The Difference Between Good and Bad Expat Wealth Managers: Protecting Your Financial Future
27th September 2024
In the world of expat financial planning, distinguishing between a skilled, experienced wealth manager and an unqualified intermediary can be the difference between achieving your financial goals and risking your future. Alarmingly, in many unregulated markets, anyone can set themselves up as a ‘financial adviser’ without the need for any qualifications, experience, or regulatory oversight.
This creates a dangerous environment for expats seeking professional advice. In many cases, individuals with no relevant qualifications simply open a brokerage account on a platform like Interactive Brokers and present themselves as financial advisers. They act as middlemen, charging fees and claiming to provide valuable guidance. Unfortunately, this often leads to unnecessary costs and an inappropriate level of risk for clients.
Unlike purchasing a TV, where a bad decision might leave you disappointed, poor wealth management can have severe, long-lasting consequences. The impact of bad advice in this field can derail life plans, jeopardise financial security, and limit your ability to achieve personal dreams. That’s why choosing the right financial adviser is critical.
Unlike purchasing a TV, where a bad decision might leave you disappointed, poor wealth management can have severe, long-lasting consequences. The impact of bad advice in this field can derail life plans, jeopardise financial security, and limit your ability to achieve personal dreams. That’s why choosing the right financial adviser is critical.
At Brigantia, we pride ourselves on being the gold standard in expat wealth management. Here’s what sets us apart:
Experience and Qualifications
All of our expert wealth managers have at least 10 years of experience operating in regulated jurisdictions, such as the UK under the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA). This level of experience ensures that our team understands the intricacies of sound financial planning, and it allows us to offer advice that genuinely benefits our clients.
Moreover, all of our advisers hold a minimum of a Level 4 qualification in financial planning, which is the recognised industry standard across the world. We believe that this is essential in offering trustworthy, expert guidance.
In contrast, unregulated ‘advisers’ in expat markets often lack these qualifications, and their clients bear the risks of inexperience and poor advice. At Brigantia, we eliminate that risk.
Experience and Qualifications
All of our expert wealth managers have at least 10 years of experience operating in regulated jurisdictions, such as the UK under the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA). This level of experience ensures that our team understands the intricacies of sound financial planning, and it allows us to offer advice that genuinely benefits our clients.
Moreover, all of our advisers hold a minimum of a Level 4 qualification in financial planning, which is the recognised industry standard across the world. We believe that this is essential in offering trustworthy, expert guidance.
In contrast, unregulated ‘advisers’ in expat markets often lack these qualifications, and their clients bear the risks of inexperience and poor advice. At Brigantia, we eliminate that risk.
Our 3 Pillars of Wealth Management
Our approach to wealth management is built on three core pillars: Advice Costs, Product Selection, and Portfolio Design. These principles ensure that we offer top-quality financial advice while minimising the impact of costs on our clients’ financial plans.
1. Advice Costs
We adopt a UK-style, capped onboarding fee model with a low ongoing advice charge. This structure helps to ensure that advice fees don’t eat into the value of your investments over time. We know that cost control is a key element in long-term financial success, and we’ve built our fee model to reflect this.
2. Product Selection
We avoid products that benefit the adviser at the expense of the client. Many advisers in unregulated markets are drawn to high-commission products that may not serve the client’s best interests. At Brigantia, we steer clear of such options, opting instead for cost-effective solutions that support the long-term growth of your investments.
3. Portfolio Design
Our bespoke portfolio design methods are market-leading. Each client receives a completely tailored portfolio, designed using deep data analytics and sound financial planning principles. Unlike many retail investment options, we offer access to specialist investments that you won’t find on your own.
Our portfolios are designed with a focus on minimising ongoing costs, ensuring that the charges don’t erode the growth of your investments. This bespoke, strategic approach is unmatched in the expat wealth management space.
Our approach to wealth management is built on three core pillars: Advice Costs, Product Selection, and Portfolio Design. These principles ensure that we offer top-quality financial advice while minimising the impact of costs on our clients’ financial plans.
1. Advice Costs
We adopt a UK-style, capped onboarding fee model with a low ongoing advice charge. This structure helps to ensure that advice fees don’t eat into the value of your investments over time. We know that cost control is a key element in long-term financial success, and we’ve built our fee model to reflect this.
2. Product Selection
We avoid products that benefit the adviser at the expense of the client. Many advisers in unregulated markets are drawn to high-commission products that may not serve the client’s best interests. At Brigantia, we steer clear of such options, opting instead for cost-effective solutions that support the long-term growth of your investments.
3. Portfolio Design
Our bespoke portfolio design methods are market-leading. Each client receives a completely tailored portfolio, designed using deep data analytics and sound financial planning principles. Unlike many retail investment options, we offer access to specialist investments that you won’t find on your own.
Our portfolios are designed with a focus on minimising ongoing costs, ensuring that the charges don’t erode the growth of your investments. This bespoke, strategic approach is unmatched in the expat wealth management space.
The Professional Choice for Expat Wealth Management
Whether you’re managing your own finances or, even worse, trusting in one of the many amateur ‘advisers’ prevalent in expat markets, the risks are clear. Inexperienced, unqualified advisers can cost you dearly in both unnecessary fees and poor investment choices.
Brigantia represents the professional, trustworthy choice for your financial future. With over a decade of experience in regulated markets, industry-standard qualifications, and our unique 3-pillar approach to wealth management, we offer a much safer pair of hands for your financial journey.
To find out more, and to experience how our approach can benefit you, click the button below to book a free, no-obligation introduction call with one of our expert wealth managers. Your financial future deserves the best.
Whether you’re managing your own finances or, even worse, trusting in one of the many amateur ‘advisers’ prevalent in expat markets, the risks are clear. Inexperienced, unqualified advisers can cost you dearly in both unnecessary fees and poor investment choices.
Brigantia represents the professional, trustworthy choice for your financial future. With over a decade of experience in regulated markets, industry-standard qualifications, and our unique 3-pillar approach to wealth management, we offer a much safer pair of hands for your financial journey.
To find out more, and to experience how our approach can benefit you, click the button below to book a free, no-obligation introduction call with one of our expert wealth managers. Your financial future deserves the best.