Portfolios built around your situation, not around an in-house product range
Most wealth managers run portfolios off a single in-house investment platform. We build portfolios on a whole-of-market basis. That means a discretionary mandate where the right manager exists, a managed portfolio service where the cost-to-fit balance favours it, direct equity where there are tax or concentration reasons to hold individual lines, fixed income where the time horizon demands it, and private markets where an allocation is appropriate.
The architecture is selected for fit. Not for distribution.
Investment management for our clients sits inside a financial plan rather than running alongside it. The portfolio is constructed against your tax position, your time horizon, your liquidity needs, your existing balance sheet, and your risk capacity, which is a different question from your stated risk tolerance. A founder with concentrated equity in their unsold business has a very different risk capacity from a recently exited founder with the same nominal wealth in cash, even if their psychology around volatility looks identical.
The portfolio also sits inside the right tax wrappers, in the right order. Pension where headroom allows. ISAs annually. GIA layered with active CGT and dividend allowance management. Onshore and offshore bonds where the maths supports them. BPR-qualifying portfolios for IHT planning where appropriate. Each wrapper changes the effective return after tax, sometimes meaningfully so the wrapper decisions are part of the investment decision rather than an afterthought.
How we approach investment management
Discretionary fund management with a panel of managers selected for genuine differentiation rather than commercial relationship.
Managed portfolio services where they are the most cost-efficient solution for the engagement size and complexity.
Direct equity for tax-driven concentrated planning, share scheme management, and where individual line-item control matters.
Fixed income including individual gilts and corporate bonds where the time horizon, tax treatment, or income profile favours direct holdings over funds.
Private markets including private equity, venture, and real assets, used selectively where the client has the time horizon, capacity for illiquidity, and overall portfolio scale to support meaningful allocation.
Structured products and structured deposits for specific planning purposes where the risk-return profile supports them.
EIS, SEIS, and VCT where the client’s tax position and risk tolerance make them appropriate.
The right combination depends on the client. A £2m post-exit portfolio is structured differently from a £15m post-exit portfolio. A founder still holding pre-IPO equity is structured differently again. There is no model portfolio.
What whole-of-market access looks like
This is the area of advice where independence has the most direct, measurable cost to clients who end up in a restricted model. In a tied or restricted environment, the answer to most portfolio questions is largely predetermined by the in-house panel. The question of which manager, which platform, which structure, becomes a question of what is on the firm’s list rather than what fits the client’s situation.
In our model, the answer is determined by the situation. We earn nothing from where the money goes, only from the planning and advisory work agreed in pounds and pence upfront. The recommendation has no commercial loading.
Why independence matters here
FAQs
-
The decision is driven by engagement size, the cost-to-fit balance, and whether the situation needs individual line-item control. For most clients between £1m and £5m, an MPS or a small panel of DFMs is the most cost-efficient route. Above £5m, a fully bespoke discretionary mandate often makes sense and at that size, the fee differential against an MPS is usually small relative to the value of the customisation. Direct holdings tend to come into play where there are CGT, concentration, or share scheme considerations that warrant individual control.
-
Selectively. Private markets such as private equity, venture, real assets are appropriate for some clients and not others. The decision is driven by overall portfolio scale, time horizon, capacity for illiquidity, and whether the after-fee, after-tax expected return justifies the trade-offs. We do not have a target allocation that we apply to every client, because the answer is genuinely individual.
-
Yes, in many cases. We have clients who came to us specifically because their existing investment management relationship was working well but the planning around it was not. We are happy to act as the financial planner sitting alongside an existing DFM relationship, if that is the structure the client wants. The whole-of-market position works in both directions, we are not commercially incentivised to consolidate everything onto a single platform.
-
We work with clients on the spectrum from ESG-integrated mainstream portfolios through to dedicated sustainable and impact mandates. The right approach depends on the client’s actual priorities, some clients want their portfolios to reflect a clear set of values and others want investment performance to come first with ESG as a secondary screen. Both are legitimate positions and we are equipped to build for either.
Speak with us
Schedule a complimentary consultation
A complimentary discovery session is the right starting point. Thirty minutes, no obligation, an honest view of whether independent advice is the right fit for your situation
Contact us
Speak with a Chartered Wealth Manager today. Start your journey towards strategic, stress-free wealth management tailored to your goals.