Chase de Vere Corporate Brochure

Corporate Client

GEN-0052 CdV Corporate Client Brochure 20pp -

GEN-0052 CdV Corporate Client Brochure 20pp.indd 1 17/04/2013 22:01

An independent perspective.



Corporate Client | 01

Your employees are an invaluable asset and key to your company’s success. So providing them with a benefi ts scheme that satisfi es and motivates them is good for business.

However, working within commercial constraints, you are challenged with balancing the needs of your employees with the demands on your budget. To meet this challenge, specialist fi nancial advice is crucial.

While many advisers may off er you corporate fi nancial advice, the majority are restricted by the products and services they can off er. Chase de Vere has no such constraints. We can freely provide independent advice and create employee benefi ts strategies that are totally unconstrained by any obligation – other than to you and the success of your business.

We will work in close partnership with you, consider every option within the market and only then, help you shape your employee benefi ts strategy. This may involve:

• Implementing a new range of benefi ts, or reviewing your existing benefi ts strategy

• Off ering your employees a greater choice of benefi ts than they have at present

• Addressing any concerns you may have with your previous strategy – for example, it may not be off ering you or your employees real value

• Optimising the tax-effi ciency of your directors’ and executives’ rewards strategy

• Raising awareness and participation among employees, some of whom may not be fully engaged in your current benefi ts strategy

• Gaining a greater understanding of what your competitors provide for their employees.

Employee benefi ts and engagement

Chase de Vere is one of the few fi nancial advisers who provide independent corporate advice. Working closely with you, we can recommend the benefi ts solution that is right for your business.



02 | Corporate Client

We believe that true independence is a virtue: a virtue that allows freedom of thought and real objectivity. However, in the world of fi nancial advice, true independence is in decline.

Many fi nancial advisers are restricted, as they can off er only limited advice and solutions from selected providers. But we are not. Our only obligation is to our clients. Our experienced team of independent employee benefi ts advisers will evaluate the whole market, and only then recommend a benefi ts strategy that is right for your business.

To off er you even greater value we have specialists covering areas such as research, tax, investment, liability management, risk consultancy, online solutions and actuarial. They support each of our advisers.

As one of the UK’s longest established and experienced independent fi nancial advisory fi rms, we off er a powerful range of skills, know-how, resources and negotiating power to help your business (whatever its size) develop a cost-eff ective employee benefi ts solution.

Unrestricted, free-thinking advice

Expert and independent fi nancial advice for the success of your business.



“ As a US-based international benefi ts consultant we work exclusively with Chase de Vere in the UK, as a ‘local’ benefi ts adviser to our multinational clients. We have been truly impressed by their extensive product expertise; their ability and willingness to serve clients of all sizes; and above all, their commitment to providing exceptional levels of service. Chase de Vere has done a fantastic job and our clients regularly come back to us with praise and gratitude for their work.”

Donald E Wiening, Vice President Health & Benefi ts, Globex International





Legislation continues to be a key driver for change to workplace pensions. The latest reforms require automatic enrolment of employees into pension schemes. Despite constant change, pensions remain core to most employee benefi ts.

We are well versed in the complexities associated with pensions. In fact, we are experienced in delivering member communication and focused independent advice on pension provision in the workplace. That means we are ideally placed to help you manage the change of pension benefi ts and establish processes to deal with pension scheme governance.

Pension reviewsOur pension review process is wide-ranging in scope and thorough in its approach. It includes:

• Analysis of your business and your primary objectives

• Review of your existing benefi ts and the value that employees place on these

• Presentation of the appropriate options available to you

• Discussion regarding implementation of a suitable strategy

• Ongoing monitoring, review and communication of your benefi ts selection.

Transition from fi nal salary to money purchaseIn migrating from a fi nal salary to a money purchase scheme, the ‘when’ and ‘how’ are probably your greatest challenges. It needs to be seamless, fair to all, carefully planned and implemented. A clear and transparent process, with eff ective communication with your employees throughout, is vital. We can help by addressing the following key issues:

• Detailed analysis of the scheme rules and your employees’ contracts of employment

• Identifi cation of liabilities attributable to each individual member

• Replacement scheme structures

• Engagement with scheme members to ensure that they make informed choices for their future pension provision.

Pension consultancy




To complement the default strategy, we also off er members a fully fl edged advisory service, helping them to understand their attitude to investment risk and overriding fi nancial aims, before creating a personalised investment strategy.

Employee communications and adviceEff ective communication is vital if your employees are to understand and appreciate their entitlements – especially where a money purchase scheme is in place and employees need to make a decision on funding commitment and investment choice. In our experience, most employees value the availability of proactive independent advice to help them make appropriate choices.

Our retirement modeller tool allows us to analyse the potential benefi ts available to employees at their target retirement age. A shortfall funding check is included, together with details on the cost of delaying retirement planning. The benefi t is a good understanding of the extent of your employees’ future income requirements and the actions needed to ensure their fi nancial aspirations are met.

Self-Administered Pension SchemesWe have extensive experience of Small Self-Administered Schemes (SSASs) and Self-Invested Personal Pensions (SIPPs), and have a thorough understanding of the latest HMRC rules and practice.

