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Best independent financial advisors worldwide table

NAME & LINK
AREAS COVERED
SIZE OF COMPANY
MANAGEMENT TEAM
CLIENT REVIEWS
DISTINCTIONS
& SPECIFICITIES
Fidelity Investor Centre
Hong Kong & World
Large
★★★
★★
v  One of the largest retirement asset managers in Hong Kong. 
v  Invite clients on a regular basis to seminars where clients can meet financial experts.
v  Offers a range of investment solutions covering all regions, industrial sectors and asset classes.
Logic Investments
United Kingdom
Mid-size
★★
★★
v  Regulated by the FCA
v  Advice across a range of products including Shares and Bonds
v  Strong focus on asset allocation, stringent risk management and capital preservation.
Anh Thomas Investment
Vietnam & World
Small-family
★★
★★★
v  Handle both large and small portfolios
v  Take no fees when client lose money
v  Excellent feedback from clients
Banco De Investimento Global, Sa
Portugal
Medium
★★★
★★
v  For Private Customers, the Bank provides savings products, brokerage, custody, asset management, general financial services and payments.
v  The Bank is a member of Euronext markets.
v  Received several times the Best Bank Award in the Medium or Small Bank category, an initiative in partnership with D & B and Deloitte.
Chartwell Associates Pte Limited
Singapore
Small-Medium
★★
★★★
v  Handle expatriates, permanent residents and Singapore citizens.
v  Inheritance planning
v  Focus on tax issues and know how to handle different jurisdictions.
Hph Solutions
Australia
Medium
★★
★★★
v  Investment advice
v  Retirement planning
Award-winning financial planning firm in Australia
Maxim Financial
New Zealand
Small-Family
★★
★★★
v  Financial Planning
v  Estate Planning
v  Lump Sum Investing
v  Insurance
Member company of Professional Investment Associates
Platinum Financial Planning
Republic of Ireland
Small-Family
★★
★★
v  Financial Life Planning
v  Investment Advice & Wealth Management
v  Risk Management
v  Targeting business owners, individuals and families.
Alder Capital Dac
Republic of Ireland
Small-Family
★★
★★
v  Investment process designed to deliver an attractive risk-adjusted return stream across a number of different products.
v  Regulated by the Central Bank of Ireland.
v  Identify persistent market moves and uses a proprietary approach to forecasting risk.
Kacius
France
Small-Family
★★
★★★
v  Inheritance advice and management
v  Tax advises
v  Life insurance
v  Rental real estate
v  Excellent client feedback
Tanguy Finances
France
Small-Medium
★★★
v  More than 40 years experience.
v  Work with partners, or if the client wishes with his/her own advice (lawyer, accountant, lawyer, accountant...).
Alantra
China, Worldwide
Mid-Large
★★★
★★
v  Leading independent financial advisor in the global mid-market.
v  Wealth Management
Bruellan Sa
Switzerland
Small-Middle
★★
★★★
v  Leading Swiss boutique investment firm founded in Geneva in 1991
v  Offices in different places in Switzerland.
v  Supervised by FINMA since 2008.
Mag Asset Management Sa
Switzerland
Small size
★★
★★★
v  Member of the GSCGI
v  Financial engineering background
v  Services are based on a tripartite relationship between the client, a custodian bank and a Mag Asset Management SA manager.
Mpm & Partners
http://www.mpm.mc/
Monaco
Small-family
★★
★★
v  MPM & Partners (Monaco) is approved in Monaco by the Commission de Contrôle des Activités Financières (CCAF)
v  Member of the Association Monégasque des Activités Financières (AMAF).
Dr. Kribben Finanzberatungs Ag
Germany
Small-family
★★
v  Insurance (private property insurance and commercial property insurance)
v  Retirement
v  Real estate advises and management
Steinick Finanz
Germany
Small size
★★
★★★
v  Very good client feedback
v  Focus on insurance
v  Provide financing
Charltons law

