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    Investing

    A publication by

    How to become your own financial adviser

    Do-It-Yourself

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    ContentsIntroduction

    Chapter 1 . Build on firm foundations

    Chapter 2 . Simplify your investments

    Chapter 3 . Make your own investment decisionsChapter 4 . Prepare for your retirement

    Chapter 5 . When you should seek and pay for advice

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    3

    If you are disillusioned with the ‘advice’ you have received from offshore

    financial salespeople in the past, or are simply looking for a way to manage

    your finances effectively and at a low cost, then this guide is for you .

    The day you discover that you are able to be your own financial adviser and

    invest “DIY” will be truly life changing.

    The fact is, most people, most of the time, are fully capable of successfullymanaging their finances, including things like investments and insurance,

    without any involvement from a financial adviser. You only really need

    financial advice if you have complex financial affairs or at certain times of

    your life when you require specialist or expert knowledge – for example,

    when you are approaching retirement.

    A REAL adviser would tell you this, but the problem is that international

    financial services is an industry full of salespeople, not true advisers. A

    salesperson is most likely only going to tell you about products and then

    sell you whichever one it is that makes THEM the most money …

    Introduction

    Reading this guide will change your life.

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    During the day-to-day management of your financial affairs you really do

    not need to pay for financial advice which is always expensive and may noteven be in your interests.

    DIY investing is particularly useful if you are an internationally mobile

    expatriate as, unfortunately, there are many product salespeople who target

    people like you and who are in fact only looking to make a quick buck for

    themselves from your money.

    By learning how, and having the tools, to manage your finances yourself,

    you can avoid coming into contact with these people and keep the profits

    you make completely to yourself.

    You may be thinking “I don’t know anything about finance” or “I don’t know

    where to start”. In fact, the majority of your financial needs are not as

    Rory GilbertManaging DirectorAES International

    complicated as you may think. I'm confident thata little time getting to know the subject will pay

    dividends and that you will quickly develop the

    ability to make sensible, informed and rewarding

    decisions.

    With a little helping hand, you will soon be on

    the path to financial success. I am sure you will

    never look back.

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    5

    No one cares more about your financial success than you.

    Do-It-Yourself Investing:How to become your own financial adviser

    4 tremendous reasons to becomeyour own financial adviser

    It will cost less. Most likely it will cost substantially less than

    being sold a rotten product or investment you don’t need by afinancial salesperson. This means you could save tens of

    thousands of pounds on unnecessary hidden which would

    otherwise be lining someone else’s pockets

    It is actually straightforward! Once you have the building blocks

    in place, keeping on top of it is really no different to having

    someone else looking after it. In fact, it can be much easier.

    If you ever want advice, it is still available. Taking this route

    doesn’t mean you can never get advice – it just means you only

    pay for things you need and value.

    1

    2

    3

    4

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    6

    Chapter 1

    BUILDON

    FIRMFOUNDATIONS

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    The most important part of any financial adviser’s job is ensuring the

    underlying financial health of a client’s finances is strong. Doing this is

    actually quite simple. There are five main things you need to review:

    Do-It-Yourself Investing:How to become your own financial adviser

    Build on firm foundations

    Your spending1

    2

    3

    45

    Your insurance

    Your debt

    Your bank account

    Your Will

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    Before you can begin to save or invest you

    need to know how much you are spending,

    where it is going and how much you can

    reasonably save or invest each month.

    Simply put, the key is to spend less than you

    earn and save or invest the difference.

    Do-It-Yourself Investing:How to become your own financial adviser

    Your spending1

    Your insurance2Depending on the stage at which you are in your life, you will want varyinglevels of insurance. If you are a home owner and are married or have

    children, then you will want to make sure you have enough life insurance to

    cover your mortgage should anything happen to you. You may also want to

    ensure you have medical or serious illness cover in case you find yourself

    unable to work and look after loved ones.

    Many people do not have enough insurance and some have too much.

    Review your insurance status and make sure you are neither paying for

    cover needlessly, nor under-insured.

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    Do-It-Yourself Investing:How to become your own financial adviser

    Build a minimum of three to six

    months’ expenses in an immediate

    access cash account to help cover

    unexpected bills. For internationally

    mobile expatriates such as yourself,

    we recommend using an offshore

    private bank. This will provide you

    with a range of benefits – including

    quick and easy access to cash in a

    range of currencies, and the option to

    invest, which we shall explore later in

    this guide.

