Financial Planning : FAQs
Financial planning is the process of organising your finances to help you meet long-term goals. It typically brings together pensions, investments, tax considerations, protection, and estate planning into one coherent plan, rather than looking at each area in isolation.
Investment management is primarily about how money is invested and monitored. Financial planning takes a wider view: clarifying goals, understanding cash flow over time, and making joined-up decisions across pensions, investments, tax, and estate planning. Investments are usually one part of the overall plan.
Common triggers include approaching retirement, building meaningful pension or investment assets, a change in income, selling a business, receiving an inheritance, or simply wanting clarity and a structured long-term plan. The right timing depends on complexity and the decisions you are facing.
A financial plan typically covers retirement planning, pensions, investment strategy, tax efficiency, risk management and insurance, estate and inheritance tax planning, and cash flow modelling. The exact scope will vary depending on your circumstances and objectives.
Cash flow modelling is a way of projecting how your finances may evolve over time using assumptions about income, spending, inflation, pensions, investments, and taxes. It is commonly used to test different scenarios and understand long-term sustainability. It is not a guarantee of outcomes.
Some people engage a financial planner to ensure their existing investments support a broader strategy, including retirement planning, sustainable spending, tax efficiency, and estate considerations. Whether planning is useful depends on the complexity of your situation and the decisions you need to make.
Some people feel discretionary fund management is primarily focused on managing a portfolio within a mandate, whereas financial planning looks at the bigger picture — including retirement planning, tax strategy, risk management, and estate planning. Switching is often driven by a desire for a more joined-up approach and clearer long-term decision support.
No. A discretionary fund manager typically makes ongoing investment decisions within an agreed mandate. A financial adviser or planner considers a wider range of financial factors and can help build a broader strategy, with investments being one part of that overall plan.
Some clients prefer fixed fees because they provide cost certainty and transparency. With percentage-based charging, the fee can rise as portfolio values increase, even if the day-to-day scope of work remains broadly similar. Cost is only one factor; the service and outcomes matter too.
With a fixed-fee service, the price is agreed in advance and does not automatically increase simply because assets grow. With percentage-based fees, the fee varies with portfolio value. Which structure feels more appropriate depends on what you value: predictability, perceived alignment, and the scope of service.
In many cases, yes though the overall comparison depends on your portfolio size, the scope of service, and the charging structure. A fair comparison should look at what is included, how often advice is reviewed, and the depth of planning - not just the headline fee.
Many people review their plan annually, and also when circumstances change - for example, a career change, a move, retirement, receiving an inheritance, or changes to tax rules. Reviews help keep assumptions and objectives up to date.
Yes. Financial advice and planning services are regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA). Firms providing regulated advice must meet specific standards, including suitability requirements and clear disclosure of fees and risks.
Blincoe: FAQs
Blincoe Financial Planning is a UK-based financial planning firm headquartered in Cheltenham, serving clients across the UK. We specialise in fixed-fee financial advice and planning for high-earning professionals and retirees with significant investable assets.
We charge fixed monthly fees rather than a percentage of assets. Our services are priced at £200, £300, £400 or £500 per month, depending on complexity. All pricing is transparent and agreed in advance.
Unlike most wealth managers who charge a percentage of assets, Blincoe offers fixed, transparent monthly fees. Clients know exactly what they pay and avoid percentage-based charges that grow with their portfolio. We also use modern technology and a streamlined process for efficiency.
- High-earning millennials and professionals with £150,000+ in investable assets
- Retirees or pre-retirees with £500,000+ in investable assets
- Families and individuals who value fixed pricing, clarity, and a long-term relationship
Yes. Blincoe Financial Planning is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) in the United Kingdom.
A financial planner helps you make better long-term decisions across your whole financial life — not just investments. That typically includes retirement planning, pensions, tax efficiency, cash flow modelling, estate planning, and building a clear roadmap so you can act with confidence.
We build financial masterplans, enabling families and individuals to have confidence in their financial future. Depending on your situation this might include some or all of the below:
- Retirement planning
- Investment advice
- Estate and inheritance tax planning
- Risk management and insurance advice
- Cash flow modelling and budgeting
Our advice is based on what is appropriate for your circumstances and objectives. We do not build our business around percentage-based asset fees, and our fixed-fee model is designed to keep incentives aligned with planning outcomes rather than portfolio size.
Clients pay a fixed monthly fee of £200–£500, depending on the complexity of their needs. We will develop a personalised Financial Masterplan, based on an individual or family’s goals. Clients also have access to an online portal, educational content, and members-only events.
We start by understanding your current position and goals, then build a personalised Financial Masterplan. Depending on your needs, this may include cash flow modelling, retirement planning, tax efficiency, investment structuring, and estate planning. You’ll also have access to your plan and key information through the client portal.
Cash flow modelling helps you understand how your finances may evolve over time — including spending, income, investments, pensions, and taxes. It’s useful for testing decisions such as when you can retire, how much you can spend, and how resilient your plan is under different assumptions.
We generally work with clients who have £150,000+ in investable assets or those approaching retirement with £500,000+. This ensures we can provide meaningful long-term value.
Our head office is in Cheltenham, UK, but we serve clients across the UK remotely through secure video meetings and digital platforms.
Yes. We help clients plan for and navigate retirement, including pension strategy, sustainable spending, tax efficiency, and structuring investments to support long-term income needs.
Yes. We advise on inheritance tax, trusts, gifting strategies, whole-of-life insurance, and other estate planning solutions tailored to UK tax rules.
Typically, we review your situation regularly and update the plan as your circumstances change. The goal is to keep your Financial Masterplan relevant and practical, rather than creating a document that sits on a shelf.
We are a very tech-forward firm. We are continually trialling and testing many of the exciting new tools that are being developed. This relentless focus on improving internally makes us much more efficient than traditional financial planning firms, which is a key enabler of our fixed-fee pricing model.
Book a free initial consultation through our website. After an introductory call, we recommend the service level that fits your needs, and you can subscribe or engage on a fixed-fee basis.