Hong Kong & Asia
Medium
★★★
★★
v  Provides legal services in connection with the structuring, marketing, regulation and operation of private investment funds in a range of regions worldwide, including offshore funds and China funds.
v  Corporate responsibility is an integral part of their business strategy.
Delande et cie

Belgium
Medium
★★
★★★
v  Investment Consulting
v  Patrimonial Council
v  Expertise for the financial management of legal entities (non-profit organizations, foundations, private companies or public law organizations).
Pro-invest  (sa)
Belgium
Small - family
★★
★★
v  Provides many different types of insurance.
v  Savings and investments advises
v  Investments with guaranteed returns or investments linked to an investment fund.
Mazars
Brazil
Large
★★
★★
v  Has offices in 86 countries and more than 20,000 employees.
v  Team of professionals with international profiles and global and local expertise in mergers and acquisitions, transactional context assessments and litigation, construction and review of financial modelling.
Jw harrison financial
Canada
Small size
★★★
★★★
v  Excellent client feedback.
v  Focus on US based clients
v  Offers Ongoing Financial Management and Stand-Alone Consultations.
v  Also offers insurance.
Synergy financial advisers
Singapore
Small medium
★★★
★★
v  Life Insurance solutions.
v  Health & Disability Solutions
v  Investment solutions.
v  Excellent feedback from high net worth clients.
Netto invest
South Africa
Small
★★
★★
v  Asset management
v  Deposits, shares, bonds, investments and foreign currency denominated investments
v  Pension products
v  All classes of long-term insurance policies
v  Health service benefits
v  Have won the prestigious South African Financial Planner of the Year award twice.

Fussell & Associates

South Africa
Small medium
★★
★★
v  Financial planning
v  Asset management
v  Short-term insurance
v  Clients include private individuals, families, entrepreneurs, companies and organisations of all sizes.
Cr&cie
Germany
Small
★★
★★
v  Exclusively assisting Expats.
Sterling Financial Consultants
United Kingdom
Small
★★
★★★
v  Corporate clients and private clients
v  Excellent client feedback
v  Investment Portfolio Planning
v  Retirement Planning
v  FSA regulated
Plutus Wealth Management
United Kingdom
Small/ Medium
★★
★★
v  Received many awards.
v  Investment advice
v  Financial planning with a focus on retirement
v  Mortgage advice
v  Tax planning
Assante Wealth Management
Canada
Large size
★★
★★★
v  Provides wealth management services
v  In-house accountants, lawyers and estate specialists
v  Family-oriented
Claire Mackay

Australia
Family Small
★★
★★★
v  Targets professional or business owner
v  Recently recognised as Financial Planner of the Year (FPOTY) and as Investment Advisor of the Year.
v  Focus on high net wealth clients.

