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These are our Terms of Business which you should read before making an investment through our company. These Terms of Business should not be confused with the Terms of Website which relate to the usage of this site.
Elson Associates Plc is authorised and regulated by the Financial Services Authority (the FSA) and is bound by the FSA's rules. We are not tied to one company's products when arranging life assurance, pensions, unit trusts and ISAs. However, as we transact business on an "execution only" and "direct offer" basis, we advise you to seek independent advice elsewhere if you are unsure as to the suitability of any particular investment.
We act as your agent in arranging investment transactions. We never own the investments which you buy through us.
As a result of the implementation of the Markets in Financial Instruments Directive we will treat you as a Retail Client unless we agree with you otherwise. Retail clients have the highest level of protections under the new regime.
A summary of our procedures for handling complaints is available on request from the address at the foot of this page.
Occasions can arise where we, or one of our other customers, will have some form of interest in business we are transacting for you. If this happens, or we become aware that our interests or those of one of our other customers conflict with your interests, we will inform you in writing and obtain your consent before we carry out your instructions.
We require our clients to give us instructions in writing to avoid possible disputes. We will, however, accept oral instructions provided they are subsequently confirmed in writing.
You, or we, may terminate our authority to act on your behalf at any time, without penalty. Notice of this termination must be given in writing. Termination will not prejudice the completion of transactions already initiated on your behalf or any rights or obligations already arising.
We shall tell you the amount of commission or any other form of benefit from the issuer of a security or from another intermediary.
For business transacted on an "execution only" / "direct offer" basis, i.e., where you instruct us to arrange a specific product from a particular life assurance company or unit trust manager, without requiring any advice from us, we will normally offer you reductions in the cost of purchasing such products by reinvesting or rebating part or all of our initial commission. Where all of our initial commission is rebated to you or reinvested into the product to reduce charges, we may charge a flat fee for handling the investment on your behalf. The amount we will charge will be notified to you in writing prior to the investment taking place.
ELSON ASSOCIATES DOES NOT HANDLE CLIENTS' MONEY.
We never accept a cheque made out to us (unless it is a cheque in settlement of charges or disbursements for which we have sent you a bill / requested in a letter) or handle cash.
To comply with anti-money laundering regulations your identity will be verified for anti-money laundering purposes. This may include obtaining information about you from a credit reference agency. This information will only be used for verification of your identity.
We will make arrangements for all your investments to be registered in your name unless you first instruct us otherwise in writing.
We will forward documents of title to investments to you as soon as practicable after we receive them. Where a number of documents relating to a series of transactions is involved we will normally hold the documents until the series is complete and then forward them to you.
We maintain professional indemnity insurance.
Information that we hold about you will be held on computer and in paper files. This information will be used to administer your application, to deal with queries and to bring to your attention additional services and products that may be of benefit to you.
The information that you give us may be disclosed to third parties, such as product providers and credit reference agencies for the purpose of processing your application, to our Regulators, the Financial Services Authority, and to our compliance advisers. It will also enable further services to be provided to you, and so that your details can be best matched with the services available.
You may ask us not to contact you about additional services and products by writing to us at:
Elson Associates Plc, 30 Tower View, Kings Hill, West Malling, Kent ME19 4UY, UK.
These terms of business come into effect when provided to you.
In the course of providing our financial services we will not be acting contractually for you.
These are the Site Terms and Conditions which relate to usage of this site. These Terms and Conditions should not be confused with our Terms of Business which should be read before making an investment through our company.
TERMS AND CONDITIONS FOR USE OF OUR WEBSITE
Access to this site (the "Site") and the use of information contained on it is governed by the terms and conditions set out below. These terms and conditions are important and are for your protection as well as ours. Please read the terms and conditions carefully as by proceeding further into the Site, you will be deemed to have accepted them. Please note that references to "we" and "us" mean Elson Associates Plc.
This Site is established in the United Kingdom in accordance with the laws of England and will be governed by the laws of that country. When you use the Site, you accept that your use of the Site and any information on the Site, will also be governed by the laws of England and if any dispute arises from your use of the Site or any of the information on it, you agree to allow such dispute to be heard in the English courts.
