Platinum Financial About Us

About Us

CONTENTS Welcome to Platinum Financial Planning

01 01 02 03 07 09 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 21 21 24

About Us

Our Vision & Values About Our Advice Process Who Do We Work With?

About Our Personal Financial Planning Services

Retirement Planning Wealth Management Mortgage Advice Protection Planning

Tax Planning

About Our Corporate Financial Planning Services

Employee Benefits

Corporate Investment Planning Business Protection Corporate Tax Planning

Clients We Have Helped

Case Studies Client Feedback

Welcome to Platinum Financial Planning Ltd

Who are we and what do we do? Platinum Financial Planning Independent Financial Advice you can always trust.

Platinum Financial Planning are a leading firm of Independent Financial Advisers and Wealth Managers with significant experience advising individuals and businesses on all aspects of their financial planning needs. Our approach is based on deep insight – of the financial advice market and our clients’ specific circumstances and aspirations. We are known for a no-nonsense, helpful, and completely transparent service and our advice is always impartial, untainted by product bias and free from corporate agenda. We have been giving independent financial advice for almost two decades. During this time the world has changed, we have too but our clients remain at the very heart of what we do. Trust builds the foundation of the relationship we have with our clients and shapes everything we do at Platinum Financial Planning. Whether you are an individual requiring investment, retirement or mortgage and protection advice, or a business in need of guidance on your employee benefits package, protection advice, or investment planning, you can trust that our advice is always given with your best interests in mind. We are an appointed representative of TenetConnect Limited, which is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA). The FCA is the independent regulator of financial services in the United Kingdom. TenetConnect Limited is entered on the Financial Services Register (www.fca.org.uk/register) under reference 149826.

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Our Vision & Values

Platinum was established with the desire to operate with absolute integrity, loyalty, and transparency at its very core. We have a very client-focused and completely independent perspective to offer clients and an unrestricted, fully accessible service, which has quickly earned the firm a reputation of professionalism, reliability and insightfulness among many private and corporate clients. Our Vision “We use insight to empower and improve lives” Our Values We are Invested in our clients, our community, our team, and the insight we provide. We take pride in empowering our people and clients to achieve their potential and do the right thing. We are Professional . Our experience, qualifications, and total commitment to customer care, coupled with Tenet’s support, ensures our clients receive the highest standard of independent financial advice, that is always tailored to their individual circumstances. We are the Trusted partner of many organisations and have built long-standing relationships with many of our personal and corporate clients. We are trusted to advise our clients, both personal and corporate in an easy to understand, approachable way and provide them with the best possible financial advice, service, and support. We are Always Improving . We strive to be experts in our field. We are continually improving our expertise, our knowledge, and our industry insight to ensure we are always in the position to provide our clients with the best possible advice.

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Our Advice Process

The Platinum Financial Advice Process has been designed to help clients achieve their financial goals for a strong financial future. The steps that we take with you in your journey are described in the next few pages.

3. Planning

2. Discovery

1. Initial Meeting

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6. Review

5. Implementation

4. Presentation

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Our Advice Process

1. Initial meeting We want to get to know you and your needs. We also want you to get to know us and get a better understanding of how we can help you on your financial journey. If we agree in our initial meeting you may benefit from our services we’ll move on to the discovery step of the advice process.

2. Discovery We’ll start by asking some fundamental questions around important personal information, your circumstances, financial history, and your financial priorities. This will form the basis for any research and future recommendations we carry out. Once we have agreed the services you would like we will discuss the associated costs, to ensure our services are appropriate for you and your budget. We cannot charge you a fee for work completed without your prior agreement. Please ensure that you are clear with us on the services you want and how you will pay for them before we proceed with any work that may incur a liability for you.

3. Planning Having agreed your priorities, we will analyse your current financial position based on our extensive knowledge and experience. Should we need to contact any financial services providers with whom you have an existing arrangement, we will ask for your express consent to do so. Our report will identify the most tax efficient solutions for your circumstances, taking into account current tax rules.

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5. Implementation We will put the agreed proposal into effect and update you when implementation is complete. We will assist you in the completion of any relevant paperwork and gather any additional information required. It is important for you to check all the information you have provided is correct before you sign any documentation. Where an on-going service is required, we will keep you updated with progress throughout.

6. Review Life changes, as do rules and regulations, so reviewing your personal or business/organisation’s financial requirements is absolutely vital. Whether your plan is simple or complex it is more than likely that an ongoing relationship between you and Platinum Financial Planning will be fundamental in ensuring that your plan remains appropriate to your circumstances.

