Quilter Financial Advisers has introduced a telephone-based service so savers who can't take up face-to-face meetings can still get access to advice.
Quilter’s telephone-based team of advisers will deliver a full financial planning service including advice on mortgages, protection, investment and pensions.
According to the firm, this means clients who need advice but do not want, or do not require, a face-to-face service can still get the help they need.
This is particularly pertinent in the current lock down climate.
The service was officially launched earlier this year but is now fully operational with five advisers manning the lines, with Quilter looking to recruit two more advisers in due course.
The team has six support staff, made up of paraplanners, admin backup and appointment makers.
According to Quilter, the team already has around 2,000 clients, with average customer assets of around £25,000.
The service focuses on clients with less than £50,000 in investable assets who have been unable to access face-to-face advice. But others who prefer phone-based advice are welcome too.
Darren Sharkey, managing director of Quilter’s national advice business, said: “We know there are millions of people in the UK that would benefit from having financial advice.
"And this is not just in terms of pounds and pence, which is obviously important. This is about that feeling of financially security and wellbeing. Something that is priceless, particularly in the current climate.
“However, not everyone is able to access face-to-face advice, perhaps because of where they live, or feels comfortable with the intimacy of a face to face conversation in their home.
“We also know that many advisers are approaching capacity and there is considerably more demand for advice than there are advisers.
“One of Quilter’s primary goals is to make advice more accessible and with this telephone-based team QFA will have the capacity to help more households receive the advice they need.”
Quilter’s advice business was created in 2019 and focuses on providing financial planning services to middle income households across the UK.
amy.austin@ft.com
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