    Debt can be a real drag on the overall

    profitability of any financial strategy.

    Keep short term borrowing, such as

    personal loans, credit cards and

    overdrafts, to a minimum as these

    tend to be expensive. Make sure your

    borrowing is under control. If you

    don’t feel it is, then this needs to be

    addressed immediately and before

    you consider making any investments.

    While reviewing your debt, it may be

    worth checking to make sure you

    have the best available mortgage as

    rates change over time and you may

    be able to negotiate better terms.

    This could help save you money

    which may be put to better use

    elsewhere.

    Your debt3 4 Your bank account

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    Do-It-Yourself Investing:How to become your own financial adviser

    Open an offshore private bank accountThe ABC rule for all expatriate financial planning is that ‘if you come from

    country A and live in country B then you MUST bank in country C. There are

    myriad benefits to opening an offshore private bank account – ranging from

    increased security, convenience and service to tax mitigation, highly

    competitive lending facilities and foreign exchange services (see The Expat

    Guide to Offshore Banking ). We recommend opening an offshore private bank

    account to all our international clients as we believe it is the cornerstone

    from which a successful financial strategy is built.

    Your Will5This is very important for expatriates, particularly if you have a spouse or

    family. In some countries the rules over the distribution of assets when

    someone dies are very archaic and could mean your immediate family is left

    with nothing. In some countries, the local law can take precedence over any

    arrangements you have. Make sure you have a very clear Will which has

    been drawn up with the help of a solicitor and is registered in the countryin which you live.

    Importantly, the offshoreprivate banking serviceoffered by AESInternational providesaccess to a very widerange of funds andinvestment strategies at

    discounted costs.

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    Chapter 2

    SIMPLIFYYOURINVESTMENTS

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    You may already have an investment portfolio with a mix of funds, shares

    and other investments. If you have been an expatriate for some time you

    may even have an offshore bond or regular savings contract with a

    company like Generali International, RL360, Zurich International, Friends

    Provident International or Royal Skandia (now called Old Mutual

    International).

    Do-It-Yourself Investing:How to become your own financial adviser

    Simplify your investments

    Firstly, there is nothing wrong with

    these types of products in their place.

    The problem is that it is very easy for

    them to be used incorrectly by

    offshore financial salespeople. Formore information on this, you can

    read our special report, Insider

    Secrets: How offshore financial

    salespeople make money on your

    investments .

    If you do have a regular savings product or offshore bond, you may want to

    review what the charges within this plan are and what effect this is having

    on your investment performance. In many cases there are high exit charges

    on the products and funds, so it may not make financial sense to break the

    contract, but you may still be able to switch the funds into lower cost

    alternatives or renegotiate some charges.

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    You should also review your existing investments in the current market. We

    generally recommend against using structured products and Unregulated

    Collective Investment Schemes (UCIS), which can be complex and

    specialised, and which can be higher risk.

    Do-It-Yourself Investing:How to become your own financial adviser

    If you have any structured products or UCIS funds in your investment

    portfolio, consider exiting them if possible. In the case of structured

    products you may not be able to exit the product and so may want to sell it

    on a secondary market. This is certainly an occasion when some guidance or

    advice from a qualified, professional financial adviser can really help.

    It may be the case that this policy was set up by

    a responsible financial adviser and that it is perfectly suitable for your needs.

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    The next step is to open an offshore private

    bank account. This is a low cost way of

    consolidating your assets and being able to

    easily manage your money.

    An offshore private bank account will enable you

    to manage your cash, investments and other

    interests like mortgages, securely using online,

    telephone and mobile banking. Holding your

    assets in an offshore private bank account

    means you can rest easy in the knowledge the

    bulk of your money is safe and secure in a highly

    regulated environment outside of the country in

    which you are currently based.

    For further information on the benefits of

    offshore banking download our guide here.

    The process of simplifying your investments may

    seem complex and troublesome, but once you

    have completed it you will be in a significantly

    stronger position to continue building a

    successful financial future. It really is imperative

    that this is done first as having unstable

    foundations can easily erode any future financial

    gains and cause irreparable damage.