This website uses Google Analytics, a web analytics service provided by Google, Inc. (“Google”). Google Analytics uses “cookies”, which are text files placed on your computer, to help the website analyze how users use the site. The information generated by the cookie about your use of the website (including your IP address) will be transmitted to and stored by Google on servers in the United States . Google will use this information for the purpose of evaluating your use of the website, compiling reports on website activity for website operators and providing other services relating to website activity and internet usage. Google may also transfer this information to third parties where required to do so by law, or where such third parties process the information on Google's behalf. Google will not associate your IP address with any other data held by Google. You may refuse the use of cookies by selecting the appropriate settings on your browser, however please note that if you do this you may not be able to use the full functionality of this website. By using this website, you consent to the processing of data about you by Google in the manner and for the purposes set out above.
Copyright in the Site and the information set out on it belongs to us (except where otherwise stated) and may not be copied, transmitted or reproduced without our prior consent. You may download or print out a hard copy of individual pages and/or sections on the Site, as long as you do not remove any copyright or other proprietary notices. If you download or otherwise copy information on the Site, this will not transfer to you any title to any software or material. You may not reproduce (in whole or in part), transmit (by electronic means or otherwise), modify, create a hypertext link into or use for any public or commercial purpose the Site without first obtaining our written consent.
The distribution of information on the Site may be restricted by local law or regulation in certain jurisdictions. This Site is aimed only at persons in the United Kingdom. If you are in any doubt as to whether you can lawfully use this Site, please do not proceed further.
Unless (and to the extent that) we expressly say that applications to invest in any product can be made via the Site, you should not interpret anything on this Site as a recommendation to acquire or dispose of any investment or to enter into any other transaction.
This Site is issued in the United Kingdom by Elson Associates Plc which is authorised and regulated by the Financial Services Authority (the FSA). The FSA may not regulate all products and services on this site.
We have given the information on the Site in good faith. Although we have made all reasonable efforts to ensure that the information on the Site is accurate at the time of inclusion, we do not represent that this is the case and it should not be relied upon as such. Please note that we may update or alter the information on this Site at any time without giving notice of the alterations. Any opinions and estimates expressed reflect our judgment at this date and are also subject to change without notice. Accordingly, unless legally required to do so, we will not accept liability for any inaccuracies or omissions. If you do not understand, or if you have any queries on, any of the information on the Site, please call us on FREEPHONE 0800 096 1111.
Past performance is not necessarily a guide to future returns. Market and exchange rate movements may cause the value of investments and any income from them to fall as well as rise and you may not get back the amount originally invested. Some of the funds featured in this Site invest in specialist sectors. As a result they may carry greater risks in return for higher potential rewards. The stockmarkets and currencies of emerging markets can be extremely volatile. Investors should only invest if prepared to accept a high degree of risk. If you are unsure about the risks attached to a certain fund, you should seek professional advice. Tax benefits, if any, may vary as a result of individual circumstances and the levels and bases of and reliefs from taxation may change. The tax advantages of ISAs and PEPs may be subject to future statutory change. Eligibility to invest in an ISA and the value of tax savings on PEPs and ISAs will depend on individual circumstances.
We will not be offering any advice as to the suitability of the investments we have highlighted in this Site. These investments are not suitable for everyone. If you have any doubts as to whether an investment is suitable for you, you should obtain expert advice.
Some pages on this Site contain hypertext links to web sites not maintained by us. You are reminded that when you enter other web sites by means of hypertext links, you will not be subject to these terms and conditions and you will not benefit from the protections afforded to you in using our Site. In particular, hypertext links to pages which contain information or advertisements about investment products or services are provided for your convenience only. We are not responsible for the content of such pages and we do not endorse or, unless we expressly say otherwise, make any recommendation about such products or services.
The sending of personal information via e-mail over the internet may not be secure and can be intercepted by third parties or incorrectly delivered. You should not divulge personal information over the internet unless you are using secure or encrypted communications technology.