Our aim is to give you the freedom to fully utilise the fl exibility and wider investment choices available within these sophisticated plans, without inadvertently incurring onerous tax charges. On an individual or group self-administered basis, our independent service is always tailored to your individual needs and delivered to the highest standards.

Investment consultingSelecting an appropriate investment strategy is paramount to any money purchase (defi ned contribution) pension arrangement. We acknowledge that not all individuals are likely to want to make informed investment decisions of their own. Through our in-house investment analysts and Investment Committee we have a signifi cant amount of experience in the design, communication and governance of default funds, geared towards helping members achieve their ultimate retirement objectives.




Employees need the fl exibility to choose benefi ts that are right for them.

Annuity serviceThere is an increasing focus on the need for all pension members to obtain the best value in retirement from their pension savings. Our bespoke and user-friendly online solution supports employee retirement planning and off ers a range of benefi ts:

• Your employees can obtain optimum value from their pension savings by securing a more competitive annuity rate

Helping employees get the best value from their retirement plan

• Employees are also provided with a proactive advice process to help them during a crucial phase of their retirement planning

• The entire annuity transaction can be completed online, in real time – from initial quotation through to policy completion – providing signifi cant cost and time savings for your business.




“ For over 5 years, we have looked to Chase de Vere to provide advice to our employees on the company’s pension plan. They have consistently delivered on the quality of advice through regular pension clinics, which are well attended each month by employees. We have a very good relationship with them and I have no doubt we are working with the best benefi ts consultancy.”

Chief Financial Offi cer, FTSE 250 company




Salary exchangeSalary exchange is an eff ective way to enhance your employees’ future retirement provision. It can enable your business and your employees to make signifi cant tax and National Insurance savings.

By ‘exchanging’ part of their annual salary for the equivalent in employer pension contributions, employees can take advantage of the favourable tax treatment available. Where this is used to restructure existing employee contributions, it may off er your employees the perfect ‘win-win’ scenario.

Salary exchange can also be implemented for other benefi ts such as childcare vouchers and bike-to-work schemes.

Executive remunerationStrategic planning is essential to ensure that your key people are remunerated not just appropriately, but tax-effi ciently. Changes by successive governments have subjected benefi ts provision to an overly complex tax system. Pension legislation, in particular, has suff ered at the hands of policymakers. So it is essential that your employee benefi ts strategy has the fi nancial needs of your key people very much in focus. We can provide advice to guard against the prospect of major and unexpected tax bills.

Voluntary benefi tsYou can enhance your existing benefi ts by off ering a range of voluntary and salary exchange benefi ts. This enables your employees to take advantage of a whole host of services at specially discounted rates.

Employee benefi ts strategy

With real savings for employees and little hassle for you, salary exchange and voluntary benefi ts help to improve the value that your employees place on their benefi ts package. One size does not fi t all.




There are no easy solutions to funding pension scheme defi cits, but there are options available to manage the costs and risks of a fi nal salary scheme.

Pension Increase Exchange (PIE) exercisesPIE exercises represent a liability management strategy: a strategy that enables us to provide independent advice and guidance to members on pension increase off ers. We have developed our own online advice and guidance tool, that helps diff erentiate our proposition from the rest of the marketplace. Already successfully deployed on large PIE exercises, this tool allows our advisers to provide high-calibre independent advice and guidance to pensioner members on the PIE off er. It has enabled projects to be cost-eff ective and in full compliance with the guidance published by The Pensions Regulator, and within the Code of Good Practice.

If you are considering a PIE exercise, we can work closely with you and the scheme trustees. Our experience and knowledge mean we will quickly understand the key objectives of all parties involved, and we will ensure that our proposition is suffi ciently robust to cater for everyone’s needs.

Enhanced Transfer Value (ETV) exercisesAn ETV exercise enables us to deliver advice to a signifi cant number of scheme members on the complex issues surrounding fi nal salary scheme transfers. Key to the success of this exercise are robust individual advice processes, eff ective member communication, as well as project management skills. We are experienced in all these areas.

We have conducted ETV exercises for a wide range of clients. We also work with other professional advisers on these projects, and have established strong relationships with a number of fi rms across the UK. We are, therefore, able to guide you through the process and determine if an ETV exercise could potentially reduce your scheme liabilities in a fully compliant manner.

Pension liability services




Legislation has placed onerous requirements on the due diligence process involved with M&As. It is important that any potential buyer fully understands the potential liability that it is taking on when acquiring another business: the key issues are not always immediately apparent.

We can off er independent and specialist advice in identifying the risk and liabilities inherent in acquisitions, mergers and scheme wind-ups for both UK and international clients. Working alongside your other advisers, we will ensure that you fully understand the specifi c employee benefi ts issues at the heart of any transaction.

Following a successful M&A, serious challenges with the harmonisation of employee benefi ts often arise. We can develop eff ective solutions to address the key problems and plan a strategy that is clear, transparent and fair to all employees.

