WELCOME
My name is Leigh Astin, founder and financial adviser. At Opes™ our passion is our client and seeing clients achieve financial well being, along with whatever success you are looking for through our help, guidance and support. Fundamentally we believe in keeping our services simple in the way we communicate and deliver advice as well as being able to demonstrate value relative to our costs. This way clients can see clearly cost versus reward (features & benefits).
With the continual decline of local bank branches, adviser numbers and more recently the closure of Post Office branches it is becoming more difficult to access and bank near to you and as such we are seeing growing interest from clients looking for a local financial advisor to help manage finances professionally.
We believe in and continually utilising the latest technologies to help us offer the latest investment and advisory solutions, which in turn, creates greater interaction with clients to enhance our clients experience. This then ensures as is the case that we are able to demonstrate value, which in turn gives us a proven track record in developing relationships that last !
OUR TEAM
Leigh Astin, MD
info@opesifas.co.uk | Phone: 07748 433 893
Leigh started his financial services career at 21 working for a national insurance company and during his early career developed management/leadership skills having managed a team of 9 financial advisers. Since 2006 Leigh has operated and built his business through a number of regional and national IFA firms, building strong practices around advising and supporting clients. A view that clients get little value from larger firms and poor service was one of the major reasons why Opes™ Financial and it's extensive support staff/network was born - to create a better value added solution for clients !
Opes™ Technical
Phone: 03300 500 123
With legislation constantly changing we believe it's essential that our clients have access to a wealth of support whether guidance is required around domicility and tax status issues, pensions, tax planning & exemptions or the latest products or investment services available.
We call on our technical team regularly to - support our investment committee/proposition, consider changing industry & market conditions and clients ever changing needs.
Opes™ Investment Committee
Phone: 03300 500 123
Opes™ Corporate & Employee Benefits
Phone: 03300 500 123
Our investment committee was established to help design unique investment propositions for clients, focusing on providing clients with a product and charging structure right for them without a client having to fit around a service that may not be appropriate for them. Our research team constantly monitor our propositions, funds and portfolios we recommend clients invest in as part of our value added service.
Through advising businesses, we have seen the corporate client and financial products available to clients evolve with the introduction of Workplace Pensions. This in turn has created financial planning opportunities for clients. Opes™ is therefore able to provide an extensive suite of services such as but not limited to - Workplace Pensions, director/partner/shareholder protection benefits, Group Life/Critical Illness/Medical/Retail Discount Scheme, educational workshops.
OPERATIONAL OVERVIEW
At the heart of Opes™ Financial's services is a client centric – ‘keeping advice simple’ approach. We are a very forward thinking and innovative firm that in short adds value to client affairs through time and/or cost savings, which is demonstrated through very unique services and an understanding of what a client perceives as value.
“As you are provided the highest level of regulatory protection by receiving advice from Opes™ Financial opposed to ‘doing it yourself’ without any regulatory protection, why would you take the risk when an initial consultation could add value without risk or cost…..?”
“We offer a free provisional review of any existing arrangements - pensions and investments, life assurances/protection plans, mortgages or finance. From this you will see if we can add value without risk or cost…….”
We operate nationally with a universal focus and approach to a client centric ‘added value’ offering in providing primarily Independent, unbiased, whole of market advice. We utilize client facing back office and investment platform technologies as a means of enhancing regulatory compliance, overall service, communication and data security, all of which comply both now and in the future with Treating Customers Fairly (TCF) rules, regulatory and professional body rules and requirements plus General Data Protection Regulations (GDPR).
We drive communication primarily through our Client Portal. Our Client Portal is a revolutionary new app that enables you to see your complete financial picture in seconds at a time and place to suit you at the click of a button. Your one stop portal for a centralised view of all things financial ! As a client you are able to view your personal, financial information and investment portfolios through our Client Portal. So, whether you are looking for an up-to-date valuations (subject to provider availability and frequency of valuations) or access how you are progressing against your financial goals, access data from all devices 24/7, your personal portal has it all covered. The client portal really does help you focus on your goals and objectives.
We believe in adding value and do not engage with a client until you can see the value in what we do. This is why through our Independent service (not our *Self Invest service) we offer an initial review at our expense to demonstrate our value added service. If we can’t add value, there will have been no financial cost to you. This is our promise to you !
Our business and client base has been built over the last 20 plus years. Regulatory change in the form of RDR (Retail Distribution Review) posed a threat/opportunity to the industry from the early 2000’s. Always seeing change as an opportunity, senior management were an earlier adopter from 2006 to what has been known as the ‘model adviser firm’ business model – a value model based on professional, client focused advice not a sales based model…..
Opes™ Financial has and continue to grow strongly year on year with a heavy focus on clearly demonstrate-able value, contracted ongoing regular service. This is very important from a client’s perspective to ensure we operate as an advice driven organisation not a sales driven organisation !
Whether service or an investment solution is driven by cost, face to face advice, non-face to face, non-advised (not execution only), active / discretionary or passive investment management, we can offer a tailored solution to all clients through our Centralised Investment Proposition.
