Colin Holmes & Associates - TERMS OF BUSINESS

  1. We require you to give instructions in writing, to avoid possible disputes. We will, however, accept oral instructions provided they are subsequently confirmed in writing. All answers or statements given on any proposal form, claim form or any other material document are your responsibility, and therefore you should always check the accuracy of the information you provide. Authority to act on your behalf may be terminated at any time, without penalty, and without prejudice to completion of transactions already initiated on your behalf, by either party giving immediate notice in writing to that effect to the other. Whilst every effort is made by us to ensure that business is conducted with companies with adequate assets, we will not be responsible should any company not meet its commitment when charged with a claim.
  2. Cover is normally subject to the receipt of a satisfactorily completed proposal form/signed statement of fact, or telephone/e-mail instruction for Travel Insurance. You are advised to answer all questions accurately and to the best of your knowledge. Please note that as this forms the basis of the contract between yourself and the insurer, all material facts which are likely to affect cover MUST be disclosed. Your attention is drawn to the declaration regarding the accuracy of the information you provide, and the potential result of non-disclosure of all material facts. For renewals, it is important that you carefully read the renewal notice and all attaching documents, and advise us of any change of circumstance(s) with regard to yourself and/or the risk insured. If you have any doubt about what should be disclosed at any time during the period of cover, please advise us as this may alter the insurer’s terms. Failure to comply could invalidate your insurance. All policies are subject to English Law. A full policy wording is available on request.
  3. We retain the right to share any commission/fee with professional connections at our discretion. If we arrange cover for you with an insurer/provider on a net basis (i.e. no commission is paid to us), we will charge a fee for our services.
  4. We do not accept liability for loss of documents of title or certificates evidencing title to any of your insurance which is outside of our custody or control.
  5. All Client premiums are held by us in a separate bank trust account, as we act as an agent for Insurers. All return premiums will be paid net of commission/fee at the end of the relevant period of insurance, if there have been no claims. Any certificate, schedule or policy not paid for will be deemed void. This does not affect your statutory rights.
  6. CHA charges (in addition to any levied by insurers/providers): Policy issue/Renewal processing, at our discretion we may charge a fee which we will disclose at point-of-sale; Mid-term adjustment/green card £10; mid-term cancellation £15; renewal/new business reminder £20; reissue of cover note, certificate or renewal notice £15; for premium credit arrangements via us, you will receive a credit agreement which shows the interest charge and APR; premium credit arrangements via finance companies up to £25; research for information on General Branch/Motor/ Marine over 12 months’ old £25, Mortgage over 72 months’ old £50; completion of declarations £50; business for Clients who are offshore, up to £100 per transaction; special postal service requested by you £25; courier service requested by you, courier charge + £5; chasing outstanding information/premiums due to us either by telephone, facsimile or e-mail £5 per communication. If exceptional circumstances arise where any other charge would be levied, e.g. claim assistance, you will be informed of the amount of the charge prior to the work being undertaken. At our discretion these charges may be reduced or waived. Credit arrangement with insurers (variable) to be disclosed at point-of-sale.
  7. You or your nominated agent have a right to inspect copies of contract notes, vouchers and entries in our books or computerized records relating to your transactions. We keep records of business transactions for at least one year from the date of such transactions. We are registered under the Data Protection Act. We may contact you by telephone in order to discuss your past/present/future business with us. Information that we hold about you will be held on computer and/or in paper files. This information will be used to administer your application, to deal with queries, and to bring to your attention additional services and products that may be of benefit to you. The information that you give us may be disclosed to third parties, such as product providers and credit reference agencies, for the purpose of processing your application, to our Regulators (the FSA), and to our Compliance Advisers. It will also enable further services to be provided to you, and to ensure that your details can be best matched with the services available. You may ask us not to contact you about additional services and products by writing to: Data Protection Department, Colin Holmes & Associates, Artillery House, 121 Lynchford Road, Farnborough, Hants GU14 6ET.
  8. We maintain professional indemnity insurance, which helps to safeguard your interests.