    Do-It-Yourself Investing:How to become your own financial adviser

    I set up an offshore bankaccount when I first movedoverseas in 2005. AlthoughI still keep a local accountboth at home and in the

    country in which I amresident - my offshoreaccount forms thefoundation upon which myfamily's finances arebuilt. Here I keep ouraccrued capital in a taxefficient environment andmake use of the low costinvestment solutions and

    facilities such asmortgages. Even thoughmany senior financialprofessionals I know usethe exact same structurethemselves they keep it asecret. .. My view is that allexpats should have thehelp to get them to theright basic structure uponwhich to build their wealth.

    INSIDER SECRETSWhat does afinancialprofessional do?

    Sam Instone

    CEO, AES International

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    Chapter 3

    MAKEYOUR OWN

    INVESTMENTDECISIONS

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    Here are the 6 staples of investing:

    Do-It-Yourself Investing:How to become your own financial adviser

    Make your own investment decisions

    Don’t let returns get eroded – keep costs down1

    2

    3

    4

    5

    6

    Understand your risk profile and what risk means

    Know your investment horizon

    Active or passive?

    Asset allocation and diversification

    Review your portfolio

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    By DIY investing you can

    make investing more

    effective as your costs can be

    lower, if you know how. This is

    because you can bypass the

    often hefty commissions

    levied by product vendors in

    the international market.

    Do-It-Yourself Investing:How to become your own financial adviser

    Don’t let returns get eroded – keep costs down

    1

    To make investing even more cost effective and therefore profitable, AES

    International has negotiated savings of up to 5.25% on a wide selection ofinternational funds and offshore investments.

    Over a period of time, the reduced costs means your investment performs

    better. The compounded effects of these savings can have a staggering

    effect on the amount of money you make over the lifetime of an

    investment. Albert Einstein called this effect the eighth wonder of the

    world!

    You can also save money by investing in lower cost or passive funds as

    explained in point four below.

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    Do-It-Yourself Investing:How to become your own financial adviser

    Understand your riskprofile and what riskmeans

    2

    Among the many considerations that relate to risk,

    there are two that stand out; that your investments

    may fall in value or that your investments do not

    grow quickly enough to meet your needs.

    A professional advisercan help you understandrisk and how much youmay or may not need totake in order to achieve

    your life objectives.

    This process is calledcashflow planning and is

    a detailed way to project some assumptions abouthow your future maylook in financial terms.

    If you are unable to stomach any fall in the value of your investments, then you

    may be better sticking to saving in a cash account. If this is the case, then ensure

    you have a decent rate of interest on the account. You may struggle to meet yourfinancial objectives, but your capital will be secure.

    If you are happy to invest in funds, then you need to decide how aggressive you

    want to be with your investment strategy.

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    Do-It-Yourself Investing:How to become your own financial adviser

    ASSET CLASSES EXPLAINED

    EQUITIESThese are the most commonly traded of all asset classes and are the shares ofcompanies listed on a stock exchange. The value of a share will go up anddown depending on the popularity of a company on any given day. These arethe most volatile (as in their value fluctuates the most) of all asset classes.

    FIXED INTEREST OR BONDSThe simplest way to explain a bond is to think of it as debt. A big company orgovernment will issue bonds to investors in order to raise money. The bonditself is a promise to repay a certain amount of money on a certain date in the

    future. These are less risky than equities as there is a promise to repay from thecompany. They can still fall in value though or become worthless if a companyloses value or fails.

    CASH AND MONEY MARKET FUNDSCash is the least risky asset class, although it still carries some risk such asbeing eroded by inflation or even being held by an insecure institution. Thereare what are known as “money -market funds” which trade in cash or cashequivalent assets. The funds are low risk, low reward and simply seek tomaintain the value of an investor’s cash.

    If you are a more aggressive investor, are saving for the long term and are

    prepared to see some potential short term falls in the value of your

    investments in exchange for the potential for bigger long term gains, then

    you should have a comparatively high equity exposure in your portfolio.

    If you are less aggressive (more risk averse) and are not prepared to accept

    the potential for short term falls in the value of your investments and are

    happy to see smaller long term gains, then you should include more lower

    risk assets such as cash and bonds in your portfolio.

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    Do-It-Yourself Investing:How to become your own financial adviser

    Know your investment horizon3Understanding your investment horizon is an essential part of constructing

    your portfolio and feeds into all aspects of the decision-making process.

    If you have a short investment horizon – that is you want access to the cash

    you plan to invest within three to five years – you may want to consider

    using funds which invest in low risk assets such as UK government bonds

    (known as gilts) or other highly rated bonds. You may even want to consider

    simply keeping it in cash.