Employee benefi ts – Mergers & Acquisitions (M&As)



We can provide specialist support to identify the risk and liabilities inherent in acquisitions, mergers and scheme wind-ups for both UK and international clients.





Our research, expertise and purchasing power can help you manage risk.




Be in full control of your group risk programmeLike most employers you may off er some risk-related benefi ts such as life insurance, income protection, private medical insurance or critical illness cover. The cost of these products continually fl uctuates as a result of new product launches, new providers entering the market, and strategic decisions by existing providers on whether they are over or underexposed to a risk category.

Our research, expertise and purchasing power can help you manage risk, while securing signifi cant cost savings or improvements in benefi ts. However, you should not consider group risk on cost alone; it needs to fi t in with your overall employee benefi ts strategy. We can help you maintain control of your group risk programme.

Specialist group risk service teamOur specialist service team will review your existing plan to identify how this aligns with the industry, your strategy and overall benefi ts plan. Our aim is to help you identify:

• Cost savings• Reduced claims exposure• Effi ciency improvements.

We can also off er preferential terms for small group schemes if you employ 50 or less employees.

Multinational risk poolingIf your business has operations in diff erent countries, you may be able to benefi t from pooling your risk benefi ts, rather than arranging separate insurance in each country. We can provide active management of multinational pooling arrangements through local and international reviews, to help you maximise any potential cost savings. This is a specialist area and we have the experience and expertise to identify innovative solutions that are tailored to your specifi c circumstances.

Business riskThe loss of a key director or employee, as a result of death or serious injury, can have serious consequences to your bottom line. The loss of a major partner or shareholder can lead to issues of ownership and control, possibly even result in corporate collapse.

Key person cover, together with shareholder and partner loan protection, is, therefore, a vitally important component of any good business risk management strategy. We will identify suitable cover to suit your business.

Group risk benefi ts




Financial education programmes for your employees can help them to address their short-term fi nancial commitments, while also planning for their longer-term fi nancial aspirations.




Our advisers are all experienced at providing individual advice on key fi nancial matters. Of course, fi nancial education is no substitute for high-quality independent advice, but it does provide a core foundation to raise fi nancial awareness within the workplace. Our advisers can assist your employees to address their key points of fi nancial change, such as retirement or redundancy, and make appropriate decisions.

Retirement and redundancy packagesEarly retirement and redundancy programmes have become essential management tools to cope with the consequences of volatility in business markets. We can deliver fi nancial advice on how to manage these programmes through seminars or on a one-to-one basis, depending on your specifi c requirements.

Benefi ts for your employeesWith access to the right levels of fi nancial education and independent guidance, your employees will be able to make informed fi nancial decisions, such as:

• Making their income go further by shopping around for lower borrowing rates or improved savings rates

• Balancing spending with saving for the future

• Protecting themselves against the unexpected

• Ensuring they reach retirement with the capital they need for a secure future.

Benefi ts for your businessFor businesses that have embraced fi nancial education, many acknowledge its role in:

• Strengthening corporate culture

• Improving employee recruitment and retention

• Increasing employees’ understanding and engagement with their occupational benefi ts.

We believe that fi nancial education in the workplace will gain even greater prominence over the coming years.

Financial education in the workplace



Trusted for our independent thinkingWe have been a trusted source of independent fi nancial advice for more than 40 years, working with over 1,000 companies. This makes us one of the UK’s longest established corporate practitioners.

We are fi rst and foremost independent, which is why prestigious companies choose to work with us. Instead of being restricted and obliged to off er solutions from selected providers, we are free to search the whole market to bring you the very best strategies for your business. We only ever have your best interests at heart, and our sole responsibility is to provide you with the very highest standards of independent fi nancial advice.

It is no wonder the industry and media have recognised our expertise and high levels of service with numerous awards and accolades.

Nationwide presence, local expertiseOur independent advisers operate from offi ces throughout the UK. So wherever you and your employees are based, we are close at hand. This allows us to have the knowledge and presence to provide independent advice at a local level.

Why choose Chase de Vere?


Get in touchIf you would like to fi nd out more about how Chase de Vere can add value to your existing employee benefi ts programme, or you would like to talk to one of our professional advisers for an initial discussion about your requirements:

please call us on 0845 140 4014

or send an email to [email protected]



Assist your employees in making the right decisions about their fi nances.

“ Bethell Group has been working with Chase de Vere’s corporate advice team for over 5 years and they really are a team that care. Their advice is always proactive, pragmatic and of the highest quality.”

Neil Hopkins-Coman, Group Finance Director, Bethell Group


GEN-0052 CdV Corporate Client Brochure 20pp.indd a 17/04/2013 22:01

www.chasedevere.co.uk0845 140 4014

Chase de Vere Independent Financial Advisers Limited (registered in England Number 2090838) is authorised

and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority. A member of the Swiss Life Group. Registered offi ce:

60 New Broad Street, London, EC2M 1JJ.


GEN-0052 / 05-13

GEN-0052 CdV Corporate Client Brochure 20pp.indd b 17/04/2013 22:01

Chase de Vere Corporate Brochure

Documents

Transcript of Chase de Vere Corporate Brochure