I am an Asia based, Independent Offshore Investment Advisor. I have been involved in the financial services and financial planning business since leaving full-time education in 1977. My personal curriculum vitae can be found below.
Through this site, it is my intention to provide an insight in to both the mainstream products offered by the general population of financial advisors out there and also the alternative investment areas that are often overlooked or ignored.
To be the leading provider of personal financial planning services and offshore investing advice to the expatriate community and to provide these services and products with integrity and added value.
Financial services are 'high involvement products'. Determining the differences between alternatives makes high-involvement purchases difficult, especially if the buyer is not an expert. Mistakes made in the selection process are either impossible or expensive to correct. Therefore, the choice of a competent, knowledgeable advisor is of paramount importance.
Why is it then that so many otherwise intelligent people buy financial services products in the same casual manner in which they pick up a bar of chocolate? More often than not, they buy these products from people they have just met as a result of a sales pitch over the telephone.
I prefer to work from personal referral and actively encourage my clients to introduce my services to people they know. The result is that I have more time to spend on adding value to my clients and keeping them up to date and informed. This strategy also enables me to continue to develop my knowledge of an ever evolving financial product market place.
Your friends, relatives and acquaintances will get advice from someone, better to have the satisfaction of putting them in touch with a professional who will look after their interests in an industry dominated by unscrupulous operators whose only concern is the size of their commission cheque.
1977-1978 -- Contracts clerk @ Simon & Coates Stockbrokers, London, UK.
1978-1984 -- Administrative clerk @ NEL Pensions Limited, UK.
1984-1989 -- Regional Manager @ Premium Life Assurance, UK.
1989-1990 -- Regional Director @ The Burns Anderson Independent Network plc, UK.
1990-1992 -- Owner of Swinton The Estate Agents, UK.
1992-1994 -- Branch Manager @ Manchester Unity Assurance Limited, UK.
1994-1996 -- Technical Director @ Crown Asset Management Limited, Hong Kong.
1996-2000 -- Senior Consultant @ Berkeley Burke Bespoke Brokers, Hong Kong.
2000-2003 -- Director @ Simmonds (International) Financial Associates Ltd, Hong Kong.
currently -- Owner of Partners Financial Services.
Holder of Financial Planning Certificate (parts 1,2 & 3) and Taxation and Trusts section of the Advanced Financial Planning Certificate issued by The Chartered Insurance Institute, England.
Contact Information
Electronic mail: mark@offshoreinvestment.org