TheVillageOctober 2005

Village Finance Sailing
Financial
plans for
your future
Whilst most of us appreciate
the value of sensible financial
planning, for those without
specialist knowledge of tax and investments
it often seems the easiest
option to leave our savings where
they are and hope for the best – particularly
in light of recent uncertainty
over uK pensions.
but when taking charge of one’s
financial future, it’s critical to find an
adviser whose advice is trustworthy
and simple to understand.
sally Oldaker meets
Alan Hudson, of
AFH Independent
Financial Services, a
local company whose
advice you
can understand.
AFH Independent
Financial services
offers trustworthy
financial consultancy
on a broad range of
tax and investment
matters. The company,
which was founded
15 years ago by Alan
Hudson, specialises in
the area of portfolio
construction and management.
Alan, from rowney
Green, is himself a
qualified investment
portfolio manager, affording
him expertise
rarely held by IFAs.
His 35-strong team,
based in Kembrey
House in bromsgrove’s
Worcester road, includes
a former stockbroker
who heads up
their investment research, a Technical
Director and 20 financial advisers,
many of whom hold the Advanced
Financial Planning Certificate.
The company has seen significant
growth in recent years, though many
of the current staff have been with
AFH since the very early days. “We
are a well-established, trusted firm,”
explains Alan, “and because we are
independent, we are able to offer unbiased
advice. The expansion of the
team, which has come partly through
organic growth and partly through
acquisition of smaller firms, has
enabled us to offer an even greater
range of services.”
These include advice on mortgag-
es, trust and estate planning, portfolio
construction and monitoring, and of
course pensions, which are subject to
important new legislation as of April
6, 2006.
“Plenty of people have money invested
in pension schemes. Our team
is able to help them maximise their return,
whilst simultaneously controlling
the level of risk,” added Alan. “We
ensure that an individual’s investment
portfolio is handled in a strategic and
professional manner.”
AFH offer their clients additional
services, such as advice on paying
less tax, buying property with a pension
fund and passing it on to the
next generation. For many, inherit-
ance tax has become an important
factor due to the recent sharp rise in
property values. AFH’s expertise in
this, and other areas of taxation planning,
sets them apart from the more
traditional IFA.
Though they have won numerous
major contracts with large firms and
investors, AFH maintain a personal,
approachable service, whereby customers
can request meetings in their
own home or workplace, or at the
consultancy’s offices in bromsgrove.
Furthermore, all first meetings are
without charge or obligation.
Whereas AFH’s advisors cover a
large client base across the whole
Midlands region, Alan admits that
Alan Hudson and AFH
staff outside their offices
in Bromsgrove.
the firm is probably not all that well
known in its own backyard: “The
irony is that there are still many
people in the bromsgrove area who
aren’t familiar with AFH and what we
offer,” he observed. “I would like to
make more people aware of how our
range of services can benefit them
financially – there are very few IFAs
who can offer our level of resource.”
To find out more call AFH
on 01527 577775, or email
mail@afhgroup.com.
AFH,
Kembrey House,
Worcester Road,
Bromsgrove
www.afhifs.co.uk
18 The Village October 2005
The Village October 2005 19