    To invest effectively though, you really should have an investment horizon

    of at least five years, preferably longer, during which time the cash you

    invest is not required. By investing over a longer period you can increase

    the likely returns you will get substantially.

    By understanding your investment horizon you will be better able to map

    your portfolio with your goals and long term objectives.

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    Do-It-Yourself Investing:How to become your own financial adviser

    Active or passive?4There are two ways which funds are managed – actively and passively.

    Passively managed funds (which include index

    tracking funds and exchange traded funds

    (ETFs)) aim to track the performance of a

    particular index, such as the FTSE 100 in the

    UK or the S&P 500 in the US.

    The funds do this in one of two ways – either

    by investing in shares in each stock that make

    up the index they are tracking, or through the

    use of complex financial instruments to mirror

    the performance of the index.

    These funds will never perform better than an

    index, but nor should they perform badly when

    the index is rising.

    Actively managed funds , as the name suggests,

    are those in which the fund manager actively

    tries to cherry-pick the best investments for

    the fund and beat a benchmark.

    There are arguments for using both types of

    fund.

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    Do-It-Yourself Investing:How to become your own financial adviser

    The main case for investing in anactively managed fund is that a good

    fund manager should be able to

    outperform an index and therefore

    an index tracking fund. Remember

    that with an index tracking fund it

    will only ever be as good as theindex it is following. Therefore the

    potential returns using an actively

    managed fund could be much higher.

    With actively managed funds, the

    extra work and analysis involved

    means investors will have to paymore in the way of charges, with

    annual management charges

    averaging around 1.5%. There is also

    typically an initial charge of around

    5.25% as well as further underlying

    costs – such as those for trading – which mean the actual cost (known

    as a Total Expense Ratio) is usually

    between 1% to 3% per annum.

    There are two main benefits ofusing an index tracking fund .

    The first is that it removes the risk

    of choosing a bad active fund

    manager – not all active fund

    managers are good and many will

    pick the wrong stocks at the wrongtimes and will therefore not deliver

    good returns.

    The second and most important

    reason is cost. Passively managed

    funds will charge substantially less

    than an actively managed fund,with typical fees ranging from

    0.07% to 0.85% per year.

    There is an ever increasing amount of evidence available which indicates that

    passive investment returns more money to investors than active.

    Passive Active

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    Do-It-Yourself Investing:How to become your own financial adviser

    Asset allocation & diversification5Asset allocation is a major driver

    of returns over the long term. For

    example, portfolios with a higher

    exposure to equities will

    outperform those with a lower

    exposure to equities over the

    long term.

    When you make a choice to invest in a certain country or market segment

    through an investment fund, you are relying on that economy or part of the

    market to grow. Even a very good investment manager will not necessarily

    be able to protect you against a wholesale fall in the value of that country

    or market segment’s shares. This is why it is important to build a diversified

    investment portfolio.

    Do not put all your eggs in one basket – invest across a number of different

    assets, sectors, countries and market segments. There is no way to invest

    and insulate yourself entirely from stock market downturns, but in this way

    you can avoid making huge losses if just one area of the market falls.

    Diversification also means you are more likely to benefit when different

    markets increase in value as you are more likely to be invested in them.

    In addition to getting the asset mix right, you

    also need to ensure you properly diversify your

    portfolio.

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    Do-It-Yourself Investing:How to become your own financial adviser

    Review your portfolio6You should personally review your portfolio of investments at least

    annually. As part of your review, consider whether the portfolio is still on

    target to meet your objectives – you may need to make it more or less

    aggressive if you don’t feel it is on track.

    You may also want to refresh your fund selection if you feel market

    conditions have changed or the portfolio is not performing as you would

    like. Pay particular attention to those funds which are performing either

    very badly or very well. Consider whether you think they will continue on

    that trajectory and whether you think it is time to choose another fund.

    How to choose fundsThere are literally thousands of funds available so

    it can be difficult to know where to start. At AES

    International we have a centralised investment

    team which spends hundreds of hours researching

    the best active and passive managers so investorscan benefit from best of breed solutions which they feel are right for them.

    Part of this is called our White List which contains the funds that we

    ourselves like to invest our own money in. We have secured substantial

    discounts on the costs for the funds on this list and we pass these discounts

    through to our clients.

