Philip Dragoumis

What were the circumstances that caused you to initially look for an adviser?

Managing our savings were time consuming and we didn’t feel we were having the best outcomes. We have a plan to be financially independent from our jobs in ~10 years and needed help to plan for that

How has Philip Dragoumis helped you?

Identifying areas to maximise our pension and tax allowances. Organising our investment portfolio to drive the results we need Bringing our pensions together Moving our accounts to more cost effective brokers

Have you seen the outcome you were hoping for?

Yes

What could they have done better?

Nothing that I can think of.

What were the circumstances that caused you to initially look for an adviser?

As a finance professional, I felt my personal finances were a mess and I wasn't able to use my time effectively to research and understand my options. My pensions and savings were all over the place with various past jobs and even using those fintech apps required too much time to actually streamline information.

How has Philip Dragoumis helped you?

We spoke about baseline of where we were and where we want to be and he drew a plan and then his team tactically helped get everything streamlined and invested actively - which has been earning higher yields than my passive focus on it

Have you seen the outcome you were hoping for?

Yes - absolutely - we work so hard for these paychecks and to not deploy them effectively makes no sense

What could they have done better?

Honestly, Philip and his team made is very very easy, I just had to find account numbers of all previous pension plans (that took a while) - I am unsure what more they could have helped to streamline.

What were the circumstances that caused you to initially look for an adviser?

We needed some help to get our financial planning in order for our family’s future.

How has Philip Dragoumis helped you?

He’s helped us consolidate our old pensions, switch various funds, advise on saye/cgt implications and help make the most of our investments.

Have you seen the outcome you were hoping for?

Yes - already seen improvements in the funds my pensions are in, in interest rates and managed CGT more efficiently.

This review is a follow-up review from a client who left a review previously.

How has Philip Dragoumis helped you since your last review?

Philip has continued to provide invaluable help with my estate planning.

What were the circumstances that caused you to initially look for an adviser?

We sought to simplify and consolidate many different ISA and SIPP products we had accumulated over years of working life and to seek advice and support in developing a retirement & savings plan

How has Philip Dragoumis helped you?

Philip worked with us to identify and consolidate our investements, to discuss with us what our short, medium and long term financial plans were. he then built a model, itertated on that, and then began the process of implementation of this plan

Have you seen the outcome you were hoping for?

So far - yes. we have a solid financial plan, we have identified and are working towards our financial goals. And we have successfully consolidated our various legacy ISA, SIPP and other savings products in a better, more cost effective way.

What were the circumstances that caused you to initially look for an adviser?

My wife and I turn fifty shortly and wanted to plan properly for the future.

How has Philip Dragoumis helped you?

Philip took great care to understand our personal circumstances, and our joint hopes for the future. He cut through the complexities of financial planning and made very practical recommendations which we have agreed to implement.

Have you seen the outcome you were hoping for?

It’s early days, but my wife and I are feeling much more confident in our futures than we have for many years. Philip’s ongoing service has been particularly impressive.

What could they have done better?

I really can’t think of anything Philip could improve.

What were the circumstances that caused you to initially look for an adviser?

I wanted to have a better understanding of my finance and start planning

How has Philip Dragoumis helped you?

very well, he is extremely knowledgeable and always available to answer any question

Have you seen the outcome you were hoping for?

Yes

This review is a follow-up review from a client who left a review previously.

How has Philip Dragoumis helped you since your last review?

Philip's ongoing service has been impressive.

What were the circumstances that caused you to initially look for an adviser?

I had to deal with complicated financial situation and take important decisions for the future. I was looking for someone to trust.

How has Philip Dragoumis helped you?

From our first meeting, Philip gave me the impression that he was the person I could trust with the management of my affairs. He is knowledgeable and analytic, he listens, he understands, he explains and acts according to what the client wishes.

Have you seen the outcome you were hoping for?

Yes. With his help I understand my situation and his advice brought better results than I was hoping for. His help was beyond my expectations.

What could they have done better?

Everything was perfect

What were the circumstances that caused you to initially look for an adviser?

A poor level of service from my previous adviser

How has Philip Dragoumis helped you?

He’s much more engaged and I trust his advice much more than my last adviser

Have you seen the outcome you were hoping for?

Yes

What could they have done better?

I’m very happy with how Philip has worked with us this far

What were the circumstances that caused you to initially look for an adviser?

My financial affairs were becoming more complex and having a growing family meant it was much more important to make sure I was planning well for the future

How has Philip Dragoumis helped you?

