If you’re facing a big decision on which a lot of money depends, advice can be invaluable.

Things like setting up a pension, buying a home or planning for retirement may be rare or even one-off events, so you will probably have very little experience on which to base these crucial choices.

And though you may seek guidance from friends and family, or online, neither of those can give you as much confidence as unbiased advice from an experienced professional.

A financial adviser will do much more than simply tell you where to put your money.

The whole point of advice is to make your money work for you and help you achieve your goals in life.

So a good adviser will look at your circumstances as a whole, from your current situation to your medium and long-term future, to help you decide upon the best action to take.

For example, if you want advice on how to access your pension, your adviser will first take time to discuss your plans for retirement, and so assess your changing income needs over time. Only then will they start to recommend strategies and products.

Last but not least, an independent or whole-of-market financial adviser can find the most suitable products for you from all that are available.

They will also ensure that the chosen product is the best possible fit for your particular circumstances.

Cathedral Financial firmly believe that financial planning is everyone.

Our aim is to ensure that our knowledge is within reach and our charges remain open and comprehensible for every client we serve.

We maintain complete transparency about our remuneration structure, guiding each phase of the process steadily.

Our initial interaction with every client is a cost-free discussion, enabling us to evaluate the scope of our assistance and provide a comprehensive overview of potential expenses and fees related to our services.

There are many occasions in life where advice can make a big difference – some more obvious than others.

Most people who contact an adviser do so when facing one or more of these decisions.

• • Starting a pension
  • Saving for / buying a home
  • Investing
  • Marriage / starting a family
  • Making a significant career change
  • Starting or running a business
  • Planning ahead for retirement
  • Taking an income in retirement
  • Planning life after retirement

Other reasons for seeking financial advice may include moving abroad, getting divorced, arranging for yourself or a relative to go into long-term care, or any situation in which you may need to take out a financial product, such as a mortgage, insurance, or a pension arrangement.

In Ireland, financial advisors are subject to effective regulation, providing assurance that the expertise you receive is dependable. When choosing your financial service providers, it's important to consider different levels of financial qualification.

The baseline requirement for an in-person financial advisor is the Qualified Financial Advisor (QFA) qualification. Additionally, financial advisors might have pursued additional training, like the Specialist Investment Advisor (SIA) qualification or the Certified Financial Planner (CFP) qualification.

Adherence to standards set by The Central Bank mandates that all financial advisors continually engage in professional development. This practice guarantees the relevance of their advice and the currency of their knowledge.