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John Atkins
ACII DipPFS – Partner

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My profile

My priority is helping you to achieve your goals in life. In order to do this, you will need to put a financial plan in place.

I follow a simple four stage process to help you do this.

1. Discovery: During the initial discovery meeting (which is at no cost to you), I like to get to the heart of what is important to you, allowing me to develop a deep understanding of your objectives and identifying where I can add value.

2. Strategy: We will work together to agree on a strategy to help you achieve your financial goals.

3. Recommendation & Implementation: I will conduct research to help ensure the recommended products and services achieve your objectives.

4. Review: I will monitor the changes in your life and in legislation, so you stay on target for your best possible financial future.

Where investments are involved, I will make sure that they are placed under the management of highly qualified fund managers, taking into consideration your attitude to risk and capacity for loss. In larger cases, I often recommend the use of a discretionary fund manager, whose aim is to maximise growth in the portfolio and to protect the fund against falling markets.

If you employ other professional advisers, such as an accountant, solicitor or an investment manager, I will be happy to liaise with each of them so that we can all provide a coordinated service.

I take the care of my clients very seriously; my clients have faith in the quality of service that I deliver, as evidenced by their feedback.

The value of your investment can go down as well as up and you may not get back the full amount invested.

The Financial Conduct Authority does not regulate taxation and trust advice.

How I can help you

I am in my 50s, so I appreciate the financial priorities of clients aged 40 and above. I can help with the following areas.

Pension planning for people still in work
Pension contributions can be arranged to fall in the right tax years, so that you can save for retirement in the most tax-efficient manner. This is a service that is required by many working people, but it can be particularly valuable if you have a very variable income (as is the case with farmers, underwriting members of Lloyd’s, entrepreneurs and many other self-employed people).

Advice to family businesses
This includes advising and arranging employee benefits such as group pension arrangements and death-in-service cover for your firm’s staff. I also offer advice to the senior management on their own pension and protection needs. (For example, by arranging and managing Self Invested Personal Pensions (SIPPs) or perhaps even a Small Self-Administered Scheme (SSAS) or Executive Pension Plan (EPP)). Lastly, I can arrange shareholder protection and/or key man cover.

Cash-flow and financial planning
I use sophisticated lifetime financial forecasting tools. These allow me to create a personalised visual plan, demonstrating your assets and cash flow throughout your entire life, enabling you to make immediate decisions about your financial future, and to plan for all eventualities.

“At retirement” advice
A crucial area, especially for individuals with fluctuating incomes. With such poor current annuity rates and the ever changing pension legislation, it is important that you consider all options so that retirement benefits can be taken in the most tax efficient manner, to suit your needs.

Estate planning
I also specialise in trust and estate planning to help ensure that you are able to pass your wealth on to your family with minimal liability to inheritance tax, whilst aiming to minimise any risk of you ever running out of money.

Long-term care advice for people receiving nursing care
If you have elderly relations already receiving nursing care, I can provide advice on insurance against the cost of a prolonged stay, and also advise on available state benefits.

About me

I was born in 1960 and I am married with two grown-up children. My wife Victoria and I live near Pulborough, West Sussex and we are fortunate to live on a small farm and we can be described as “hobby farmers”. Victoria is also a professional cook.

It was after achieving an engineering-based degree that I started working as a graduate-trainee at Fenchurch Underwriting Agencies Ltd (a Lloyd’s members’ agency).  The first twelve years of my working life were in this very niche area of personal finance, but the decision by Lloyd’s of London, in 1994, to switch its source of risk capital from private individuals to corporate capital, meant that it made sense to move into a more general area.

I duly started working towards the new professional qualifications and was in a position to be able to commence the move a few years later.  I enjoy my work enormously and believe that I provide a real benefit to the clients for whom I work.

With my background as a “Names Agent”, I am a continuing believer in the benefits of membership of Lloyd’s for the right people, and personally continue in a small way as a limited member of Lloyd’s, trading within an English Limited Partnership. I therefore feel that I am especially well equipped to provide financial advice to other members of Lloyd’s, whether still trading “unlimited” or now within a limited vehicle.

Qualifications

I hold the Advanced Diploma with the Chartered Insurance Institute (CII) and as such, I am a “Chartered Insurance Practitioner”. I also have the “Diploma in Regulated Financial Planning” with the Personal Finance Society (PFS).

Amongst the 21 underlying exams comprising these two Diplomas are:

CII exam 520 – Contract Law & Insurance
CII exam 530 – The Business Environment
CII exam 941 – Accounting & Finance for Insurance Managers
CII exam 550 – Personal Finance & the Financial Services Industry
PFS exam R02 – Investment Principles & Risk
PFS exam R04 – Pensions & Retirement Planning
PFS exam J01 – Personal Taxation
PFS exam J05 – Pension Income Options
PFS exam CF8 – Long Term Care Insurance

Testimonials

Mr S. Cox – retired solicitor

“John Atkins has acted for me as a financial adviser for some years since shortly before my retirement. He has given me much time, invaluable advice and insights as my wife and I move our finances towards our post-retirement position.”

Simon and Sophie W-T, Hampshire

“In the five years that John Atkins has acted for us, he has provided a good all-round financial planning service. His thorough knowledge of pensions, trusts and inheritance tax issues together with his additional specialist knowledge of the issues thrown up by our membership of Lloyd’s has made his work invaluable to us.”

Mr S Vickers, MD of Buckminster Management Ltd.

“John Atkins provides a full employee benefits service to the Buckminster Estate, and also acts for my wife and me in relation to our own personal financial affairs. In both areas, he provides a thorough, sound, friendly and sincere service, and I am very happy to recommend him.”