Philip has given very honest and clear advice and is good at highlighting the key decisions that need to be made. He really tries to understand a clients specific circumstances and position, and then tailor his advice based on you as an individual, which is refreshing. He's highlighted several new areas to think about and helped build a very solid long term plan for myself and my family

Have you seen the outcome you were hoping for?

Yes, we now have a good plan and also a consolidated view and control of our main investments that is configured based on our risk appetitite. I feel reassured that if I have questions I'll get good advice and if something external happens that will impact me, Philip will flag it and let me know in time to act

What could they have done better?

Nothing comes to mind, I'm very happy with the level of service

Please provide a brief comment about your experience with Philip

Philip was a great sounding board for an initial conversation about our finances. He was professional and provided clear and pragmatic advice on possible next steps. Importantly, he was honest about where he felt he could add value and where we had less need for his services, so it didn't feel like a hard sell! Wouldn't hesitate to recommend.

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Great advice

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Philip was very experienced and knowledgable, he was straight to the point with some very valuable advice. Would recommend.

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Great communication and great advice. Philip helped me getting more clarity on a few financial decisions I have to make in the near future.

Please provide a brief comment about your experience with Philip

Philip and I had an initial 30-min call during which we quickly went through my current general financial health, as well as pension and investment strategies. Philip was up to date with all current financial best practices and regulations and provided some very solid advice. He was also very honest as a professional about the fact that I am currently doing everything right, so no need for him to provide any services at this stage and go deep in long-term financial modelling, which maybe will make more sense in 5-10 years time for me. I will surely use Philip's services in the future when the time is right.

What were the circumstances that caused you to initially look for an adviser?

I wanted to review my pensions and ensure they were being managed properly

How has Philip Dragoumis helped you?

Philip has been really helpful and very responsive. With regular reviews he has helped me ensure that I am on track to retire, his weekly mailshot is always informative and entertaining.

Have you seen the outcome you were hoping for?

I feel much more confident now about my finances.

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Philip was very professional in his approach and was ready with articulation on the plan and way forward.

Please provide a brief comment about your experience with Philip

Philip was great, he took the time to answer all of my specific questions. He is very knowledgeable and honest - exactly what I was looking for.

What were the circumstances that caused you to initially look for an adviser?

Panic during Covid market correction - I needed some advice on my longer term position

How has Philip Dragoumis helped you?

By providing exactly that - giving valuable advice on pension, financial planning, and above all, reassurance

Have you seen the outcome you were hoping for?

Yes - and I'm a lot less stressed about it.

What could they have done better?

Not a lot!

Please provide a brief comment about your experience with Philip

Excellent customer service and professional advice.

What were the circumstances that caused you to initially look for an adviser?

During lockdown, my bank approached me out of the blue to carry out a financial review of my investments (for the first time in 8 years). To be honest, I had been putting this off for a long time and was feeling a little overwhelmed by the thought of doing it. After a couple of calls and receiving that banks review and recommendations, I felt they were somewhat handcuffed in terms of which investments and advice they could offer and too much of their recommendations were, I felt, too UK based. It was clear even to me that with Brexit and Covid, the UK had a lot on it's plate and times were going to get tough). I wanted a second opinion and applied via Unbiased.com for some independent financial advice. Philip was the first advisor to contact me.

How has Philip Dragoumis helped you?

Through a series of thorough, entertaining and easy-to-understand Zoom calls, Philip helped me to get my thoughts in order, looked at my current pensions, investments, assets and commitments and mapped our very clearly how best, in financial terms, to prepare for the years ahead. He even made me realise I could retire a number of years earlier if I wanted too and that the financial plans I had in my head for the next 10 years or so didn't really make financial sense and proposed a much better plan for my current investments. Turns out I'm not as smart as I thought I was.

Have you seen the outcome you were hoping for?

So far, so good.

What could they have done better?

I have no complaints.

What were the circumstances that caused you to initially look for an adviser?

Lack of time to manage myself

How has Philip Dragoumis helped you?

He has given me peace of mind that my investments are being managed sensibly in line with desired outcomes.

Have you seen the outcome you were hoping for?

Yes

What were the circumstances that caused you to initially look for an adviser?

Planning for retirement

How has Philip Dragoumis helped you?

He has consolidated my pensions where possible and illustrated my income/expenditure until death.

Have you seen the outcome you were hoping for?

Yes

What were the circumstances that caused you to initially look for an adviser?

I had questions about my pension, and then I sold a flat and had some money to invest

How has Philip Dragoumis helped you?

I had never been interested in financial planning before, nor had I ever had much in the way of capital that needed looking after. Philip was rigorous and helpful throughout, and very good at explaining things that I had never needed to think about before.

