Isa Save Club

General information

What is Money Chef ® ?
It is an Isa Save Club giving advice on Isa’s, and offering ‘club members’ full discounts on the terms we can negotiate. The more members we have, the better the terms we can negotiate, and pass on to you.
We do not advise on any other areas, we specialise in Isa’s.

1. Why is Money Chef ® Different ?
Most online services do not provide advice based upon your personal circumstances. You therefore carry the risk of investing in funds that may not meet your needs and attitude to risk. We go to great lengths to make a suitable recommendation for you and our advice is covered under the Financial Ombudsman service.

2. What does it cost?
You choose your level of membership, and pay us £3, £6, or £9 per month.
To cover compliance and regulation there is a small 0.25% set up fee.
We provide a great Isa for just 0.46% pa.
We can confidently say that our charges are some of the very lowest in the market for a personalised and managed approach!
The exact charges will depend on your investment amount and risk grade. These will be given in your personalised investment management proposal and agreed online before you invest. Once you have agreed these charges they will be confirmed in your Suitability Letter.

3. If you are passing on all discounts, how do you make your money ?
We negotiate for the benefit of all members and pass on 100% of the discount.
We make our money through the monthly membership fee of £3, £6, £9 per month by offering members a range of standard benefits and discounts on additional services.

4. Does Money Chef ® provide advice?
Yes. Within this service we will make a ‘Personal Recommendation’ based on the information that you provide us, so it’s crucial that you answer all questions honestly. We go to great lengths to target your portfolio to perform within risk parameters that are right for you. This is quite different to many services on offer that provide an unadvised ‘execution only’ service.
This service offers a discretionary investment service, supported by an Adviser. The automated process is designed to provide advice of a restricted nature based on restricted information provided by you: it is NOT a full advisory service.
Once you have taken the decision to invest, the investment management team makes decisions to buy and sell investments on your behalf in line with the risk grade you have selected. You do not have to give your consent for every transaction; instead, you agree that the investment management team will take responsibility for your investments when you accept the Terms and Conditions. In these terms, there is a commitment and promise to manage your account with skill, care and in accordance with the information you provide.

5. How will you build my portfolio?
We use respected academic theory to build portfolios tailored to investors’ requirements. These solutions provide what we feel is the optimum mix of assets to deliver the highest possible return for the level of risk you are willing and able to accept.
6. How will you manage my portfolio on an ongoing basis?
Each month our investment managers review each of the underlying funds in their investment universe to assess their suitability for continued inclusion within your portfolio. Where a fund is no longer meeting our criteria, we will replace it with a more suitable one.
In addition we will periodically rebalance your portfolio to ensure it remains true to your risk profile throughout the year.

7. How are my investments and money looked after?
In order to provide advice to you and in making recommendations we undertake a thorough due diligence process. As a result of our extensive due diligence we selected Parmenion to provide the administration and investment management that supports our online advice service. Parmenion is a wholly owned subsidiary of Aberdeen Asset Management PLC and Aberdeen Investments Limited.
Parmenion do not take on clients directly, but only offer investment and administration solutions through professional wealth management and financial planning firms. Like us, they are authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority. Under FRN: 462085
Client Money:
Parmenion will hold all your investment money as client money in accordance with the rules of the Financial Conduct Authority which, amongst other things, requires them to hold money in a client bank account, established with statutory trust status. All funds are segregated from Parmenion’s own funds at an approved bank. Cash received in a currency other than sterling will be converted to sterling at a rate determined by Parmenion at the time. This additional process may cause a delay in crediting the account with the sterling proceeds before investment can be made.
All monies will be held with the money of other clients in a pooled account in the name of Parmenion Capital Partners LLP A/C, held as a common pool but as a ‘Client Account’. Your cash and investment are always held separately from Parmenions own accounts. In the unlikely event that Parmenion fails financially, your cash and assets will remain yours and any administration will be obliged to return them to you.
If Parmenion fails, broadly speaking, all client money held by them in client money bank accounts is pooled and then distributed to clients on a pro-rata basis in accordance with individual client entitlements to the client money pool in general. Were there to be a shortfall in the total amount of client money held in trust accounts, held by Parmenion, you would also share in a proportion of any shortfall.

8. Does the service offer an annual review?
Yes, you are free to review your portfolio online at any time, but we will remind you annually. We will check your risk level is still appropriate and suggest any changes if required. In addition we will ask you some simple questions to ensure nothing has happened in your life that would benefit from further advice.

9. How can I manage my ISA allowance within this service?
We will take you through a set of questions that will allow you to:
• Put your full ISA allowance into your Stocks and Shares ISA with this service
Any excess contributions will be invested in our General Investment Accounts.
If you have already invested in an ISA elsewhere this tax year, we suggest that you review your ISA contributions before the end of the tax year to ensure you maximise any unused allowance.

10. Can I transfer existing Isa’s to Money Chef ® ?
We are happy to accept transfers into the service. However, due to the limitations of this being an online advice process we are NOT able to make recommendations on which assets you should sell or transfer. This will be solely down to your discretion.

11. Am I locked in?
No. Investing is a long-term proposition, but you can withdraw at any time and there’s no minimum investment period. We would suggest you do not invest in the stock market unless you have a timeframe of at least 3 to 5 years.

12. How can I pay money into my account?
Making your payment is easy. You can either do it online via our secure payment service or simply send us a cheque.

13. Can I withdraw from an ISA?
You can take money out of your ISA whenever you want. You should remember, however, that when you withdraw money from your ISA, part of the allowance remains used. This means, for example, that if you reach the ISA limit and then make a withdrawal, the money cannot be put back in.

14. How easy is it to cancel or close my account?
You can close your account and withdraw money whenever you decide. Please remember, however, that you may not get back the full amount you invested.

15. Do you offer pensions?
We don’t currently offer pensions.

16. What do I do if I have a complaint?
Money Chef has a strict complaints policy to resolve any issues quickly and efficiently. If you have a complaint about our services or products, please send a letter to Money Chef Limited, 100 Pall Mal, st James’s, London, SW1Y 5NQ.
If you are dissatisfied with how we have dealt with your complaint and meet the FCA criteria, you will be able to refer your complaint against us to the Financial Services Ombudsman Service. The Financial Ombudsman, South Quay Plaza, 183 Marsh Wall, London E14 9SR. We will let you know when and how you can do this.
17. Can I invest if I am not a UK resident?
Our services are available to UK residents only. This means as long as you are a UK resident for tax purposes you are eligible to invest with us. Unfortunately, our services are unavailable to American citizens (even those with dual nationality) due to the US government’s tax reporting requirements.

18. Can I change my mind?
Under our ISA and GIA terms you have 14 days in which to cancel from the date we receive your completed application. If you cancel your ISA within 14 days of us receiving your application you will be able to invest in another ISA in the same tax year. You will bear any shortfall on the investment should your investments have fallen in value during the cancellation period.