4. Presentation We will present and discuss your initial financial planning report. We will confirm our understanding of your current financial position and ensure there have been no changes since our discovery meeting; should your circumstances have changed we may need to revise your report accordingly. Your report will include a detailed summary of your current financial position, financial objectives and the solutions we are recommending to meet those objectives.

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Who Do We Work With?

We work with a range of clients from individuals and their families to companies and affinity groups. This can be broken down into; ‘Personal Financial Planning’ and ‘Corporate Financial Planning’. Our clients come from all different walks of life, each with unique financial goals and circumstances. Whether you are an individual requiring investment, retirement or mortgage and protection advice, or a business in need of guidance on your employee benefits package, protection advice, or investment planning, you can trust that our advice is always given with your best interests in mind. It is important to make informed decisions about your financial future or the financial future of your business, which is why we work with our clients not only to advise on their financial plans but to improve their overall understanding of their financial options. We believe that the more quality financial knowledge we share the more empowered our clients become.

Individuals

Business Owners

Companies

Affinity Groups

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Personal Financial Planning Services

We have extensive experience working with individuals across all walks of life, advising on important life decisions from buying a first home to planning for retirement or protecting what’s important should the unexpected occur. We believe that the more quality financial knowledge we share, the more empowered our clients become, which is why we work with our clients not only to advise on their financial plans but to improve their overall understanding of their financial options. A comprehensive financial plan, based on your individual needs and wants, coupled with our independent financial advice, will put you on the right path to achieving your financial goals. We act on your behalf for the purpose of arranging and advising on the following key areas:

· Retirement Planning; · Wealth Management; · Mortgage Advice; · Protection Planning; · Tax Planning

For all the services described above we will complete a detailed fact find so we can understand your circumstances, specific needs and objectives to determine if these services are suitable for you. We will then undertake research in order to provide a personal recommendation(s) and related information relevant to your individual circumstances. If, after due consideration you would like to accept any or all of our recommendation(s), we will then implement them and arrange any products and/or related services on your behalf. Once your financial plans are in place it is important to keep them under review. Subject to the type of services you require from us, we can continue to act on your behalf through one of our service packages. Alternatively, for those who prefer a more transactional or ad-hoc ‘pay as you go’ service, we are also happy to provide our services as and when you need them. Ultimately, whichever type or level of service you require from us we will act in your best interests at all times.

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Retirement Planning

Some people want to travel the world or take up a new hobby when they retire. Others see it as a perfect opportunity to volunteer with a local charity or start their own business. Whatever you are planning for the future, we can help you make the most of your pension and other investments, to achieve the retirement you want and deserve.

Things to consider: When do you want to retire? When can you afford to retire? How much money do you need when you retire?

Our work together usually begins with a discussion about what you want your retirement to look like. Then we can calculate how much money you will need to achieve your goals. Using this, we can analyse your savings and outgoings to find out how long your money will last and whether you’re on track – or what you need to do to get there. Your adviser will then discuss the range of financial solutions available to you and investigate the most tax efficient solutions to ensure that there is a long-term income stream available to help you enjoy your retirement. Saving for retirement is one of the most significant financial challenges faced by most people. Our financial advisers can help you navigate the pension maze, providing advice in a number of key areas: Using your annual allowance, and navigating the complex tapered annual allowance for higher earners

Making extra pension contributions using pension carry forward Assessing your pension against the lifetime allowance tax charge Using other savings and investments, such as ISAs Ensuring your savings are held in high-quality investments

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Wealth Management

When it comes to Wealth Management, there is no substitute for professional advice. Wealth Management is about far more than the financial product you buy. It is a holistic long-term plan that aims to ensure you are in the strongest financial position to achieve your life goals. Whether you have a little or a lot, wealth management helps you look after your money and our experts ensure it continues working as hard as you do. Things to consider: How much do you want to invest? How much can you afford to put away? How do you feel about the potential risk associated with investment? When you begin your wealth management journey with Platinum Financial Planning, we start by understanding your circumstances, your ambitions, your attitude to risk and your time horizon (the timeframe over which you would stay invested in a scheme). Based on these factors your adviser will then develop with you a range of strategies design to match your short, medium or longer term financial goals. We will determine which, if any, of the of investment or pension products available are capable of meeting your needs, along with any associated ‘tax wrappers’ available (e.g. an ISA). As we are independent, we are able to offer you unbiased recommendations from a world of investment opportunities. When we do, you can be sure that we’ve interrogated each investment, testing its performance, measuring its potential and challenging our own preconceptions to help preserve and grow your wealth.