Have you seen the outcome you were hoping for?

The outcome was much better than I was expecting, even though it will be some years before I need to think about returns on the investments.

What were the circumstances that caused you to initially look for an adviser?

Finished paying off key debts and had some savings to invest

How has Philip Dragoumis helped you?

Philip has helped us to come up with a financial plan to retire earlier than originally planned, with some advice on how to invest our pensions and savings

Have you seen the outcome you were hoping for?

It's early days regarding return on investments made so far, but Philip has helped us to put together the foundations of our financial plan and to start implementing it with some investments so far

Please provide a brief comment about your experience with Philip

Fantastic professional gave good advice and direction

Please provide a brief comment about your experience with Philip

Philip has been very good so far! I had an initial meeting where we discussed my current financial situation and retirement hopes and how I think I'll get there. Philip was very good at explaining various possibilities and options. He also answered all of my questions very clearly.

Please provide a brief comment about your experience with Philip

He was very patient when we were slow in describing our financial position, but he gave us much food for thought and ideas to follow up.

What were the circumstances that caused you to initially look for an adviser?

Multiple pension funds consolidation; financial planning for the future of my family

How has Philip Dragoumis helped you?

Pension fund consolidation; long-term modelling of my financial requirements and savings, up to and including retirement

Have you seen the outcome you were hoping for?

Yes, indeed.

Please provide a brief comment about your experience with Philip

Philip listened very carefully to our thoughts and ideas and his comments and plans suggest that he understood and interpreted them appropriately. He outlined the anticipated cost of his service and accepted our need to shop around before we make a commitment.

What were the circumstances that caused you to initially look for an adviser?

Needed to stesamline pensions and obtain general financial advice

How has Philip Dragoumis helped you?

Philip helped to streamline our pensions so we could keep an eye on their performance and advised us as to whether we currently had enough put away to cover our retirement

Have you seen the outcome you were hoping for?

Yes. We can keep tabs on our poensions and we feel more comfortable in knowing we have enough for retirement.

What were the circumstances that caused you to initially look for an adviser?

We're in our late fifties so we were looking to consolidate our pensions

How has Philip Dragoumis helped you?

He reviewed our financial position, advised on pensions which we have consolidated, and reviewed our life and health insurance policies.

Have you seen the outcome you were hoping for?

Yes

What were the circumstances that caused you to initially look for an adviser?

Married couple looking towards retirement and living a financially independent life

How has Philip Dragoumis helped you?

Financial forecasting, planning and putting plans into action

Have you seen the outcome you were hoping for?

It's early days so time will tell, but the strategy is sound and aligned to our circumstances and views on risk

What could they have done better?

Not much - we feel like we're in safe hands and have made the right decisions with Philip's guidance

What were the circumstances that caused you to initially look for an adviser?

Myself and my husband were looking to change jobs, we wanted a point of view on our financial health, pensions and investment before doing so

How has Philip Dragoumis helped you?

Philip provided a comprehensive life plan, along with advice in specific areas we requested. He also helped to consolidate and reinvest our pensions and savings.

Have you seen the outcome you were hoping for?

In the short term, yes.

What could they have done better?

There’s nothing I feel Philip could have done better to date, his service has been clear and professional.

What were the circumstances that caused you to initially look for an adviser?

I wanted to know the best thing to do with my savings and investments to enable me to become financially independent as early as possible.

How has Philip Dragoumis helped you?

Philip encouraged me to think about my big financial goals. He created a financial plan for my life and advised me on how best to protect the plan.

Have you seen the outcome you were hoping for?

Yes

What were the circumstances that caused you to initially look for an adviser?

Good income, wanting to save for my future.

How has Philip Dragoumis helped you?

Philip helped me make my investments ethical when I realised that was something I really wanted. He has given me shrewd investment advice, but also encouraged me to enjoy my money. He helped me enormously through my divorce, from filling in the financial disclosure documents to organising a vital loan for me to help me pay the lump sum and keep my house. He's been absolutely brilliant, always going above and beyond.

Have you seen the outcome you were hoping for?

Absolutely. Strong growth in ethical investments.

What could they have done better?

Nothing.

What were the circumstances that caused you to initially look for an adviser?

I was looking to consolidate my pensions and get a handle on my finances.

How has Philip Dragoumis helped you?

Philip has been really helpful- has set out a clear plan, and recommendations, and I feel that my finances are well looked after.

Have you seen the outcome you were hoping for?

So far yes, It's been a great experience.

What were the circumstances that caused you to initially look for an adviser?

My retirement was becoming immientent and some form of investment plan was requiredand I required professional help.

