5 reasons HarperLees excels in delivering great outcomes for clients, and what it means for you

HarperLees is 25 years old this year. So, we asked founder and director, Adrian, for his views as the firm celebrates a quarter of a century in business.

Read on to discover what inspired him to open the business in May 1996, and how he and the company have always strived for excellence in terms of service and advice. Going forward, learn how Adrian and everyone else at the company will always put creating better outcomes for clients before everything else.

It all started because “client outcomes” should always come first

When HarperLees opened its doors in 1996, the aim was to deliver the very best outcomes to clients all of the time.

After becoming a manager at Royal Life in 1992, I’d become concerned that the limited number of products I could offer clients meant I was unable to provide solutions to all their needs.

For me, this fell short of my commitment to provide the best possible outcome for clients as I was restricted in the number of ways I could help them.  So, I decided to open an independent advice company to provide access to a greater range of solutions, enabling me to help clients with a wider variety of financial needs.

Today, that aim of providing the best outcome for clients remains a bedrock for the business and is how HarperLees maintains its reputation for excellence. We value this greatly, which means we will always strive to create the best possible outcome for you.

By deciding to become financial planners we provide better client outcomes

It’s not only about products though. In 2004, the company embarked on a major new direction, moving away from providing “advice” and instead, providing financial planning.

Financial advice can work in certain circumstances, as it provides a product that meets your needs, although the advice process does not typically consider your wider financial situation.

As financial planners, we never recommend a solution without taking every other aspect of your financial situation into account.

This means when we sit down with you we take the time to get to know you, your situation, your needs and ambitions before discussing any strategy or solution.

Otherwise, how can we know what level of risk you need to meet your lifestyle preferences and requirements? Your priorities may be to assist your children or grandchildren during your lifetime or simply spending every penny. No product or investment taken in isolation can bring reassurance that your preferences can be met.

This means understanding you and the best solutions available

If you already work with us, you’ll know we see you as a “client partner”. This means we work together to achieve a common goal: a better outcome for you.

To ensure we deliver this, we have committed to attaining and maintaining the highest levels of technical knowledge, as the more a financial planner knows, the better the outcome for clients.

Since 1990 I have engaged in a personal journey to ensure I always had and continued to have, the highest levels of technical knowledge possible, and it’s why each financial planner at HarperLees has Chartered Financial Planner status.

This is the industry’s gold standard when it comes to technical knowledge and commitment to continued development. It also requires the ability to demonstrate the highest levels of ethics.

In addition, my fellow directors and I are Fellows of the Personal Finance Society (PFS), which demonstrates the highest levels of professionalism and commitment to maintaining it.

Because of this, you can be assured that any planning driven recommendation is based on a robust technical understanding of products and taxation, together with a deep understanding of how to make it work best for you.

This creates a culture that puts the client at the heart of everything

The culture of a business is everything. Since the day HarperLees opened its doors, everything has revolved around creating the best possible journey for the client.

This means our service has to be first-class, our technical knowledge has to be second to none, and the way we deliver our solutions has to be as clear as it is inspiring.

The key to this is being a “catalyst for positive change”. This means helping someone understand what actions need to happen and providing them with the confidence and inspiration to act.

Without this, a strategy that could help you is nothing more than a piece of paper.

We use cashflow modelling to underpin and evidence our planning. This technology provides you with a detailed understanding of your current financial situation, and how it could look based on your income, outgoings, assets, and liabilities.

Using the model, we can show you different scenarios, helping you understand the outcomes of acting or not acting, something that brings your situation and possible solutions to life.

This helps provide peace of mind that you’re on track to achieve your goals, or the confidence to take the necessary action in order to help reach your aspirations.

Our commitment to excellence and service will continue into the future

Over the last 25 years, HarperLees has worked hard to deliver the levels of expertise and client service it delivers today.

We’re committed to continuing this in the future. That is why I am delighted to work with fellow directors and Financial Planners Mark MacLean and Steph McDonald, both of whom share my commitment to client-centric outcomes, to ensure that the levels of expertise and service continue.

Mark, also a former investment manager, brings a depth of knowledge and commitment to client service that means you and other clients will receive excellence at every level.

This is backed up by Steph, who has worked with us at HarperLees since 2008, starting as a trainee. Steph drives the culture of high standards throughout the support team, ensuring we’ll continue to deliver exceptional service going forward.

And finally

It’s not only been the support of colleagues that have made HarperLees the company it is today.

My wife Carrie and the handful of clients who have been with me since the very start inspired me and were critical to the early success of HarperLees. You know who you are… thank you. You made a huge difference in making my ambition become a reality.

Get in touch

If you would like to discuss your financial situation and how we at HarperLees may be able to help, please email us at info@harperlees.co.uk or call on 01277 350560.