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Mortgage Advice

A mortgage is one of the biggest financial commitments you will ever make. Whether you are a first-time buyer, a homeowner wanting to look at your options or interested in investing in property– making sure you get the right mortgage can be an overwhelming process. Whatever your mortgage goals are, our independent mortgage advisers are with you through every step of the process, from sourcing the mortgage that is right for you, to processing the application, through to completion. We remove the hassle from the mortgage process allowing you to focus on the bigger picture. Things to consider: How much can you afford to pay a month? Are you paying too much for your current mortgage? Do you want to Buy to Let or Let to Buy? As we are independent financial advisers, we offer a comprehensive range of mortgage products from across the market. This means that the research we carry out will access as many lenders as possible, with the aim to source the best mortgage deal for your needs, circumstances, and preferences. Our mortgage advisers can provide impartial advice across the following areas: Residential Mortgage Remortgage Equity Release Buy-to-Let Mortgages

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Protection Planning

Thinking and talking about worst-case scenarios such as death or ill-health is not easy, but it is necessary. Prolonged ill health, disability and death are all major threats to a family’s financial security. Thinking ahead about protection cover is the only way to ensure you and your family are covered should the unexpected occur. Things to consider: Is your current protection enough to cover your circumstances should the unexpected occur?

Would you be able to cope financially if you were out of work? Would your family be able to cope financially should you die?

As always, our process begins with you. We want to understand your circumstances, what is important to you, and how this would be affected should any difficult circumstanced arise. Your adviser can then provide you with expert advice on the most effective means of protection for your financial future and the long-term wellbeing of your family and recommend the best protection provisions for your circumstances. Our financial advisers can also review any plans you already have in place to ensure you have the cover required for your circumstances. We are passionate about our independence, so you can have comfort knowing that our advice is always unbiased, untainted by corporate agenda and always with your best interests in mind. The key aspects of protection planning that we can help with are: Life Assurance

Critical Illness Cover Income Protection Personal Accident & Sickness Cover

Mortgage Protection Whole of Life Cover

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Tax Planning

Tax planning can be a complicated area of financial planning, however the result is simple. By making your money more tax efficient, you will pay less tax and retain more of your wealth.

Things to consider: Are you a higher rate tax payer?

Are you going to inherit a large sum of money? Are you making the most of tax saving benefits?

The UK tax system is notoriously complex, but the benefits of structuring your finances tax-efficiently can be huge. We can help you do this while ensuring you are making the most of the available allowances, so you won’t pay any more tax than you need to. Whatever your tax position, we consider your overall tax situation, where your potential tax liabilities are and the effect they may have on your life goals. With this understanding we develop an appropriate strategy in order to make your money more tax efficient. Our financial advisers can work with you to ensure you are utilising your full allowance across the following: Income Tax

Capital Gains Tax Dividend Income Contributions into ISAs, pensions, and other savings accounts

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Corporate Financial Planning Services

Corporate financial planning is about making sure your business has the right financial plans in place. From building your employee benefits package, so you can recruit and retain the people you need, to making sure the business is protected against the loss of a key person, we can create a financial plan that identifies and addresses the areas important to your business As Independent Financial Advisers, we believe in establishing long term relationships with our corporate clients so we can assist them to maintain effective employee benefits that attract, motivate, and retain the best people, as well as ensuring that the protection needs of the business continue to be met. You can be confident that you are dealing with a leading financial services firm that is committed to providing you with the best possible financial advice, guidance and service. Platinum Financial Planning has grown to represent excellence in financial planning, highlighted by the endorsement of many large organisations who recommend our services to their members and staff. We act on your behalf for the purpose of arranging and advising on the following key areas: For all the services described above we will complete a detailed fact find so we can understand your organisation’s circumstances, specific needs and objectives to determine if these services are suitable. We will then undertake research in order to provide a personal recommendation(s) and related information relevant to your organisation’s circumstances. If, after due consideration the organisation would like to accept any or all of our recommendation(s), we will then implement them and arrange any products and/or related services on the organisation’s behalf. It’s important to keep any arrangements we put in place under review. Subject to the type of services you require from us, we can continue to act on your behalf through one of our service packages. Alternatively, for those who prefer a more transactional or ad-hoc ‘pay as you go’ service,we are also happy to provide our services as and when you need them. Ultimately, whichever type or level of service you require from us we will act in your best interests at all times. ·Employee Benefits ·Investment Planning ·Business Protection ·Corporate Tax Planning