This is our standard Terms of Business on which we intend to rely. For your own benefit and protection you should read these terms carefully. If you do not understand any point, please ask for further information.
[Colin Holmes & Associates Terms of Business dated 25/11/2009]


Euro IFA (UK) - TERMS OF BUSINESS

  1. We will categorise you as a Retail Client unless otherwise agreed with you. Retail Clients have the highest level of protection under the regulatory regime. We will communicate with you in English both verbally and in writing.
  2. We require you to give instructions in writing, to avoid possible disputes. However, we will accept oral instructions provided they are subsequently confirmed in writing. Authority to act on your behalf may be terminated at any time, without penalty, and without prejudice to completion of transactions already initiated on your behalf or any rights or obligations already arising, by either party giving immediate notice in writing to that effect to the other.
  3. We offer independent financial advice but occasions can arise where we, or one of our other customers, will have some form of interest in business which is being transacted for you. If this happens, or we become aware that our interests or those of one of our other customers conflict with your interests, we will inform you in writing and obtain your consent before carrying out your instructions.
  4. Following the issue of this Terms of Business, any subsequent advice or recommendation offered to you will be based on your stated investment objectives, your acceptable level of risk, and any restrictions you wish to place on the type of investment or policies you are willing to consider. Details of your stated investment objectives will be included in the Suitability Letter we will issue to you to confirm our recommendations. Unless confirmed in writing by you to the contrary, we will assume that you do not wish to place any restriction on the advice we give you.
  5. If you require an investment/insurance service which we are not authorized or able to offer, we may refer you to another Financial Adviser, subject to your agreement. Any commission/fee derived from such an introduction will be disclosed on written request to us. Whilst every effort is made by us to ensure that business is conducted with companies with adequate assets, we will not be responsible should any company not meet its commitment when charged with a claim or policy maturity. We are obliged to offer “Suitable Advice”, and this entails obtaining your comprehensive financial background and outlining the major terms that govern any business that may then result.
  6. We will tell you the amount of commission payable to us on any investment. We will tell you the amount of commission or any other form of benefit from the issuer of a security or from another intermediary. We retain the right to share any commission or fee with professional connections at our discretion. In the event that you redeem, surrender, withdraw, cancel or otherwise default from any single or regular contribution/premium-paying contract/policy that we arrange for you that compels us to repay money or fees to any product provider/supplier whether or not they are regulated by any official body, we will invoice you up to the previously disclosed or non-disclosed remuneration figure that we were due to receive, but we will not charge a fee if you exercise your right to cancel the policy in accordance with the cancellation notice sent to you by the product provider. You will not be invoiced in the event of a claim by death. This does not affect your statutory rights.
  7. WE DO NOT HANDLE CLIENTS’ MONEY. We never accept cheques made out to us, or handle cash (unless in settlement of charges or disbursements for which invoices have been sent to you).
  8. We will make arrangements for investments to be registered in your name, unless first instructed otherwise in writing. When we have arranged any investments for which you have given instructions, and after any documents have been dispatched, it will not be our policy to conduct any automatic review, but we may be approached in writing for further advice. All documents will be forwarded to you showing your ownership of investments as soon as is practicable after we receive them; where a number of documents relating to a series of transactions are involved, each document will normally be held by us until the series is complete before they are forwarded to you.
  9. We do not accept liability for loss of documents of title or certificates evidencing title to your investments/insurance which are outside our custody or control.
  10. You or your nominated agent have a right to inspect copies of contract notes, vouchers and entries in our books or computerized records relating to your transactions. We keep such records of business transactions for at least six years from the date of such transactions (three years for mortgage-related records).
  11. We are registered under the Data Protection Act. We may contact you by telephone in order to discuss your past/present/future business with us. Information that we hold about you will be held on computer and/or in paper files. This information will be used to administer your application, to deal with queries, and to bring to your attention additional services and products that may be of benefit to you. The information that you give us may be disclosed to third parties, such as product providers and credit reference agencies, for the purpose of processing your application, to our Regulators (the FSA), and to our Compliance Advisers. It will also enable further services to be provided to you, and to ensure that your details can be best matched with the services available. You may ask us not to contact you about additional services and products by writing to: Data Protection Department, Euro IFA (UK), Artillery House, 121 Lynchford Road, Farnborough, Hants GU14 6ET.
  12. We maintain professional indemnity insurance, which helps to safeguard your interests.
  13. In the course of providing our financial services, we will not be acting contractually for you.

This is our standard Terms of Business on which we intend to rely. For your own benefit and protection you should read these terms carefully. If you do not understand any point, please ask for further information.
[Euro IFA (UK) Terms of Business dated 25/11/2009]

Page last updated: 25/11/2009