When your agreement will come to an end or fall due for review

Key Factors to Look for in Your Financial Adviser Agreement

Reading through a financial adviser agreement, for expats who aren’t necessarily well versed in technical terminology, can be a daunting task. If anything is unclear, always ask for an explanation – a good adviser will never hesitate to clarify. Your agreement should cover all the aspects of billing mentioned above, as well as:

What advice, practical services, and support your financial adviser is including within those fees – for example, quarterly or annual reports, update meetings or yearly investment reviews What is included within that work, and the fees chargeable for any additional work requested How regularly your portfolio will be analyzed What level of control your adviser has – whether they need your written consent to make changes to your investments, for example. This is usually called ‘discretionary’ or ‘non-discretionary’. How your legal relationship works; in what capacity your adviser has the authority to act on your behalf When your agreement will come to an end or fall due for review What will happen if costs increase, or if the adviser’s fees change