Mystery Shopper – Wolverhampton

This shopper was impressed with the reassurance offered by the adviser and the assured manner with which he answered questions.

33/35

Adviser (Independent)

Sigma Wealth IFAs, The House by the Square, 10-12 Wood Road, Codsall, Wolverhampton, WV8 1DE

Speed of response:

Time of call: 3.06pm. The call was answered after one ring. 5/5

Telephone manner:

Courteous and friendly. 5/5

Relevant qualifications:

Level four diploma. 5/5

Payment method:

No charge for initial consultation. He said estimated set-up fee would be in the region of £3,500 to £5,000. Annual charges would also be applicable. 5/5

Guidance given:

The adviser said that the firm’s start date was likely to be in mid-2016, but added that there are good reasons to set up the scheme early because of the amount of paperwork involved. He also said that the shopper would not be required to use Nest. 3/5

Knowledge:

The adviser demonstrated good knowledge, giving a brief but thorough guide to the marketplace providers. 3/5

Email/web presence:

gary.singh@sigmawealthlimited.co.uk
www.sigmawealth.co.uk 5/5

Verdict:

While the shopper found the adviser helpful, he also felt that he had skimmed some details. 31/35

Provider

Standard Life (via their website at www.goodtogopensions.com)

Speed of response:

Time of call 3.40pm. The call was answered after two rings. 5/5

Telephone manner:

Pleasant and professional. 5/5

Relevant qualifications:

The representative said she was not qualified to give advice. 0/5

Payment method:

Basic set-up of scheme could be done free through the company’s goodtogopensions website. Thereafter the ongoing cost for the scheme was £100 a month. 5/5

Guidance given:

The representative told the shopper to find out his firm’s auto-enrolment staging date. She also explored the mandatory contribution levels – which the other advisers did not do in such detail. She added that Nest was set up by the government, but was rudimentary in terms of fund management, while Standard Life could offer a full range of actively managed funds. 4/5

Knowledge:

The representative clearly knew the technical details of what the shopper would need to do and when, and gave the basic information clearly and comprehensively. 4/5

Email/web presence:

www.goodtogopensions.com 3/5

Verdict:

The representative gave a good amount of information on the process in a concise manner.

26/35