FAQs

Yes. Qi Financial Solutions is an independent financial advice firm, which means we are able to consider a broad range of suitable solutions from across the market rather than being restricted to one provider or product range.

We are authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority.

Our FCA Firm Reference Number is 162408. You can check our details on the FCA Register.

Yes. We like meeting clients in person where possible, but we are very happy to meet by video call using Microsoft Teams, Zoom, FaceTime or another convenient platform.

Many meetings take place at our office in Croydon, but we can also meet clients at home, at work, or at another mutually convenient location. For some clients, that might be a private meeting room, hotel, coffee shop, or even a quiet pub.

Yes. We have a gated car park at our Croydon office.

Our roots go back to 1992, when our founder Neville Crofts began advising clients and building the foundations of the firm that later became Qi Financial Solutions. The business became a limited company in 2001 and has continued to evolve since then, while keeping the same long-term, client-focused approach. You can view our milestone moments here.

Our main office is in Croydon. We mainly work with clients across London, Surrey, Sussex, and Kent, but we also continue to advise clients who have moved further afield. Our advice is focused on UK tax-resident clients, although many of our clients have overseas property, family abroad or international connections.

Qi Financial Solutions is a Chartered firm, and all of our financial planners are individually Chartered. Many members of our team also hold additional specialist qualifications in areas such as pensions, investments, taxation, trusts, later-life planning, long-term care, and equity release, helping us advise on a wide range of complex financial planning needs.

You can view client reviews and testimonials on our website. We are very grateful when clients take the time to share their experience, as much of our work comes through long-term relationships and personal recommendations.

We combine high-quality Chartered financial advice with a personal, long-term relationship that many larger firms can struggle to provide. Clients are supported by experienced advisers and long-serving team members who get to know them properly, and we also use a buddy system so there is continuity if your main financial planner is unavailable. Our aim is to give thoughtful, practical advice and support clients through life’s major financial decisions, not just arrange products.

Most of our clients are based within around an hour of our Croydon office, including London, Surrey, Sussex and Kent. We regularly work with clients in central London, the City, south-west London, south-east London, Croydon, Reigate, Sevenoaks, Oxted, Caterham, Tunbridge Wells, East Grinstead, and the surrounding areas.

We are authorised to advise on mortgages, although this is not a core focus of our business. We mainly help clients understand how mortgage decisions fit into their wider financial plan, for example whether to repay debt, invest surplus capital, or structure borrowing sensibly. Where a full mortgage application or detailed product search is needed, we may suggest using a specialist mortgage adviser.

Yes. We have financial planners with specialist equity release qualifications. Equity release is not suitable for everyone, so we take great care to consider the wider family, estate planning, and long-term implications before making any recommendation.

Yes. Pension planning is one of our core advice areas, whether you are building retirement savings, reviewing existing pensions, or deciding how to draw income.

Yes. We can help clients understand workplace and occupational pensions, including how they fit into their wider retirement plan.

Yes. We can advise on SSAS pensions, where they are suitable. These can be useful for some business owners and more complex pension planning cases, but they require careful advice because of the rules, administration, investment options, and trustee responsibilities involved.

Yes. We regularly help clients review multiple pensions and decide whether consolidation is sensible. We will look carefully at charges, investment options, guarantees, exit penalties, and any valuable benefits before recommending a transfer.

Yes. We can help you plan how and when to draw pension income, including tax-free cash, drawdown, annuities, and the interaction with other income sources. The aim is to create a strategy that is sustainable, tax-aware, and suited to your life.

Yes. We can discuss ethical, sustainable, and responsible investment preferences and how they might fit within a properly diversified portfolio. We will also explain the trade-offs clearly, as different funds and providers approach this area in different ways.

Yes. Receiving an inheritance can feel both important and emotional, and we can help you make a sensible plan before rushing into decisions. We will consider tax, income needs, investment risk, family priorities, and long-term goals.

Yes. We can advise on SIPPs where they are suitable, including investment strategy, pension contributions, transfers, and retirement income planning.