You are not permitted to use this Site for any illegal or improper purpose (including, without limit, the transmission of any defamatory or obscene material). You will fully indemnify us in respect of any breach of this prohibition.
Remember, if you wish to apply to make an investment via the Site, you must read our Terms of Business.
Elson Associates Plc 30 Tower View Kings Hill West Malling Kent ME19 4UY
1. The Financial Services Authority
The FSA is the independent watchdog that regulates financial services. It requires us to give you this document. Use this information to decide if our services are right for you.
2. Whose products do we offer?
Investment
We offer products from the whole market.
We only offer products from a limited number of companies.
We only offer products from a single group of companies.
Insurance
We offer products from a range of insurers.
We only offer products from a limited number of insurers.
We only offer products from a single insurer.
3. Which service will we provide you with?
We will advise and make recommendations for you after we have assessed your needs.
You will not receive advice or recommendations from us. We may ask some questions to narrow down the selection of products that we will provide details on. You will then need to make your own choice about how to proceed.
We will provide basic advice on a limited range of stakeholder products and in order to do this we will ask some questions about your income, savings and other circumstances but we will not:
We will advise and make a recommendation for you after we have assessed your needs.
You will not receive advice or a recommendation from us. We may ask some questions to narrow down the selection of products that we will provide details on. You will then need to make your own choice about how to proceed.
4. What you will have to pay us for our services?
Before we provide you with advice, we will give you our key facts guide "about the cost of our services".
We will tell you how we get paid, and the amount, before we carry out any business for you.
A fee.
No fee.
You will receive a quotation which will tell you about any other fees relating to any particular insurance policy.
5. Who regulates us?
Elson Associates Plc, 30 Tower View, Kings Hill, West Malling, Kent ME19 4UY is authorised and regulated by the Financial Services Authority. Our FSA register number is 187990.
Our permitted business is advising on and arranging life assurance, pensions and unit trust business and non-investment insurance contracts.
You can check this on the FSA's Register by visiting the FSA's website www.fsa.gov.uk/register/ or by contacting the FSA on 0845 606 1234
6. What to do if you have a complaint
If you wish to register a complaint, please contact us:
If you cannot settle your complaint with us, you may be entitled to refer it to the Financial Ombudsman Service.
7. Are we covered by the Financial Services Compensation Scheme (FSCS)?
We are covered by the FSCS. You may be entitled to compensation from the scheme if we cannot meet our obligations. This depends on the type of business and the circumstances of the claim.
Most types of investment business are covered for 100% of the first £30,000 and 90% of the next £20,000 so the maximum compensation is £48,000.
Insurance advising and arranging is covered for 100% of the first £2,000 and 90% of remainder of the claim, without any upper limit.
Further information about compensation scheme arrangements is available from the FSCS.
For arranging an Individual Savings Account or PEP transfer the maximum amount of commission that we will receive from the ISA or PEP provider will be £40 on each £1,000 subscribed and 1% per year of the fund value. For example, if your fund was worth £1,000 we would receive £10 per year, if it was worth £6,000 we would receive £60 a year. Renewal commission is normally received quarterly, half yearly or annually.
For arranging a unit trust investment the maximum amount of commission that we would receive from the unit trust provider will be £30 on each £1,000 subscribed and 0.5% per year of the fund value. For example, it your fund was worth £1,000 we would receive £5 per year. If it was worth £6,000 we would receive £30 a year. Renewal commission is normally received quarterly, half yearly or annually.
For arranging an investment bond the maximum amount of commission that we will receive from the bond provider will be £70.00 on each £1,000 subscribed and 0% per year of the fund value. For example, if your fund was worth £1,000 we would receive £0 per year, if it was worth £6,000 we would receive £0 a year.
The above commissions are the maximum amounts payable. In many cases the commission payments will be less than the figures quoted. The commissions quoted are the gross amounts payable before our discounts are applied. For example, if we arranged an ISA where 3% initial commission was payable, but a 3% discount applied, we would receive 0% initial commission for arranging the transaction. We would, however, retain the renewal commission payment which is typically 0.5% per annum of the ongoing value of the Investment.
