FREE EDUCATIONAL GUIDE
Understand costs. Consider risk. Ask better questions.
Use these notes to organise a conversation with a financial service provider. They are general information, not a recommendation tailored to you.
1. Make the costs visible
- Ask for a written breakdown of ongoing product charges, platform or custody fees, dealing fees and any entry or exit charges.
- Check whether fees are fixed amounts or percentages, and when they are charged.
- Ask which costs are already included in quoted performance and which are additional.
- For a simple example, a 1% annual charge on an unchanged €10,000 balance equals €100. Actual charges can vary with balance changes and the provider’s calculation method.
2. Understand what could go wrong
- Investment values and income can fall as well as rise. Past results do not establish future returns.
- Check exposure to individual companies, sectors, currencies and markets.
- Ask about withdrawal restrictions, trading liquidity and any circumstances that could delay access to your money.
- Consider whether the information describes a real portfolio, a model or a hypothetical simulation.
3. Questions to ask a provider
- What service are you providing, and what is outside its scope?
- What registrations or authorisations apply, and where can I verify them independently?
- What is the total cost in money and percentage terms?
- How are you paid? Do you receive payments from product providers?
- What are the main risks and potential losses?
- What documents explain the terms, withdrawal process and complaints procedure?
4. Keep a clear record
Keep the documents and written answers you receive. If anything is unclear, ask for clarification before making a decision. A provider’s registration, the costs of a service and the suitability of an investment are separate questions.