Investment Review
Service

Your questions answered -
These are some of the most common questions we get asked about the Investment Review Service and the completion of the Registration Form. If you have any further questions, or would like some advice about the registration process, please call us on 0845 013 8080.

Who carries out the Review Service?

The service is carried out by a dedicated team at Bates Investment Services - one of the UK’s leading independent investment advisers. Our Research Team enjoys an excellent reputation, particularly with the national press who regularly contact us for our expert opinion on matters of personal finance. Bates is part of The Money Portal Limited.

How do you provide the Review Service without charging me a fee?

If you own a PEP, ISA, OEIC or Unit Trust fund you are almost certainly paying a charge to cover “trail commission” as part of the annual management charges applied automatically by the Fund Manager. This is normally around 0.5% of your fund value, and it is normally charged whether or not commission is actually paid! When you become a client of our Investment Review Service, if you didn’t originally buy the fund though Bates, any annual trail commission will transfer to us, which covers the cost of the service you receive without the need for any additional charges – so it really doesn’t cost you a penny more!

Will I have to meet somebody to discuss my review, or be pestered with phone calls?

No. You are under no obligation to meet an adviser or speak to anyone about your review. Of course if you would like more information of want to arrange to discuss it further with an adviser we would be pleased to arrange this for you.

Do I need to contact the company who sold me the investment in the first place?

No. Once you join the service we can take care of all the paperwork.

Will becoming a member of the Investment Review Service mean changing my investment?

No. The authority you give us on the Registration Form to act as your ‘Agent’ simply enables us to seek the information we need to provide you with your Fund Review(s). Your investment and the way it is managed remains completely unchanged, unless you decide otherwise.

Do I still control my investment?

Yes, absolutely. Our service allows you to monitor how well your investment is performing, but only you can decide if and when you wish to transfer your investment to a different fund.

Do I have to know the names of the funds in which I am invested?

No – as long as we have your details and the name of the companies managing the investment you want us to monitor, we can track down the relevant information.

Am I committed to the Investment Review Service on a long term basis?

Not at all. You are completely free to change your PEP, ISA, OEIC or Unit Trust ‘Agent’ as often as you like, so you can de-register from our service at any time, without any costs or penalties.

Will I have to wait 12 months for my first review?

No. As soon as you have registered with the service, we will write to your Fund Manager(s) to obtain the relevant information that will enable us to carry out your first review straight away, and annually thereafter.

Will I still get valuation statements from the Fund Manager?

Yes - our independent review is in addition to any statements that you normally receive from your Fund Manager during the year.

If my investment is performing badly, will you recommend an alternative?

Initially we will provide you with a review service only. If you are concerned about the performance of your investment please contact us and we can arrange for you to speak to one of our independent financial advisers.

Are there any catches?

Absolutely not – there are no catches and no hidden charges.