For personal pensions, AVC's, endowment plans and protection policies, we will send you a quotation prior to you completing a proposal form. The quotation will give details of the amounts of commission payable, based on the level of contribution you wish to make.
This privacy policy sets out how Elson Associates Plc uses and protects any information that you give us when you use this website.
Elson Associates is committed to ensuring that your privacy is protected. If we ask you to provide certain information by which you can be identified when using this website, then you can be assured that it will only be used in accordance with this privacy statement.
We may change this policy from time to time by updating this page. You should check this page from time to time to ensure that you are happy with any changes. This policy is effective from 1 September 2007.
We may collect the following information about you, including but not limited to:
What we do with the information we gather
We require this information to understand your needs and provide you with a better service, and in particular for the following reasons:
We are committed to ensuring that your information is secure. In order to prevent unauthorised access or disclosure we have put in place suitable physical, electronic and managerial procedures to safeguard and secure the information we collect online.
How we use cookies
A cookie is a small file which asks permission to be placed on your computer's hard drive. Once you agree, the file is added and the cookie helps analyse web traffic or lets you know when you visit a particular site. Cookies allow web applications to respond to you as an individual. The web application can tailor its operations to your needs, likes and dislikes by gathering and remembering information about your preferences.
We use traffic log cookies to identify which pages are being used. This helps us analyse data about web page traffic and improve our website in order to tailor it to customer needs. We only use this information for statistical analysis purposes and then the data is removed from the system.
Overall, cookies help us provide you with a better website, by enabling us to monitor which pages you find useful and which you do not. A cookie in no way gives us access to your computer or any information about you, other than the data you choose to share with us.
You can choose to accept or decline cookies. Most web browsers automatically accept cookies, but you can usually modify your browser setting to decline cookies if you prefer. This may prevent you from taking full advantage of the website.
Links to other websites
Our website may contain links to enable you to visit other websites of interest easily. However, once you have used these links to leave our site, you should note that we do not have any control over that other website. Therefore, we cannot be responsible for the protection and privacy of any information which you provide whilst visiting such sites and such sites are not governed by this privacy statement. You should exercise caution and look at the privacy statement applicable to the website in question.
If you have previously agreed to us using your personal information for direct marketing purposes, you may change your mind at any time by writing to or emailing us at info@elsonassociates.com.
We will not sell, distribute or lease your personal information to third parties unless we have your permission or are required by law. We may use your personal information to send you promotional information about third parties which we think you may find interesting if you tell us that you wish this to happen.
You may request details of personal information which we hold about you under the Data Protection Act 1998. A small fee will be payable. If you would like a copy of the information held on you please write to:
If you believe that any information we are holding about you is incorrect or incomplete, please write to or email us as soon as possible as above address.
This website and its content are copyright of Elson Associates Plc - © Elson Associates 2008. All rights reserved.
Any redistribution or reproduction of part or all of the contents in any form is prohibited other than the following:
You may not, except with our express written permission, distribute or commercially exploit the content of this website.
Elson Associates Plc provides the information contained in this website. Elson Associates Plc endeavours to keep the information up-to-date and correct, but makes no representations or warranties of any kind, express or implied, about the completeness, accuracy, reliability, suitability or availability with respect to the information, products, services, or related graphics contained on the website. Any reliance you place on such information is at your own risk.
In no event will we be liable for any loss or damage including without limitation, indirect or consequential loss or damage, or any loss or damage whatsoever arising from loss of data or profits arising out of, or in connection with the use of this website.
Through this website you are able to link to other websites which are not under our control. We have no control over the nature, content and availability of those sites. The inclusion of any links does not imply a recommendation or endorse the views expressed within them.
Every effort is made to keep the website up and running smoothly. However, we take no responsibility for, and will not be liable for the website being temporarily unavailable due to technical issues beyond our control.
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