Good communication before and during the inheritance

Our site is becoming more and more popular and we want to thank each of our readers from the heart. Our goal remains the same: to help you find the financial advisor that suits you best. Despite the growing popularity of the site, we continue to refuse any advertising as this would be a conflict of interest. We remain 100% independent. That's why we only recommend consultants that we have personally tested. We have also done our best to be able to offer different types of advisors (different sizes, different prices and especially the most important geographic coverage). Wealth management advisors are professionals specializing in the management of individual or family wealth. Some companies offer services that cover both individuals (some companies limit their services to what we call high net worth clients, while others are more open to clients with smaller portfolios but with identified wealth potential. ) and business advice. Some others are specialized in one aspect. Some companies also specialize in family patrimony and do not seek out individuals. Their specialty is to maximize the wealth of the family as a whole and to defend the interests of the family before the individual interests of each member. It is not uncommon to see families fighting after a significant legacy, for example. This type of wealth management advisor is ideally suited to these situations.
According to a recent survey conducted by TD Heritage, 44% of lawyers, trust agents and accountants said that family disputes were the biggest threat to estate planning. Good communication before and during the inheritance is also essential to avoid any other problem. Poor communication can lead to unrealistic expectations about the amount of inheritance they will inherit. If you choose a good wealth management advisor, you get advice based on profitability, risk, financial flows, and helpful tips on succession planning.
Women clearly do not have the same behavior as men in the financial field. This is not a prejudice, but rather a proven reality. Women (of course not all) tend to be risk-averse and this has an impact on their retirement. A recent study by the prestigious Cass Business School has once again proved this difference between men and women when it comes to taking financial risks. In this study, academics analyzed the individual attitudes of many groups of people to risk and financial loss. At the microphone of RTL Christine Lagarde, former president of the IMF and now at the head of the ECB, marked the spirit by declaring "If we had Lehman sisters and not only Lehman Brothers, we would probably have carried a little better." However, it would also be possible to say that these Lehman sisters would have had much smaller profits in all the years preceding the bankruptcy of the financial group. Ms. Lagarde wanted above all to highlight the need to have more women in positions of responsibility in the world of finance. She emphasized the lack of risk-taking that seems to be more important for women than for men. In a way, the researchers from the Cass Business School and the University of Bristol abound in the direction of Ms. Lagarde. The study of the Cass Business School led to the following conclusions: • Women tend to have greater risk aversion than men, which confirms the findings of existing research. • Young and older people tend to be more risk-averse than middle-aged people. Young people are particularly reluctant to face financial loss. • Stress plays an important role in financial decision-making. • Risk aversion and loss aversion are even lower as the level of understanding of a person's finances is high. • Upper-class members are less risk-averse and more willing to take risks than lower-class members.

Top Wealth Advisors 2019 - Forbes

New ranking of wealth advisors, this time from Forbes and with a focus on America's top wealth advisors. This ranking focus on the largest companies. What it means is that this specific ranking does not mean that these advisors will necessarily be the best suited for your personal needs. The 250 advisors on this year's list manage nearly $1 trillion in client assets. Among the companies mentioned in this ranking we find: * Merrill Private Wealth Management * Morgan Stanley Private Wealth Management * UBS Private Wealth Management * Zhang Financial * UBS Financial Services What might strike your attention is the presence of Zhang Financial which is undoubtedly less famous than the other institutions. You can visit their website here: https://www.zhangfinancial.com/ Zhang Financial is a fee-only advisory firm which is always a positive thing for the clients. In our own ranking, that you can find here: https://best-worldwide-financial-advisers.blogspot.com/2019/01/Bestindependentfinancialadvisorsworldwidetable.html we also take into account this aspect which we believe is of primordial importance.

Most relevant investment thresholds

Each investor has a unique sum of money to invest in. Thresholds that are often seen as the most relevant are $250,000 and $500,000. Most investors who have more than $500,000 to invest (or even simply more than $250,000) have plenty of options to be advised by professionals on how to invest. This is a very different picture for investors who have less than $100,000 to invest. These investors are looking for advises too but they are often rejected by financial advisors because their portfolios are simply too small. Indeed, many investors disregard little clients, which makes sense in a number of ways. However, there is plenty of information available online about investments so these little investors do try to get the best of it. The problem is that it is very hard for an average investor to distinguish rubbish and valuable information. Another issue is that almost half of small investors having a financial advisor think that their advisors have never told them about planning for important financial goals such as retirement. Why? The reason is simple, financial advisors cannot reasonable spend too much time and energy on clients with small portfolios simply because this is not a profitable activity for them to do so. One good thing is that robot advisers are now reducing the investment cost and lowering the minimum investment level of a portfolio to $5,000 or even less. This is a kind of revolution in the industry. It is nonetheless important to note that these robots are not really effective yet as technology stands. In other words, we still live in a world where the rich become richer.

Discrimination in Financial Advisory jobs?