Defined benefit and final salary pensions can be extremely valuable, so any decision around them needs real care. We can help clients understand how these pensions fit into their overall retirement plan, but we do not currently advise on transferring defined benefit pensions. If a client needs transfer advice, we will make that clear and suggest they speak to a suitably authorised specialist adviser.

Yes. We can advise on later-life planning, long-term care funding, attorney arrangements, inheritance planning, and how to support family members while protecting long-term financial security.

Yes. We regularly help clients think about Inheritance Tax, gifting, trusts, pensions, life assurance, and how wealth may pass to the next generation. We can also work alongside your solicitor where legal documents or estate planning structures are needed.

Yes. We can advise on ISAs, general investment accounts, investment bonds, pensions, and other mainstream investment wrappers. The right structure depends on your tax position, goals, time horizon, and need for access.

Yes. Protection is often a very important part of financial planning, particularly for families, business owners, and people with mortgages or financial dependents. We can review existing cover and recommend suitable protection where needed.

We advise on pensions, SIPPs, SSAS pensions, investments, retirement planning, tax-efficient investing, protection, estate planning, later-life planning, equity release, and wider financial planning. Where specialist legal or tax advice is needed, we can work alongside your accountant or solicitor.

Our main focus is UK tax-resident clients with UK-based financial planning needs. We may be able to help British nationals living overseas in limited circumstances, for example where the advice relates to UK pensions or a planned return to the UK, but we’d consider this on a case-by-case basis and may recommend specialist overseas tax or legal advice.

No, we do not generally advise US persons or clients who require US tax, legal, or regulatory advice. US-connected clients often have specialist reporting and tax issues, so we would usually recommend speaking to an adviser with specific US/UK cross-border expertise.

We mainly advise UK tax-resident clients with UK-based financial planning needs. If an Australian client is a UK tax resident and the advice is focused on UK pensions, investments, or financial planning, we may be able to help; if Australian tax or regulatory advice is needed, we would recommend a suitable specialist.

No, we do not generally advise Canadian residents or clients who require Canadian tax, legal, or regulatory advice. Where Canadian issues are involved, we would usually recommend speaking to a specialist adviser with appropriate cross-border expertise.

We mainly advise UK tax-resident clients with UK-based financial planning needs. If a French client is a UK tax resident and the advice is focused on UK planning, we may be able to help; where French tax or legal advice is needed, we would recommend working with a suitable specialist.

We mainly advise UK tax-resident clients with UK-based financial planning needs. If a German client is a UK tax resident and the advice is focused on UK planning, we may be able to help; where German tax or legal advice is needed, we would recommend working with a suitable specialist.

Potentially, where the client is a UK tax resident and the advice required is primarily UK based. We do not generally advise US or Canadian clients, and we do not provide overseas tax, legal, or regulatory advice. Where specialist overseas advice is needed, we will say so clearly.

Yes. We do not charge for the initial meeting or call.

We believe fees should be clear, fair, and agreed before any chargeable work begins. Our initial advice fees are usually based on the work involved and, where investments are arranged, are typically a percentage of the amount invested. We will always explain the fee in pounds and pence before you decide whether to proceed.

Our minimum initial fee for new clients is normally £3,000. This reflects the time involved in properly understanding your circumstances, reviewing existing arrangements, researching suitable options, and providing personal financial advice.

The cost depends on the complexity of your circumstances and the level of analysis required. As a guide, a standalone financial planning report, such as a cashflow planning report or Inheritance Tax planning report, may start from around £3,000 plus VAT, depending on the work involved.

For investment and pension advice, our initial fee is typically 1% of the amount invested, or 1.5% for more complex work such as pension switches, structured products, trusts, Venture Capital Trusts, or Enterprise Investment Schemes. For new clients, our minimum initial fee is normally £3,000, and our maximum initial fee is normally capped at £30,000. Where no investment is arranged, we can quote a project fee depending on the work involved.