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Employee Benefits

The additional benefits an employer can provide are extensive, ranging from life cover to income protection and private medical insurance. Putting together the right package for your staff can play an extremely important part in the success of your business and retention of key personnel, not to mention attracting the best candidates for new positions. Things to consider: How does the introduction of any employee benefits support the organisation’s business goals? How does the benefit fit in to your companies HR strategy? Can the organisation afford to implement the proposed benefits and how will this cost be affected as the company grows? There are many advantages to offering an attractive employee benefits package, particularly in highly competitive industries where staff attraction and retention are crucial. By working closely with you, we make a holistic assessment of your objectives and requirements and create a bespoke benefits package for your business and its employees. Once implemented, we act as the connection between your company, employees and your scheme provider and are the consistent point of contact to guide your employees with any financial queries they may have around their company pension or employee benefits.

Our financial advisers can work with you to advise on the following areas:

Occupational Pension Scheme Death in Service Group Income Protection Private Medical Insurance

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Corporate Investment Planning

There are many different corporate investment opportunities available. However, the best approach for you will depend on the specific circumstances of your business or organisation, and there are a number of tax implications that will need to be considered. Careful planning is key to ensuring financial security over the longer term, and when it comes to investment there is no substitute for professional advice. Things to consider: What are the organisation’s short and long-term goals and objectives? How much can the organisation afford to invest? How does the organisation feel about the risks associated with investment? The most important part when beginning your organisation’s corporate investment journey is that we understand the organisation’s needs, goals and circumstances. We will then assess your attitude to risk and time horizon (the timeframe over which you would stay invested in a scheme). Based on these factors your adviser will then develop with you a range of strategies design to match your business or organisation’s short, medium or longer term financial goals.

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Business Protection

Protecting the business should the worst happen should be an essential consideration for business owners. However, businesses are now able to get started with such ease that the advance planning has taken a back seat – with little consideration on what will happen if things slip or don’t go according to plan. Things to consider: How would the organisation be affected upon the death of a shareholder or key person? What would the cost implications of the death of a shareholder or key person be? Could the organisation recover without financial help upon the loss of a key person? When deciding on a suitable business protection solution for you, our aim is to ensure you’re prepared to deal with a range of potentially difficult circumstances, confidently and cost-effectively. Providing a safety net to protect your business should not be an option, it should be a necessity. At Platinum Financial Planning we have extensive experience helping our corporate clients to establish business protection arrangements. Our financial advisers can provide you with advice on the following areas of business protection: Partnership / Shareholder Protection Business Loan Protection Key Person Insurance Relevant Life Plans

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Corporate Tax Planning

Corporate tax can be a minefield of regulation, with new rules set up part way through the tax year and others introduced but not taking affect until the next tax year. It means you could quite easily be paying more tax than you should be. The aim of corporate tax planning is simple, corporate tax planning helps reduce your company’s tax liability and improve profitability. Things to consider: Is you organisation making the most of it’s industry specific tax opportunities? Is there an opportunity to optimise your tax position on large transactions? For instance, a property sale or purchase? Has your organisation identified the most tax effective structure for the business? At Platinum, we will work with you determine the most tax effective structure for your business and implement strategies that ensure you’re complaint, in control of your company’s finances and are able to maximise tax relief where available. Our corporate tax advisory services are designed to help minimise and manage your organisation’s tax exposures allowing you to have more time to focus on your core business. The advice we offer will be driven by your business objectives; by looking at your business strategies, we can help you understand the effect these will have on your tax profile and ensure that we can provide support to assist your business now and in the future. Tax planning is not regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority.

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Clients We Have Helped

Personal Financial Planning Protection Planning & Ill Health Retirement Case Study

Requirements During an annual review of our client’s investments we identified that they didn’t have sufficient protection cover in place. After discussing this further and explaining the benefits of taking out the correct type of insurance cover, our client felt confident moving forward with our advice. Almost a year on our clients life changed drastically following a serious accident in which they were told they would never walk again. Faced with a mountain of financial decisions to be made our client reached out for advice on how to best move forward financially.