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    Do-It-Yourself Investing:How to become your own financial adviser

    Top 5 tips for choosing funds and

    building a successful portfolioDON’T SELECT ON PAST PERFORMANCE. Past performance is

    never a guide to future returns. In some cases, the best

    performing fund one year, will be the worst performing the

    next.

    DO LOOK AT COSTS. Using low cost funds, like passive funds,can add real value as less of your return is being swallowed by

    fees. This is particularly true in “mature” markets such as

    Europe and the US, where actively managed funds often

    struggle to beat average returns.

    DO LIMIT THE AMOUNT YOU INVEST IN EACH FUND. Do not be

    tempted to put all your money, or even half, in one

    undiversified fund. Spread the risk.

    DIVERSIFY. Choose funds which invest in different sectors and

    different areas of the world. If you are investing some of your

    portfolio in higher risk or less well developed markets, like

    Asia or Latin America, this is where an active manager with

    local knowledge can potentially be a good choice.

    AVOID HIGHLY SPECIALISED FUNDS. Funds which invest in just

    one thing, such as retirement care homes or agriculture stocks,

    can be risky. Getting your asset mix right is much more

    important than trying to pick a winning asset class – leave that

    to the fund managers and traders.

    1

    2

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    5

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    Chapter 4

    PREPAREFOR YOUR

    RETIREMENT

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    Do-It-Yourself Investing:How to become your own financial adviser

    Prepare for your retirementYou are probably already preparing for your retirement by paying into acompany or personal pension scheme. As you set out to take full control

    over your finances, you should also spend some time reviewing where you

    are up to with your retirement provisions.

    The most important part of successful pension planning is to set goals. Set

    yourself a target you would like to have when you retire – if this is very far

    off, it may be easier to set an annual or monthly saving target. You should

    try to save around 15% of your annual income.

    You may also want to consolidate any old schemes into one. As we go

    through life it is not unusual to pay into numerous different schemes as we

    move jobs. It may make sense to consolidate these into one place, such as a

    Self Invested Personal Pension (SIPP) or Qualifying Recognised Overseas

    Pension Scheme (QROPS).

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    Do-It-Yourself Investing:How to become your own financial adviser

    Another thing to consider is where your money is invested. As discussed inchapter three, you may need to adjust the amount of risk you are taking in

    order to reach your retirement goals. If you are many years or decades from

    retirement, think about increasing your equity exposure as this is likely to

    generate you higher returns over the long term. You will want to reduce this

    risk as you near retirement.

    When you do reach retirement we suggest you do seek advice from a

    professional, qualified financial adviser. It is one of the few times in your

    life when paying for advice is the best thing to do and can make a

    significant, positive difference to your life.

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    Chapter 5

    WHEN YOUSHOULD TAKE

    FINANCIALADVICE

    (and how to pay for it)

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    There are times in your life when taking financial advice from a professional,

    fully qualified adviser is the right thing to do.

    As an expatriate, your financial affairs can become complex, as there are

    usually many more options available to you than if you were based in your

    home country, particularly around tax and estate planning.There are also some more technical choices to be made around your pension

    – both in terms of how and where you save and what you do at the point you

    retire.

    It is at times like these when it makes sense to consult a qualified financial

    adviser who will be able to explain your options to you and guide you

    towards a solution which is right for you.

    If you choose to consult an AES International financial adviser you have the

    option of paying by a fee rather than through commission which is built into

    the product and which can eat away at future returns.

    Do-It-Yourself Investing:How to become your own financial adviser

    When you should take financial advice

    (and how to pay for it)

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    Ensuring you have the right banking and financial structures in place

    to face major life events such as having children, moving country or

    buying additional property.

    Help your planning and investing for retirement. Reviewing existing

    pensions and investment arrangements.

    Advice on options at retirement. Maximising your retirement benefits

    and flexibility.

    Help in overhauling 'messy and disorganised' portfolios that are in

    multiple locations.

    Investing a lump sum released from other assets e.g. the sale of a

    property or business, or reducing cash holdings.

    A review of an underperforming portfolio/investment from an existing

    IFA or wealth manager – particularly focusing on charges, asset

    allocation and risk.

    You no longer wish to manage your own investments – maybe you lackthe time, interest or confidence to keep making your own decisions.

    Cash flow planning so you can begin to get control of your expenditure

    and an idea of how to plan for your future.

