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Testimonials | John Chartres

How long have you been working with Richard at Greenwood?

I was referred to Richard by my accountant about 20 years ago. Since then, he has been instrumental in establishing and administering SDS’s employee pension scheme, an employee health scheme with BUPA, and insurance in case of death in service.

Over time, he’s advised us about retirement savings resulting in the establishment of a small self administered scheme (SSAS) for retirement savings and, more recently, a self invested personal pension (SSIP).

What do you like about working with Richard?

Richard’s always been good at gathering research and guiding us as far as making decisions are concerned. So we go to Richard and say ’I’m thinking of this, that and the other product, what do you think?’ and he’ll go to his established network and come back with something more meaningful.

Otherwise, Richard may say to us: ‘You know what, you ought to think about this or this’ and I’ll ask him to speak to my accountant. They get together and put some ideas forward and I say ‘If it’s good for you two, it’s good for me’ and that’s how it works.

With financial products, where so much can go wrong, you need the advice of someone with a network to go to.

What sets Greenwood’s approach apart from other advisers that you’ve dealt with?

In the world of financial advice a lot of people need to sell what they have and move onto the next person. I know when I’m being sold to and I don’t like being sold to.

Richard isn’t like that. He’s a genuine person.

He’ll send you something, he’ll talk about it and he may gently remind you, but he’ll never keep going on about it like a dog with a bone that you feel that you want to. It’s a more gentle, intelligent approach in comparison to others.

What do you consider to be Richard’s key strengths as an adviser?

He’s good, for example, at sense checking the financial consultants being sent in by the banks come in to present to us, telling us what we ought to do with the money that we have in reserves.

We’ve invited Richard to offer his view. He’s gone off and returned to say ’here’s a few other options for you’ so, rather than just go along with what the banks are saying, he can provide a very impartial assessment of what we’re being told.

He’s friendly, reliable, honest. Won’t try and sell you things that are inappropriate. Definitely tailored to the individual needs of our business.

It’s genuinely a custom-made service.

– John Chartres