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How many times a day do you find yourself wondering how your investments are performing? Have you made or lost money? How easy is it for you to find out without logging into 10 different websites or phoning your financial adviser?

There’s nothing worse than the feeling of panic when you catch a glimpse of a news story talking about a stock market crash or how shares you’ve invested in have taken a tumble; that was the case for many people in March 2020 when the UK market fell by 45%. Our average client’s investments (from March 1st to 31st) dropped by 17%.

Money creates a strong emotional reaction; it’s rarely about profit or loss, it’s about how that positively or negatively impacts your life.

Providing certainty

The personal finance portal, which we implemented during the last year, saves you time and effort so that you can see everything you need to know at a glance, 24/7. It alleviates fear of the unknown by giving you the facts.

At Applewood Independent we are here to give you the best recommendations we can, based on our experience, expertise and what we learn from our regular business meetings with fund managers. Whilst we do our best to support you to make the right decisions for you and your money, this secure online hub enables you to have a snapshot of progress on a daily basis.

10 benefits of using a personal finance portal

The main advantages of our portal are:

  1. It offers you immediate access to the performance of your short, medium and long-term investments.
  2. All information is stored in one place (with us), so there’s no need for you to log in to multiple platforms.
  3. It’s easy to access across multiple devices (phone, tablet, iPad, PC and so on).
  4. It offers two-way communication between you and your adviser (including video calls and virtual meetings).
  5. You can store your passport and driving licence details in the secure online vault. The portal has bank-level security that’s been checked by independent IT experts (but it is easily accessible to you!). Messages and documents are fully encrypted and safer than email.
  6. You can set saving and investment goals and monitor your progress towards them.
  7. You can be involved in your investments on a day-to-day basis without needing to set up an appointment.
  8. The software is free. 
  9. You can analyse your spending habits and adjust accordingly.
  10.  You can update your own personal details quickly and easily, including phone numbers, email and home address.

The personal finance portal was already in use prior to Covid-19, and whilst it’s always been a great tool, it proved invaluable during the pandemic; people had more time to think or worry about their investments and instead of being left in the dark, they had even greater access to the facts (through the portal).

Bringing your money closer

Technology has become an essential part of our lives. One of our younger clients might view their Facebook or Instagram page multiple times a day, but how frequently have they been able to check in on their investments until now? It’s far more useful for them to access all their financial information via the portal than it is to see photos of their friend’s lunch (especially if they’re on a diet)!

Money management

We’re very much looking forward to supporting our clients to make the most of the portal, and it’s reassuring to see that whether our clients are in their 20s or 70s, the portal is already worth its weight in gold to them.

As I mentioned earlier, money is emotive. The portal enables people to build a strong relationship with their finances and to understand their habitual patterns; and with that awareness they can do more of what works and limit any areas as they see fit on a daily, weekly or monthly basis, rather than quarterly or annually.

Applewood Independent sees the client portal as an incredibly powerful tool that supports our work and connects us with our clients. However, from a client’s point of view it gives them far greater control and brings their money home to them.

You can watch a short video about the client portal here, and if you’d like more information or to discuss how Applewood Independent can support you to manage your day-to-day finances and investments, email alex@applewoodindependent.co.uk.

The views expressed in this article are those of the author and do not constitute financial advice. Applewood Independent Ltd is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority. For financial advice designed for you and your specific circumstances, please contact the author using the contact details provided in this article or, alternatively, contact the Applewood Independent Ltd office on 01270 626555.

The value of your investment can go down as well as up, and you may not get back the full amount invested.

Past performance is not a guide to future performance.