Questions, Answered Plainly

It begins with a conversation. Get in touch and we will arrange an introductory meeting — in person, by phone or by video, whichever suits you.

That first meeting is about understanding your situation and what you want to achieve. There is no charge for it and no obligation to go further. If we agree it makes sense to work together, we will set out what we propose to do, what it costs and what you can expect, in writing, before anything begins.

Not necessarily. What matters more is whether the advice we offer is genuinely useful to your situation.

Some people come to us with a specific decision to make and a modest amount at stake. Others are managing wealth accumulated over decades. If we do not think we are the right fit for you, we will say so at the first meeting and, where we can, point you somewhere more suitable.

Mostly, we listen. We will ask about your circumstances, your commitments, what you are trying to achieve and what is worrying you.

You should also use it to interview us: how we work, how we are paid, who would look after you and what happens if that person is away. You will not be asked to sign anything or make a decision in the room.

Nothing is required. If you have them to hand, recent statements, pension or retirement account summaries and a rough sense of your income and outgoings help us give more specific answers sooner.

If you do not have any of that organised yet, that is fine — helping people get organised is part of the job.

For a straightforward situation, a few weeks from first meeting to agreed plan is typical. More complex circumstances — a business, several jurisdictions, trusts or an estate in progress — take longer, and we would rather take the time than rush it.

We will give you a realistic timeline once we understand what is involved, and we will tell you if it changes.

Yes. Many of our clients meet us by video or phone and send documents securely through the client portal. Others prefer to sit down in person for the important conversations and handle the rest remotely.

We are happy either way — tell us what works for you.

Yours. That is the whole basis of the relationship, and it is written into how we operate rather than left as a slogan.

Where a recommendation could create a conflict of interest — anything that might pay us differently depending on what you choose — we disclose it plainly, in writing, before you decide.

Yes. You will have a named adviser who knows your situation and remains your point of contact. Behind them sits a small team who also know your file, so nothing stalls when someone is on leave.

You will not be handed to a call queue or reassigned without being told.

At least once a year as standard, and more often where circumstances call for it. A review looks at what has changed in your life first and what has changed in markets second — usually in that order of importance.

Between reviews you can contact your adviser whenever something material happens. A new job, a house move, a birth, an inheritance or a business sale are all good reasons to call early rather than late.

Tell us as soon as you can. Most plans can absorb change well if they are adjusted early; the same change handled late is usually more expensive and more stressful.

There is no charge for picking up the phone to let us know something has happened.

Yes, and we prefer to. Financial, tax and legal decisions rarely sit in separate boxes, and outcomes are better when the people advising you are talking to each other.

With your permission we will coordinate directly with your other advisers so you are not left relaying messages between professionals.

Fees are agreed with you in advance and set out in writing before any work starts. Depending on what you need, that may be a fixed fee for a defined piece of work, or an ongoing fee for continuing advice and review.

You will always know what you are paying, what it covers and how it is collected. If the scope of work changes, we agree the change with you before doing it.

Yes. The introductory meeting is at our cost, because both sides need to know whether the relationship makes sense before money changes hands.

If you decide not to proceed after it, you owe us nothing and we will not chase you.

No. Ongoing arrangements can be ended by either side with reasonable notice, as set out in your engagement letter.

We would rather earn the relationship each year than rely on a lock-in to keep it.

We are not accountants, tax specialists or solicitors, and we do not prepare tax returns or draft legal documents. Where those are needed we will tell you and, if it helps, work with a specialist alongside us.

We also do not promise investment returns. Anyone who does should be treated with suspicion.

Any payment we might receive in connection with a recommendation is disclosed to you before you decide, in writing, including how much it is and who pays it.

If you would prefer an arrangement that removes the question entirely, say so and we will structure it that way.

Recommendations follow from your objectives, your time horizon and your capacity to absorb a loss — in that order. Only then do we look at specific solutions.

We favour diversified, cost-aware strategies and long holding periods over frequent activity, and we will always explain the trade-off we are making on your behalf.

No, and neither can anyone else. The value of investments can fall as well as rise, and you may get back less than you put in.

What we can do is be clear about the range of outcomes a strategy is designed to produce, the risks attached to it, and what would cause us to recommend changing course.

We expect it, and your plan is built on the assumption that it will happen more than once. Falls are uncomfortable but they are a normal feature of investing, not a sign that something has gone wrong.

Our role at those moments is to keep decisions tied to your plan rather than to the news, and to tell you honestly when a change genuinely is warranted.

You will receive regular statements, and you can see your position at any time through the client portal. We report performance against your objectives, not against a benchmark chosen to flatter us.

If something is behind where it should be, you will hear it from us rather than discover it yourself.

Yes. Tell us what matters to you and we will reflect it in what we recommend, along with an honest view of any effect on cost, diversification or expected outcomes.

We will not pretend those trade-offs do not exist, but they are yours to weigh.

Your information is held securely, used only to provide and administer the services you have asked for, and never sold. Access is limited to the people who need it to look after you.

Our Privacy Policy sets out in full what we collect, why, how long we keep it and the rights you have over it.

The portal is a secure place to see your position, review documents and exchange information with your adviser without sending sensitive details by ordinary email.

Access is set up once you become a client. If you have trouble signing in, contact us rather than resetting anything through a link sent to you unexpectedly.

We will never ask you to move money to a new account by email, and we will never ask for your portal password or a one-time code.

If anything about a message seems off — a changed bank detail, unusual urgency, a slightly different address — stop and call your adviser on the number you already have for us.

Tell your adviser first; most issues are resolved quickly once someone knows about them. If you would rather not, or you are not satisfied with the response, write to us at support@synchubmatrix.com and it will be handled independently of the person involved.

We will acknowledge your complaint, investigate it properly and tell you the outcome and your options if you remain unhappy.