How did Platinum help? Given the severity of our clients accident it was evident that early retirement would be necessary. We worked with our clients protection and pension providers to coordinate their ill health retirement and payment from their critical illness plan. We then re-evaluated our clients financial circumstances to ensure that they would continue to have a sustainable income to support them through their unexpected early retirement. Content that they would have enough liquid capital to fund their goals and circumstances comfortably until state pension age, we made the decision to invest the additional funds to allow our client optimal income during their later retirement years, which we continue to review annually to ensure the recommendations in place communicating openly, our client was put in an informed position where they felt confident in the plans we put in place. Our client is now living comfortably in retirement, allowing them to focus on their continued recovery without the burden of worrying about their finances. continue to meet our clients needs. Through creating a clear strategy and

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Clients We Have Helped

Personal Financial Planning Investment & Tax Planning Case Study Requirements A successful, young company director working internationally for a UK firm contacted us for tax planning advice and guidance on setting up their individual investments in a tax efficient manner upon their return back to the UK. Our clients circumstances were quite complex and required a strong understanding of their international residency position and income arrangement. Following the initial meeting it was evident that in addition to on-going investment planning advice, our client had further accountancy requirements. Having consulted a high profile accounting firm previously, our client was left feeling frustrated when the firm didn’t understand how to treat their residency and tax status.

How did Platinum help? Upon meeting with our client and discussing their financial goals in great detail, we made the referral to Platinum Chartered Accountants to manage our clients tax planning requirements which included coordinating their complex tax return in a tax efficient manner, making the most of their tax allowances to enable them to retain as much of their wealth as possible. After discussing how our client felt about taking risk, about rewards, volatility, and what level of loss they could tolerate, for the potential greater gains, we developed an investment plan that would allow our client to continue building their wealth in a tax efficient manner. As a higher rate tax payer it was important to consider the various strategies suitable to our client so they didn’t pay more tax than necessary. We advised on the maximum pension contributions and made a pension lump sum contribution in a bespoke investment portfolio that we continue to manage on an on-going basis. As well as making full use of their ISA allowance. Through our initial recommendations and careful planning our client made significant tax savings, optimised their investment portfolios and had confidence that through our expert knowledge they would be kept fully compliant.

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Clients We Have Helped

Corporate Financial Planning Profit Extraction & Tax Planning Case Study

Requirements Our clients came to us for tax planning and investment advice after experiencing an outstanding trading year, seeking advice on how best to mitigate their increased corporation tax liability and make the best use of their tax planning allowances.

How did Platinum help? We looked at how best to reduce the tax cost while keeping our clients fully compliant. We posed the question of whether the shareholders needed to extract the profit from the business right now. If taken as a dividend, the company would pay 19% corporation tax, while the shareholders as higher rate tax payers would each pay 32.5% tax on the dividend. After discussion with the directors, we agreed to use a significant portion of the profit to make pension contributions. Using carry forward from the previous 3 years annual allowance we were able to make a significant contribution from the company to their pension plans offsetting the corporation tax that would have been payable on that portion of the profit with this money now extracted from the company and in the directors pension as part of their retirement planning. The long-term relationship we had built with our client, in addition to our extensive tax planning knowledge allowed us to have a strong understanding of their circumstances and meant that our clients had confidence that the advice we gave was always in their best interests.

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What Our Clients Say

“I have always found the service at Platinum to be completely professional and friendly. Investing money can always be unnerving as it is your livelihood, however, from the get-go you know you can completely trust the service being provided at Platinum. Couldn’t recommend Platinum enough.” -C. Stewart “Platinum was absolutely fantastic at handling our mortgage application. They were really on the ball, particularly given the circumstances, and kept us informed every step of the way. Great service and very pleasant to deal with.” -A. Kane “ The time, patience and professional support provided by Platinum has given me a clearer way forward in what has been a difficult time.” -G. Fitzpatrick “Platinum very quickly determined my needs and goals and explained various options available. Together we arrived at a plan which has been very successful and productive in regard to my investments.” -T. Irvine “Platinum Financial were a fantastic help to me! They are very patient and understanding - I have recommended to so many people and continue to do so. Thank you for everything!” -D. Miligan

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Belfast Office: 157 Upper Newtownards Road, Belfast, BT4 3HX T: 028 9065 5305 London Office: 1 Ropemaker Street, London, EC2Y 9HT T: 020 3633 2505

E: info@platinumgroup.co.uk www.platinumgroup.co.uk

Platinum Financial Planning Ltd. is an appointed representative of TenetConnect Ltd. which is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority. Company Registration No. N1613564 Registered in Northern Ireland