Ethics award for Helston finance firm
7:10am Monday 25th June 2012 in News
A Helston-based financial advice company has become only the second in Britain to be awarded an Ethics Mark for the way it values its customers.
Atkins Ferrie Wealth Management, which has recently relocated to a new office at the Old Cattle Market, was awarded the mark by the Ethics Foundation.
Set up to promote companies with strong ethical values, the Ethics Foundation awards its mark based on customer ratings in a number of categories. A score of 70 per cent or above was needed to qualify, but the Helston firm scored between 96 and 100 per cent in all sections.
These included whether its service is based on the needs of the customer rather than business interests, whether new business is only conducted wholly in the interest of the client and whether each customer is treated the same regardless of wealth or budget.
Company managing director, John Waldie, said: “When we started we decided to set out what we were about. We wanted to do the job exactly as it should be done especially as some financial services haven't got a very good reputation. So, for example, we will always provide advice which is wholly right for each individual client, not what's the most convenient to our business.”
As well as the new office, which is home to the company's four members of staff, there is also a virtual office in London for clients located outside of Cornwall.
Atkins Ferrie Wealth Management was set up in January last year and offers advice on investments, pensions and life insurance, amongst other things.
The firm was originally based on Helston's Water-ma-Trout Industrial Estate with Atkins Ferrie Accountants, but despite sharing the same name, the two companies are separate and both moved to new offices at the Old Cattle Market at the end of March this year.
