Company pensions

Employees are increasingly recognising that they cannot depend on the Government for their retirement income. Furthermore, a good pension plan can make all the difference when it comes to both finding and keeping the best people, particularly at the higher executive levels.

In an increasingly litigious society, whatever type of pension plan may be in place, more and more companies are recognising the need to seek top quality professional advice on the management and maintenance of their company pension scheme. This is particularly true for smaller schemes, which can get a poorer service from traditional consultancies and insurance companies.

Whatever type of pension scheme you offer, our advisers are not only specialists in their fields, but also pragmatic, down-to-earth business people with a proven track record in providing practical and commercially viable advice to help reduce the risk of litigation, take advantage of changing legislation and maximise the return on investment.

• Final salary pensions
• Money purchase pensions
• Executive pensions
• Group personal pensions
• Stakeholder pensions
• Self-invested personal pensions
• Small self-administered schemes

If you are the trustee or sponsor of a final salary pension scheme, please to see how we can help you.

Group risk

Group Risk schemes are cost-effective ways to encourage a strong working relationship between employer and employee. Ensuring the employees and their families are protected in the unfortunate event of death, accident or illness is viewed by many as being the mark of a good employer.

In addition, where an illness or accident occurs, a scheme may cover the cost of rehabilitation, to help that employee back into the workplace and to ensure that the investment in that employees’ training is not lost to the business.

• Life assurance
• Income protection
• Permanent health insurance
• Critical illness
• Private medical insurance

Whatever type of group risk scheme may be in place, more and more companies are recognising the need to seek top quality professional advice on the management and maintenance of their scheme. The need for this advice has never been greater than at the moment, where legislation is in a constant state of flux. For example, what steps have you taken in the light of the recent Age Discrimination legislation?

Investments and cash flow

There are many ways to improve a company’s cash flow and reduce tax liability. For example, if you are one of the millions of small businesses in the UK with money held on deposit on the high street, are you aware that you can improve the rate of return and reduce your tax liability by moving the money offshore? These benefits can be achieved without any reduction in the security of, or access to, your assets.

Succession planning

Companies are often dependent on the skills, knowledge and experience of certain key individuals. Death or illness would have serious financial consequences so insuring against this provides much needed financial assistance to tide your company over until a replacement can be found or trained. It is a sad fact that many UK businesses are more likely to protect their buildings and machinery rather than their people.

The death or illness of a partner or shareholder can be extremely damaging to any business. To continue trading and maintain the financial well-being of the firm at this traumatic time is vital. The remaining partners and shareholders will want continuity, stability and control of the business, so it is important that the shares of the deceased do not end up in the wrong hands. Neither will they wish to see the deceased’s interest turned into cash to pay inheritance tax. A carefully considered share purchase agreement and injection of capital will help secure the future of the company.

Our advisers will help you understand your needs, and provide you with a flexible tailored solution to adapt to the changing needs of your business.

Commercial lending

As we are sure you are aware, there is a bewildering array of different financial products available in the marketplace to help companies finance growth, new ventures or acquisitions.

Our advisers will help you understand your needs, and provide you with a flexible tailored solution to adapt to the changing needs of your business.

• Banking
• Commercial mortgages
• Directors loans
• Business loans

General Insurance

The demands of running a business in the 21st Century can be un-relenting. Your day is probably already full; managing staff, generating sales, coping with an increasing legislative burden – the list is endless. Getting the right general insurance and level of protection for your business at the right cost can be time consuming, especially when there is such a bewildering array of products available. Our detailed research has shown that, in the majority of cases, acquiring commercial insurance on-line or on the high street is not simple, necessarily cheaper or provide the quality of cover that you need.

Using the power of bulk purchasing, we have teamed up with one of the leading specialist providers of general insurance in the UK to provide smaller businesses with access to a full range of cost effective solutions to all their general insurance needs:-

• Employers liability
• Professional indemnity
• Public and product liability
• Fleet and travel
• Buildings and contents
• Computers and stock
• Plant and machinery

Our advisers will help you try and reduce your costs or improve the security of your business.