How has Philip Dragoumis helped you?

He listened patiently to my requirements and produced what I hope will be a sensible strategy for investment of my various pension pots to provide a future pension.

Have you seen the outcome you were hoping for?

It is an investment for the medium term results will be judged in a few years from now .

What could they have done better?

It is to early in the investment to judge which I am sure Phillip will agree. We will be

What were the circumstances that caused you to initially look for an adviser?

Consolidating multiple pension funds and wanting to optimise investment strategy.

How has Philip Dragoumis helped you?

Advised on investment strategies.

Have you seen the outcome you were hoping for?

Yes

What were the circumstances that caused you to initially look for an adviser?

General Advice on how I should save for my future.

How has Philip Dragoumis helped you?

He explained in simple terms what areas I shoudl focus on and how to take action.

Have you seen the outcome you were hoping for?

Yes.

What were the circumstances that caused you to initially look for an adviser?

Requirement of pension advice.

How has Philip Dragoumis helped you?

Gave advice.

Have you seen the outcome you were hoping for?

Ongoing.

What were the circumstances that caused you to initially look for an adviser?

As my networth increased, i started requiring much more than standard solutions. As i became busier in my job, i couldnt do everything myself as i used to. Philip camealong, is an alumn of my business school and a former business associate.

How has Philip Dragoumis helped you?

Philip offered sophisticated solutions, not available for mainstream clients. Philip really care about his portfolio of clients, and is extremelly responsive on emails, including on weekends. He even came to my house to collect a signature to make sure we will make the deadline. Amazing service!.

Have you seen the outcome you were hoping for?

Great advice. Great deal and product on my remortgage, with low rate offset mortage. Great advice on VCTs, which were products I didnt know.

What could they have done better?

Philip is doing a fantastic job and really cares about giving me good outcomes, not just selling products. I would watch for the fees on St James place investment products which can be on the high side. Having said that, given the level of service i receive vs DIY investing, and given how much time they save me, i still think the value proposition is good.

What were the circumstances that caused you to initially look for an adviser?

I was too busy and did not really had the time to do the research.

How has Philip Dragoumis helped you?

Philip was great. He was very clear and make complicated concepts easy to navigate.

Have you seen the outcome you were hoping for?

yes so far and look forward to more wins.

What could they have done better?

It is a relatively new relationship so I am looking forward to ongoing updates on the portfolio and the ongoing presentation of interesting investment opportunities

What were the circumstances that caused you to initially look for an adviser?

Previous pensions adviser was ineffective and was not offering solutions.

How has Philip Dragoumis helped you?

Addressed the long term needs of pensions with variety of products suitable to the situation and some inovative efficient recommendations.

Have you seen the outcome you were hoping for?

In terms of structure yes and results to be seen going forward.

What could they have done better?

Attention to timing of investments

What were the circumstances that caused you to initially look for an adviser?

Looking to consolidate multiple legacy pension accounts in order to ensure alignment with future plans.

How has Philip Dragoumis helped you?

He helped me navigate and select the right product for me. He is patient and takes the time to explain all the options in an open manner.

Have you seen the outcome you were hoping for?

Absolutely, and am looking forward to many more fruitful years of partnership.

What were the circumstances that caused you to initially look for an adviser?

I WANTED TO SET UP A GIFT TO MY GRANDCHILDREN VIA A TRUST.

How has Philip Dragoumis helped you?

PHILIP EXPLAINED CAREFULLY THE FEATURES OF THE TRUST INVESTMENT, HOW IT WAS A LONG TERM INVESTMENT FOR MY GRANDCHILDREN AND HOW IT WOULD PAY FOR THEIR UNIVERSITY EDUCATION IN TEN TO FIFTEEN YEARS.

Have you seen the outcome you were hoping for?

THE INVESTMENTS HAVE MADE A 12% RETURN SO FAR , SO I AM VERY HAPPY.

What could they have done better?

TO INSIST AND CONVINCE ME THAT I SHOULD PUT MORE MONEY IN TO THE VENTURE!

What were the circumstances that caused you to initially look for an adviser?

I wanted to change my pension scheme / manager.

How has Philip Dragoumis helped you?

He pointed me out to what schemes are offered by St James and what can be set up going forward in life for me.

Have you seen the outcome you were hoping for?

Not yet - it is still early days.

What were the circumstances that caused you to initially look for an adviser?

ISA and pension savings.

How has Philip Dragoumis helped you?

Set everything up , his team dealt efficiently with the admin, explained my investment options clearly as well as the tax benefits.

Have you seen the outcome you were hoping for?

So far yes, the investments have performed well .