Our clients can range from but not limited to trustees, charities, high net worth clients, company directors, private individuals, corporate organisations, professional advisers – accountants/solicitors/deputies/commercial insurance brokers/client intermediaries as well as elderly and vulnerable clients.
We have at our disposal the latest holistic research functions, systems and tools to cater for all client categories.
One of our unique services is our ‘Life Plan.’ This service creates goals (objectives) and targets (monetary value and duration) in terms of future capital values or income requirements. Variables can then be input to affect outcomes helping adapt a client’s ‘Life Plan’ proactively on an ongoing basis.
Developing long term relationships with all client types (typically 8 years plus) has enabled Opes™ Independent Financial Advisers to truly understand and offer features and services based on what clients want and need opposed to limitations in what a company can offer.
We also seek to share our knowledge and expertise by helping others through various programmes, which currently includes ‘Forces MoneyPlan’ (Financial Advice for Sick and Injured Armed Forces Personnel and Veterans) run through our professional body The Personal Finance Society. We are also involved in the ‘Back to School’ scheme, which is aimed at educating school pupils to develop skills around basic financial management. This is an area not covered under the current educational curriculum. The ethos of this project is championing the inclusion of Financial Capability into the National Curriculum….
*Our Self Invest service is a restricted advice service designed for those who may require a simple investment solution without face to face advice.
BELIEFS & VISION
It has become common place with diminishing professional adviser numbers and access to advice for retail clients (individuals or businesses) to struggle to know where to turn in getting access to an independent financial advisor…..
"Our mission is simple ! To give any individual, business, charity or trustee access to professional advice and help achieve short, medium and long term planning goals, whilst adding intrinsic service value, saving clients time and money."
How is this achieved without risk to a client ? By treating clients as we would wish to be treated ourselves….. Our initial meeting or discussions (at our expense) are used to assess needs, highlight if and how we can add value at a strategic/monetary and/or time saving level. From this we may be required to carry out very detailed research & analysis. At this point a client will either see clearly the value added and if not, is free to cease discussions at no cost to them.
Our values form the framework all advisers and support staff follow when supporting new and existing clients :-
-
Professionalism & Integrity.
-
Transparency.
-
Independence.
-
Trust.
-
Added value.
-
No product or provider bias – Advice driven around needs and objectives not products.
-
Clear communication in a form that works for any client.
-
Fair and respectful treatment of clients.
-
Use of the latest innovative technologies to communicate – face to face, email, phone, video conferencing (all via our Client Portal).
-
Unique value added Investment Proposition.
-
Long term relationship development.
-
Reputation.
We believe clients should have a choice in terms of how they receive advice. So we are able to offer face to face or *remote service levels ; phone, messaging or video, all via our Client Portal (without the need for clients to download software) or by direct self-investing through our restricted advice service ‘Self Invest.’
*We reserve the right to only offer face to face advice where we deem it appropriate and/or where we feel advice is of a higher risk nature.
Call today, email us or complete our enquiry form and take advantage of our no cost, no obligation initial review service !
CAREERS
"Work should be enjoyable, rewarding & fun ! If you feel positive in your career path then so will your clients in the service they receive....."
This view and way of thinking plus our innovative and technological service offering is what sets us apart from the majority of both national and regional firms and why we retain clients and generate interest from new clients, others wanting to take advantage of our service and investment propositions
Whether you are an Independent Financial Adviser, administrator or para-planner looking to work with a pro-active, forward thinking and innovative firm that values the benefit of and the input of it’s stakeholders in improving our proposition then we are interested to speak with you.
Dependent on your skill set, qualifications, both ours and your working environment requirements, we can consider both employed, self-employed and freelance arrangements.
We are interested to speak with Independent Financial Advisers with the following traits, business considerations and business profile :-
• Client centric, added value approach to advice.
• Tired of being micro managed by management staff.
• Forward and creative thinking.
• Looking to uplift profitability, time efficiencies and adoption of ‘Model Adviser’ business model.
• Looking for an unconstrained investment offering not limited by legacy advisory firm arrangements, product provider bias or poor investment fund choice.
• A view of reducing work hours or saving time to increase business levels.
• A requirement to have administration and para-planning work completed by somebody else.
• Advisers wishing to sell their business.
• Established business model with assets under management of £10M +.
• Require a regulatory/GDPR compliant, innovative, end to end back office and advice solution that saves significant adviser time, reduces business risk, whilst minimising regulatory pressures.
• A need for a unique Centralised Investment Proposition to add value, reduce client costs, avoid regulatory issues, save time around initial and ongoing advice process.
• Looking to obtain a greater work/life balance.
• Looking to use innovative technology that enables client relationships and advice supply through any medium -face to face, video, telephone conferencing, webex etc.
• Advisers working in the private client, investment & pensions, corporate benefits markets.
• Home or office based advisers.
So why not complete our enquiry form or call today to start an open and informal discussion that could change your future for the better!