Nowadays, as you have certainly already noticed, there are statistics about almost every topic you could think about. Statistics is something that you come across all the time when you are passionate like we are about Finance. We have recently looked at different studies in respect of relation between races, gender and money management. As you could easily expect from the word “races” these studies are US-based. In fact, there are few other countries where race is such an important topic. One of these studies has shown that less than 4% of US Financial advisors are not White nor Asian. At the same time, 13% of American self-identify as being black or African American. An even larger part of the US population is made of non-white Latinos. Similarly, other studies have shown that an overwhelming majority of clients of financial advisors were White or Asian. The Center for Financial planning believes that changes need to be made in the profession in order to create a more diverse and sustainable financial planning profession. It turns out however that a vast majority of the clients do not care about the appearance of their advisers. Instead, they are looking for experience, knowledge and above all performance. Performance being often linked to experience and knowledge. It is also interesting to see that several other studies have also shown that blacks, generally speaking, are less likely to invest in stocks than whites because they are more conservative investors. This would need to be changed as well if minorities want to make more with their money.

The topics that good financial advisors should master

Like in many other industries and jobs, there are good (some are excellent) financial advisors and some that are less competent. Financial advisers should have the skills to independently advise individuals regardless of the complexity of their financial matters, Privacy should also be a key concern for a good financial advisor. One of the difficulties of the job is that a financial advisor should be able to address many different topics. These topics include (but are not limited) to Real Estate, Stocks investments, Insurance, Pensions and everything related to inheritance. Real Estate is a large topic. The advises needed by the client can be related to their own property (the one they live in) but it can also be a property that they own and rent. Of course, the nature of the advise will greatly vary between the two. Another large topic is related to investments in stocks. More than being a large topic, this is actually without any doubt a very complex one. Investing in stocks can seem easy at first glance but making money consistently on the stock markets is definitely not an easy thing to do. The financial advisor job is to understand his or her client’s profile and to provide him/her the best advises based on his/her unique characteristics. Insurance is less complex but requires a lot of knowledge. Pensions is of critical importance while inheritance closely related to household wealth. Divorces, remarriage and other unexpected changes make it difficult to tease apart the independent contribution of inheritances to wealth but without any doubt this is a key element.

Should a 70 years old French women use the same financial advisor as a 20 years old German man?

Should a 70 years old French women use the same financial advisor as a 20 years old German man? The question says it all. However, the response is not that easy to formulate. In fact, we would respond yes but no. It really depends on several factors. If both of these persons are looking for a financial advisor that would look after all their finance-related matters, there is absolutely no doubt whatsoever that the response will be no. In fact, in order to provide the best advice to a retired person living in France, the financial advisor should be well aware of the French legislation (or one could argue that he or she should even be French since the French legislation regarding taxes and other types of investment is extremely complex). The same goes for the 20 years old German man who should seek advice to a German advisor (legislation slightly less complex than the French one but still extremely hard to deal with for non-German advisor). So regardless of the age and professional situations, the only fact that these two persons live in different countries means that they should have different financial advisors. However, there is a clear case where these two very different profiles could use the same financial advisor. This case happens when these investors are looking for international investments. Our list of the best independent financial advisor takes into consideration this skill. In our views, investors nowadays cannot limit their investments to their local market. That is why our table takes into account among other criteria multilingual skills associated with top client services

Claire Mackay interview

Claire Mackay has been interviewed recently in The Sydney Morning Herald (https://www.smh.com.au). Claire Mackay, a financial planner and director of Quantum Financial, says businesses that are predicated on commissions and the selling of financial products have diminished the value of advice. "Consumers are not seeking product sales. They are seeking strategies and recommendations that help them put their family finances in a more secure position," she said. "Studies have shown that consumers who have a quality adviser, who is working with them on a strategy, are financially better off than they would be otherwise." The long article full of comments from some top financial advisors shows that a combination of higher educational standards, an end of grandfathered commissions and decreasing viability of financial planning businesses could see thousands of advisers head for the exits. In a way, the industry is struggling, but at the same time, the need for qualified and well trained financial advisors has never been that high.