Some of the most frequently asked questions about pensions and investments
Q: Who is Forth Capital?
A: Forth Capital is a privately owned, fully authorised, UK headquartered, asset management company.
Q: Why Invest with Forth Capital?
A: Forth Capital can you give you access to some of the world’s best investment opportunities in a low cost, tax efficient transparent structure.
Q: Is my money safe?
A: At Forth Capital, we take the issue of risk very seriously. We will only work with well known, well capitalised financial institutions with strong internal risk management processes who act as our client custodians. For investments, we recommend only the best fund managers and believe in reducing risk through diversification.
Q: How can I save on tax?
A: If you are eligible we have access to products that will allow your investments to grow free of capital gains tax as well as income and withholding taxes on dividends and interest. In certain jurisdictions, the use of offshore structures will help mitigate Inheritance Tax.
Q: I thought that using “offshore jurisdictions” was illegal?
A: We only recommend the use of jurisdictions which are on the OECD “White List”. In other words, jurisdictions which are well regulated, comply with all international standards and which have suitable investor protection. A distinction must be made between “tax evasion” and “tax avoidance” which is perfectly legal.
Q: Are offshore products complicated?
A: Essentially, in terms of understanding, offshore and onshore products are very similar.
Q: I thought you have to be very rich to use offshore structures?
A: You do not have to be a High Net Worth Individual to take advantage of these structures. It is now possible for individuals on modest incomes to take advantage of investing offshore.
Q: Is Investing offshore expensive?
A: Investing offshore need not be more expensive than investing onshore. In fact, we find that the cost structures of investing offshore are more transparent than those of many countries. Also, investing through the structures we recommend means that you will have the advantage of institutional rates and therefore achieve substantial discounts.
Q: Can I have access to my money?
A: During your meetings with a Forth Capital consultant, we will listen to your requirements and ensure that our recommendation will meet all of your criteria, including access to your capital.
Q: What is the level of confidentiality offshore?
A: We only recommend jurisdictions where confidentiality is paramount. Nobody, other than the account holder will have access to information concerning the account.
Q: Is Forth Capital regulated?
A: Being a financial services company registered in many jurisdictions, we take our responsibilities extremely seriously. To that end, we feel it is important for our clients to see that our business is regulated by a recognised regulatory body, OAR-G and authorised by FINMA as an insurance intermediary in Switzerland, and the FCA in the UK.
Q: What level of service does Forth Capital provide?
A: We pride ourselves in looking after our clients’ interests and to that end we meet at regular intervals to review the investments and make any necessary changes. We also take the hassle factor out of finance by doing as much of the paperwork as possible.
Q: Can I change my mind?
A: After we receive your account application you can change your mind and the account will not be opened. Once the account is opened and you have invested in selected products you can choose to sell the investments at any time. Some products do have an early redemption fee, therefore if you cancel your investment and the value of the instrument may have fallen in this period, you may receive less back than the original investment.
Q: Can I switch my investments?
A: Forth Capital monitors the performance of your portfolio on a daily basis. We will advise you when the time is right to realise the gain and take your profit from each investment. However, you may wish to exercise your right to either keep or sell any investment at anytime.
Q: How often should I review my financial plans?
A: At Forth Capital we would recommend that individuals should review their financial plans every year, but also whenever you:
- are making or considering making a big investment
- you have or are expecting to receive a significant windfall
- you are considering the sale of an asset worth 100k GBP or more in value
- are planning a significant lifestyle change e.g. a change of career or moving to a new country
- you have new monetary goals or targets to adjust your planning to accommodate and optimize for
Q: How can I monitor my investment?
A: The investment houses that we use will provide you with regular valuations and most have online facilities that you can use to access valuations on a daily basis. In addition, your Private Banking Adviser provides updates as frequently as you request. The components of your portfolio are monitored on a daily basis, depending on the product, and clients are advised if and when the Investment Committee suggests a strategic course of action.
Q: How can I invest?
A: You can contact a Forth Capital adviser for details or you can arrange to meet us in either our Geneva office or other locations. Call us on +41 22 311 1441 to arrange an initial meeting. Forth Capital will make a detailed proposal once an initial analysis of your objectives has taken place.
If your own questions are not covered among these frequently asked questions then please do not hesitate to contact us.