Our ongoing advice fee is tiered depending on the amount we advise on. As a guide, our standard ongoing fee starts at 0.8% per year for smaller portfolios and reduces for larger portfolios, with lower percentage rates applying at higher levels of assets. Our current client agreement shows ongoing fees ranging from 0.8% to 0.3% per year, with a minimum ongoing fee of £1,200 per year.

We may charge fixed fees, percentage-based fees, or a combination depending on the type of work and ongoing service agreed. We will explain the options clearly and agree the fee with you before any chargeable work begins.

Yes, where appropriate. Our fees are based on the work involved, the complexity of the advice, and the overall relationship, so larger cases or family groups may sometimes benefit from a tailored fee arrangement. We will always explain and agree on any fee clearly before chargeable work begins.

For investment and pension advice, our fees are agreed with you rather than being paid by commission from product providers. Some protection, mortgage, or equity release products may pay commission, and where that applies, we will explain it clearly.

VAT does not usually apply to most of our advice fees because much of our work involves acting as an intermediary for financial services, which can fall within HMRC’s VAT exemption for intermediary services. Where a piece of work is different – for example, a standalone planning report or project that is not linked to arranging a financial product – VAT may apply. If VAT applies to any fee, we will explain this clearly before you agree to proceed.

We believe our fees are competitive for a Chartered financial planning firm in London and the south-east. We aren’t trying to be the cheapest firm, but we do aim to offer strong value through high-quality advice, experienced Chartered financial planners, long-term support and a personal service. Many clients come to us after feeling that larger firms have become more expensive, less personal, or less responsive.

The best way to judge fees is to look at both the cost and the service you receive. We aim to provide clear advice, regular reviews, experienced Chartered financial planners, long-serving support staff and a personal relationship over many years. We’re transparent about our charges and happy to explain exactly what is included.

Fees vary across the market depending on the firm, service level, qualifications, and complexity of advice. As a Chartered firm in the south-east, we believe our fees are competitive, particularly for clients who value long-term planning, personal service. and continuity rather than a purely transactional approach.

Clients often come to us because they want a more personal, long-term relationship with a financial planner and team who know them properly. Some have become frustrated after their previous adviser sold their business, retired, or moved into a larger corporate structure where the service felt less personal or more expensive. We aim to combine the professionalism and governance clients expect, with the accessibility and care of a smaller, relationship-led firm.

You can ask us directly, and we will explain the likely fees once we understand what help you need. We will confirm any agreed fee before carrying out chargeable work, so you know what you are paying and what service you will receive.

We take complaints seriously and have a formal complaints process. If you are ever unhappy, we would want to understand the issue and try to resolve it fairly and promptly.

We take data security seriously and use appropriate systems and processes to protect client information. We only ask for information that is relevant to the advice we provide and handle personal data carefully.

Yes. We hold professional indemnity insurance appropriate for the regulated financial advice we provide.

You can check our authorisation by searching for Qi Financial Solutions on the Financial Services Register using our FCA Firm Reference Number: 162408.

Yes, where appropriate we share client stories or examples that show the type of work we do. We always protect client confidentiality and only use examples in a suitable and compliant way. You can watch our client stories here.

We listen carefully to client feedback, review our ongoing service, and value long-term relationships and referrals as important signs that we are doing a good job. We also welcome reviews and testimonials from clients who are happy to share their experience.

Our key accreditation is our Chartered status as a firm, with all financial planners also individually Chartered. We believe this reflects our commitment to high professional standards, technical knowledge, and long-term client care.

Yes, where relevant, client reviews may be available through the review platforms linked on our website, including on VouchedFor. We are also happy to point prospective clients towards publicly available information about the firm.

Yes. We can help you understand whether early retirement is realistic, what level of income may be sustainable, and what trade-offs may be involved.

Yes. Retirement planning is a core part of what we do. We can help you bring together pensions, investments, tax planning, cashflow forecasting, and income strategy so you can make confident decisions.

We typically work with individuals, families, professionals, business owners, and retirees who want long-term financial advice and a trusted relationship. Many clients have built up significant pensions, investments, property, or business wealth and want help making good decisions.

Yes, where advice can add value. We often help younger clients with pensions, ISAs, protection, mortgages, business planning, and long-term investment habits.

Yes. We advise many business owners, directors, and self-employed clients on pensions, investments, protection, tax-efficient planning and extracting wealth from their business sensibly.

Yes. This is one of our main areas of advice. We help clients understand how much they can afford to spend, how to draw income tax-efficiently and how to manage investment risk in retirement.

Yes. We can help you take time, understand your options, and make a plan that fits your wider life and family circumstances.

Yes. We can help business owners think through the personal financial planning implications of a sale, including retirement, investments, tax, family wealth, and future income needs.

Yes. We understand that financial decisions after a bereavement can feel overwhelming. We aim to provide calm, practical support and can work alongside solicitors or accountants where needed.

Yes, these are all important client groups for us. We often help clients with more complex planning needs, including pensions, SSAS pensions, investments, tax-efficient structures, protection, and long-term retirement income.

Yes. We can review your existing arrangements and explain whether they remain suitable. We will not recommend changes unless we believe there is a good reason to do so.

We do not want to be overly rigid, but our service is best suited to clients where personalised financial planning can add meaningful value. If we do not think we are the right fit, we will tell you honestly.

Our advice is focused on UK financial planning and UK tax-resident clients. We can take overseas assets into account as part of the wider picture, but we do not provide overseas tax, legal, or regulatory advice and we do not generally advise US or Canadian clients.

Yes. We can help you understand how your State Pension fits into your wider retirement plan, including when it may start and how it interacts with other income.

You can call or email us to arrange an initial conversation. We will ask a few simple questions so we can understand what help you need and arrange the right person for you to speak to.

No. We do not charge for an initial meeting. It is a chance for us to get to know you, understand what you are looking for, and explain whether we think we can help.

You do not need to have everything perfectly organised before speaking to us. It is helpful to bring or share details of any pensions, investments, protection policies, mortgages, income, expenditure, and key financial goals, but we can guide you through what’s needed.

The first meeting is mainly about understanding you. We will talk about your circumstances, what you are hoping to achieve, any concerns you have, and whether financial advice is likely to add value. We will also explain how we work and what the next steps would look like.

Most initial meetings last around an hour. Some are shorter and some take longer, depending on the complexity of your situation and the questions you would like to ask.

No. There is no pressure to proceed. We want clients to feel comfortable, informed, and confident before deciding whether to work with us.

Yes. We have female planners within the team, and we are happy to match clients with the planner they feel most comfortable working with where possible.

You will not be left unsupported. We use a team-based approach and a buddy system, so another experienced planner or team member can help if your usual planner is unavailable.

That depends on the service you choose and the complexity of your needs. Most ongoing clients have regular review meetings, but we are also available between reviews when circumstances change or important questions arise.

Yes. Cashflow planning can be a very useful part of the advice process, especially for retirement planning, inheritance planning, business owners, and clients making major financial decisions.

Life rarely moves in a straight line, so we expect plans to change over time. If your circumstances change, we can review your financial plan and help you make sensible adjustments.

Yes. We often work alongside accountants, solicitors, and other professional advisers. Good financial planning frequently involves tax, legal, and estate planning considerations, so joined-up advice can be very valuable.

Yes. With your permission, we can liaise with your mortgage adviser or other professionals to provide relevant information and help keep things moving.

You would continue to be supported by Qi Financial Solutions. We have experienced financial planners and long-serving staff, and our buddy system helps provide continuity, so your relationship is with the firm as well as your individual planner.

Yes, we can explain what our planning process and reports typically look like. The exact output depends on the advice needed, but we aim to make our recommendations clear, practical, and easy to understand.

In most cases, yes. Many investment platforms provide online access, and we can help you understand what information is available and how to view it.

Yes, where appropriate. We use technology to improve communication, document sharing, and access to information, while still keeping the personal relationship at the centre of what we do.

Most ongoing clients meet with us at least once a year for a formal review. Some clients prefer or require more regular meetings, especially where their affairs are more complex or they are going through a major life event.