# Blevins Franks Advisors



## ELL2403

Anyone had good/bad experiences using Blev.Franks investment advice?


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## jojo

David Salgo said:


> Anyone had good/bad experiences using Blev.Franks investment advice?


Never heard of em. Are they Spanish?

Jo


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## xabiaxica

jojo said:


> Never heard of em. Are they Spanish?
> 
> Jo


they're really well known 'international' IFA's - they'd need to be for me to have heard of them!!

I don't know if I know of them because of good or bad things though


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## mrypg9

They specialise in tax and investment advice for emigre Brits.
They are respectable...but like all financial advisers charge steep fees for telling you what in most cases you can find out for yourself.
I doubt if they come under UK FSA regulations.
Your bank, whether Offshore or an overseas branch of your UK bank, should be able to advise you on most tax/investment issues although of course they will be keen to promote their own financial products.


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## Stravinsky

Its a bit of a strange first question


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## jojo

Stravinsky said:


> Its a bit of a strange first question


yes, but I think mrypg9 has answered it conclusively 

Jo xxx


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## mrypg9

jojo said:


> yes, but I think mrypg9 has answered it conclusively
> 
> Jo xxx



I keeps me money under me bed.....
Seriously, my old Irish gran used to do that. She didn't have much , only about £100 at the very most which she kept in one of those old black tin money boxes (you're too young to remember them, Jo) and when she wanted any money she used to get the box out with a broom.


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## Stravinsky

mrypg9 said:


> I keeps me money under me bed.....
> Seriously, my old Irish gran used to do that. She didn't have much , only about £100 at the very most which she kept in one of those old black tin money boxes (you're too young to remember them, Jo) and when she wanted any money she used to get the box out with a broom.


I might as well have done that myself!
When times get tough and your investments lose money and you find your wonderful IFA's and fund managers are still removing £170 a month in fees from you, you begin to wonder if the bedding is the way to go!


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## xabiaxica

Stravinsky said:


> I might as well have done that myself!
> When times get tough and your investments lose money and you find your wonderful IFA's and fund managers are still removing £170 a month in fees from you, you begin to wonder if the bedding is the way to go!


I've got a green tin - & no financial adviser is going get their hands on that!!


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## Stravinsky

xabiachica said:


> I've got a green tin - & no financial adviser is going get their hands on that!!


No but next time I'm around your place I'l make a point of having a good search


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## xabiaxica

Stravinsky said:


> No but next time I'm around your place I'l make a point of having a good search


I keep moving it - much to certain people's annoyance


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## mrypg9

Stravinsky said:


> I might as well have done that myself!
> When times get tough and your investments lose money and you find your wonderful IFA's and fund managers are still removing £170 a month in fees from you, you begin to wonder if the bedding is the way to go!


I have great empathy with you as we are in the process of slowly extricating the maximum amount of money allowed per annum without incurring tax penalties for precisely that reason - exorbitant fees charged by 'fund managers' for doing nothing. Then we're putting it in an account which yields the highest interest we could find which incidentally is with Lloyds Offshore.
It's a real racket. You wouldn't mind if they actually did something to earn the fees but our money is in fixed -term accounts and SIPPS so they don't have to do a thing.


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## Stravinsky

mrypg9 said:


> I have great empathy with you as we are in the process of slowly extricating the maximum amount of money allowed per annum without incurring tax penalties for precisely that reason - exorbitant fees charged by 'fund managers' for doing nothing. Then we're putting it in an account which yields the highest interest we could find which incidentally is with Lloyds Offshore.
> It's a real racket. You wouldn't mind if they actually did something to earn the fees but our money is in fixed -term accounts and SIPPS so they don't have to do a thing.


You're right! I'd be interested to hear about the offshore thing .... even though I hate Lloyds 

Best I could find was about 4.9% on some bonds, but you have to go in for 3 - 4 years on some and I'm not sure the interest rate wont have moved up by then


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## mrypg9

Stravinsky said:


> You're right! I'd be interested to hear about the offshore thing .... even though I hate Lloyds
> 
> Best I could find was about 4.9% on some bonds, but you have to go in for 3 - 4 years on some and I'm not sure the interest rate wont have moved up by then


I think we're stuck for five years and the interest rate sounds the same - I doubt it will move much in the next few years but who knows???. I hate Lloyds too - I've got accounts with them offshore and they are unbelievably incompetent. The Channel Islands office staff are hopeless but we've also got accounts in Gibraltar and although they are slow in processing things the staff are very helpful.
I'm currently in dispute with them as they blocked my card in July when I tried to buy an item in Corte Ingles. The reason given was that it was an 'unusually large' transaction. They did that to me once before and gave me £50 compensation. This time I've been offered 100 euros which I asked them to donate directly to ADANA but then I thought 'This is a bank!! What's 100 euros to them???' so I'm negotiating for more to go towards our new refugio project in Estepona. I'm happy for them to get publicity handing a cheque and cuddling cute puppies....they need good publicity, after all.


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## Alcalaina

Stravinsky said:


> You're right! I'd be interested to hear about the offshore thing .... even though I hate Lloyds
> 
> Best I could find was about 4.9% on some bonds, but you have to go in for 3 - 4 years on some and I'm not sure the interest rate wont have moved up by then


We chose the Co-op offshore who were offering a fixed rate for three years. Co-op's ethical investments policy appealed to us. But while the cheque and application form were in the post, their rate dropped by half a percent and we couldn't do anything about it because on the form we'd signed an agreement to accept the prevailing rate on the day the account was opened! Not so ethical after all.


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## 90199

I use a Financial Advisor, my investments are now rising at 16%.


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## dunmovin

Do tell us more Hepa?


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## 90199

Phoenix financial advisor, used him for years, sometimes gone down, but always comes good

Phoenix Financial Associates Ltd - Independent Financial Advisor and Mortgage broker in Ossett


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## lynn

We saw Blevins Franks both in the UK and here in Spain after we had become resident. The UK side was to advise us from a tax point of view and then the Spain side was to advise us on financial products. We paid a fixed fee for the UK advice, and would say it was comprehensive and gave us the full picture of our tax situation. We were then able to go back with further questions in the months after the initial consultation. 
We decided the financial products they offered to us in Spain we not for us, but that isn't to say that they weren't interesting - just more geared to older clients I would say. As has been previously mentioned, FI's don't half extract their pound of flesh in fees...
If the OP wishes any clarification, please feel free to PM


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