Charles Edwards

For the first time in 7 years of having financial reviews with an finance adviser, I actually enjoyed one. The review did not consist of a series of excuses as to why my savings had done badly over the previous period followed by pressure to invest more into a failing investment. The performance of my investment spoke for itself despite the extremely challenging times. It was so pleasant for Charles not to have to make excuses because he had done exactly what he said he would do. To be actually able to look forward to my investments being well managed rather than fearing my capital was continuing to dwindle despite the additional amounts I was investing was a great relief.

I am very pleased with St James's Place and especially Charles Edwards and his team at the Heritage Partnership. They are very efficient and knowledgeable. Charles is always ready to offer advice and suggestions for my investment portfolio and answer my questions. I have seen significant growth, especially this past year, even getting through the Covid financial crisis with calm guidance and advice. I would have no hesitation in recommending Charles to other potential investors.

In my varied experience of financial advisers, Charles is something of a rare beast in that he engenders trust, and confidence combined with a highly engaging and considerate manner where you are viewed as a multifaceted human, not just a customer. He has done a fantastic and complex job of unwinding me from an ineffective investment platform during my spell in Hong Kong and Singapore, that has now more than bounced back. He has also consolidated the rather messy collection of pension pots I had accumulated over multiple career changes in the past 35 years that are now consistently performing above my expectations. As I approach retirement Charles is helping me and my wife navigate the important decisions we have to make including but also way beyond the scope of my SJP holdings - I couldn’t ask for a better all-around wealth management adviser.

Overall I am very happy with Charles' advice and the fund performance - there has been a fair bit of active management as my job ended in late 2019 during a corporate takeover and I am now effectively retired. Charles has been very diligent in ensuring he understands what I want to do and then offering solutions with good guidance - we hold regular meetings which I find worthwhile and workmanlike. The return on investment picked up immediately on transferring my funds to St James's Place and I now feel comfortable that I am in good control of my retirement plans.

By way of example, I transferred an investment in managed fund (equities) from a bank in 2020 which I had held for more than 5 years - and it had returned less than 5% in total on the investment. In a slightly shorter period my St James's Place managed fund recommended by Charles had returned more than 30%.