Contact

News & Insights

John Westwood features on list of industry influencers

While the industry has seen much change over the 35 plus years that John has been involved, he says that Blacktower’s insistence on and adherence to a strict set of guidelines and adoption of the highest levels of transparency has helped raise standards amongst international financial advisers across markets.

John says the most significant change he has experienced during his career as part of a global wealth management firm was in 2008 when the financial collapse brought about unprecedented business challenges. The meltdown required Blacktower’s expert management of client expectations as markets and product providers failed, whilst, as Managing Director, he had to simultaneously ensure that the business remained buoyant and secure.

Kirsten Hastings, editor of International Adviser, said that the publication decided to “shine a light” on the movers and shakers who have helped quicken the pace of change in the financial services industry by forging ahead with innovation or leading by example.

This communication is for informational purposes only and is not intended to constitute, and should not be construed as, investment advice, investment recommendations or investment research. You should seek advice from a professional adviser before embarking on any financial planning activity. Whilst every effort has been made to ensure the information contained in this communication is correct, we are not responsible for any errors or omissions.

Other News

Pension freedoms are being compromised

It has been reported recently that the new pension freedoms are not that easy to take advantage of.  Savers looking to move their funds from an under-performing pension often find that there is a high price to pay for the privilege. All too many fund managers slap hefty charges on disgruntled customers looking to make a getaway, in the shape of exit fees. These can eat up as much as five or ten per cent of your pension and also prevent many savers from taking advantage of new pension freedoms. 

Read More

Dealing with scams

Blacktower Financial Management

You may have seen emails alerting you to a new fraud specific to the financial services advice industry. We are not aware of any of our clients having been targeted in the way described below, but it is our responsibility at Blacktower to do everything we can to educate our clients about these scams to avoid any harm coming to them.

The fraudsters claim to be from the Financial Conduct Authority or local law enforcement and are targeting clients of investment management firms. They are advising clients that the investment manager, adviser or firm is under investigation. The fraudster specifically asks the client not to speak to their investment manager, adviser or firm, or even close connections, claiming this would be considered tipping off. The client is then advised to encash their portfolio and move the cash to the client’s bank account. Once this is done, the fraudster then ‘recommends’ an investment which is actually a scam.

Read More

Select your country

Please select your country of residence so we can provide you with the most relevant information: