accountancy firm specialising in the owner-managed sector, providing a broad range of services out of its 50 offices. The firm has 80 years experience and 30,000 clients.

Ends

Further information:

Iain Macauley

im@pressrelations.co.uk

07788 978800

www.hwca.com

Photos:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/pressrelations/5265365689/in/set-72157624275784545/

Monday, December 20, 2010

80% OF NORTH WEST BUSINESS OWNER MANAGERS HAVE HAD NO FINANCIAL HEALTH CHECK IN THE PAST 12 MONTHS.

HAINES WATTS

FINANCIAL SERVICES

MANCHESTER AND PRESTON

PRESS RELEASE

December 20, 2010.

80% OF NORTH WEST BUSINESS OWNER MANAGERS HAVE HAD NO FINANCIAL HEALTH CHECK IN THE PAST 12 MONTHS.

Video.

More than 80% of North West-based business owner-managers have had no sort of financial health check during the past year according to a financial planner based in the region.

Ann-Marie Banks, a senior financial planner with Haines Watts Financial Services, part of UK top 20 chartered accountants Haines Watts, says that despite the past 18 months being amongst the volatile in economic history, only around a fifth of owner-managers in the North West have kept on top of personal finance issues.

“The markets dived, and then have recovered by around 20% in the past year, which means that owner-managers who have had advice, acted upon it and stayed alert to the economic situation have quite possibly seen as much as a 20% increase in their holdings – and that could make a huge difference when they come to cash in their pensions,” said Ann-Marie Banks, who is based in Manchester and Preston, with responsibility for clients of HW’s Liverpool, Ulverston and Hale offices. Video.

“The very sharpest business minds work with their financial planners, keep looking at their assets, assessing the risks and potential rewards, and take on board the changes in the market – and those people have come through the past 12 months or so with a stronger financial holdings base as a consequence.

“But it’s not too late: there’s still great volatility ahead, and advice and agility could see recovery for those who have not yet gone through a financial health check – and potentially greater gains for those who continue to do so.

“We obviously press our clients to take advice, and, while there’s a cost, it is outweighed in the long term by the benefits of applying that advice. But as we meet with more and more owner-managers outside of the Haines Watts client bank, we’re coming to the conclusion that around 80% of them have simply not had any sort of financial health check.

“For instance, it has been widely reported that simply putting money in a savings account at the moment is yielding a loss – but there are many more options available to help money grow.”

Haines Watts is a

top 20 chartered accountancy firm specialising in the owner-managed sector, providing a broad range of services out of its 50 offices. The firm has 80 years experience and 30,000 clients.