    Investing an inheritance OR inheritance tax planning.

    Reducing administrative hassle and to strip out costs.

    Do-It-Yourself Investing:How to become your own financial adviser

    Top 10 reasons for choosingindependent professional advice1

    2

    3

    4

    5

    6

    7

    8

    9

    10

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    ...they are unsure if they would benefit from

    one-to one advice. In response to this we

    developed X-Ray. This gives you the

    opportunity to get a free, detailed technical

    analysis of your existing investments to

    review without obligation and in your own

    time. You can also discuss your needs and

    the services we offer in a free telephone

    consultation.

    Do-It-Yourself Investing:How to become your own financial adviser

    People often tell us …

    I am convinced that people should only pay for

    things that they need and value. The RIGHT adviser

    can be invaluable in helping you identify, achieve

    and maintain your desired lifestyle without ever

    running out of money, whatever happens. They

    should help you understand your wealth – to help

    you accumulate it, manage it, protect it, and most

    importantly, ENJOY IT! Choosing the wrong adviser

    can be a disaster for you and your family. That's

    why we help you to work out how to run your money

    yourself, and to decide if and when good, trusted,

    expert advice might be what you need.

    “Rory GilbertManaging DirectorAES International

    http://hubs.ly/H015WnB0http://hubs.ly/H015WnB0

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    Unfortunately, the international market is littered with offshore financial

    salespeople who make it their hunting ground looking for people like you

    to exploit entirely for their own gains.

    They are often charming and charismatic individuals who wear sharp suits

    and drive flashy cars. They will use this charm to offload very expensive and

    unnecessary products on people like you; products which could ultimately

    destroy your finances.

    What’s worse, once you realise the products are not what you thought they

    were and your money is being eaten away by hidden charges (they will

    likely claim the advice is “free” or that they are paid by the product

    provider), they will be nowhere to be found, having moved on to their next

    victim.When you do need financial advice, make sure you choose a fully qualified

    adviser. Check their credentials and that of their firm. Don’t be afraid to

    really quiz them on their qualifications – ask for copies of their certificates.

    If they are a high quality, qualified adviser they will not mind and will

    respect your diligence. If they are not, then hopefully they will be put off by

    your inquisitiveness.

    Do-It-Yourself Investing:How to become your own financial adviser

    A word on choosing a financial adviser

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    Before you take the reins as your own financial adviser, you may want a

    little help identifying what financial goals are important to you and

    assistance in constructing a plan which will help you reach those goals.

    Do-It-Yourself Investing:How to become your own financial adviser

    What next ?

    http://hubs.ly/H015Wq00

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    Unfortunately, the international market is littered with offshore financial

    salespeople who make it their hunting ground looking for people like you

    to exploit entirely for their own gains.

    They are often charming and charismatic individuals who wear sharp suits

    and drive flashy cars. They will use this charm to offload very expensive andunnecessary products on people like you; products which could ultimately

    destroy your finances.

    What’s worse, once you realise the products are not what you thought they

    were and your money is being eaten away by hidden charges (they will

    likely claim the advice is “free” or that they are paid by the product

    provider), they will be nowhere to be found, having moved on to their next

    victim.

    When you do need financial advice, make sure you choose a fully qualified

    adviser. Check their credentials and that of their firm. Don’t be afraid to

    really quiz them on their qualifications – ask for copies of their certificates.

    If they are a high quality, qualified adviser they will not mind and will

    respect your diligence. If they are not, then hopefully they will be put off by

    your inquisitiveness.

    To find out more about how to choose a financial adviser and what makes a

    good one read our guide here…

    Blurb about AES International here taken from another guide………

    A word on choosing a financial adviser

    Our Offices

    Serving our clients from 10 offices and36 jurisdictions across Europe and theMiddle East

    Our Expertise

    International InvestmentInternational PensionsNon Domicile UK Resident PlanningFinancial PlanningExpatriate Financial PlanningInternational Estate PlanningInvestment ManagementOffshore Private BankingCredit and LendingInsurance

    IMPORTANT NOTE:This guide aims to provide general information on DIY Investing. It is a short and simplified summaryof a complex subject, so please do not make any decisions based solely on the contents of this guide. Whether or notinvestments are appropriate to you will depend on many factors, including your individual needs and circumstances. Fora personalised recommendation, please contact AES International or request the free portfolio ‘X -ray report’.