FAQs

Yes. We are an independent financial planning firm, which means our advice is based on what is right for you rather than a limited panel of products or providers.

Yes. Sunlaw Financial Planning is regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority, and you can find us on the FCA Register here.

Yes. We are happy to meet either face to face or by video call, depending on what suits you best.

Meetings are usually held at our office in Musselburgh or online, although we can visit clients at home where needed.

Yes, ample parking is available at our office for clients visiting in person.

Sunlaw is a newer business, but Kate Finlayson has been advising clients for more than 35 years.

Our office is in Musselburgh, near Edinburgh, and we work with clients locally as well as across the UK.

Our senior financial planner, Kate Finlayson, is Chartered.

Yes. You can view Kate’s client reviews and testimonials on VouchedFor here.

We are a family-run firm offering a highly personal service, with a strong focus on long-term relationships. We help clients and their families plan confidently for the future, including the transfer of wealth between generations. Clients also value our fixed-fee options.

Our FCA registration number is 1015874. You can find us on the FCA Register here.

You can book an initial meeting by calling us, sending us an email, or reaching out via our contact form. All of our contact details can be found here.

No. We offer an initial chat without charge or obligation.

You do not need to bring anything to the first meeting. The initial conversation is about getting to know you and understanding how we may be able to help.

In the first meeting, we will listen carefully to your background and circumstances, discuss what you hope to gain from working with a financial planner, and explore any immediate concerns you would like to address.

An initial meeting usually lasts between one hour and an hour and a half.

No. After the meeting, we will provide an outline of our services and fees so you can decide whether you would like to proceed.

Yes. Kate Finlayson is a Chartered Financial Planner.

Our team will still be available to help. If something urgent arises, they will always make sure your financial planner is contacted.

This depends on your needs and the level of service we provide. For some clients this means an annual review, while for others it may involve more regular contact.

Yes. Cashflow planning is an extremely valuable part of our work and helps clients understand their options more clearly.

We always want to know if your circumstances change. Once you let us know, we will then consider whether any action is needed and whether your plan should be updated.

Yes. We are used to working closely with clients’ other professional advisers where needed.

Yes. We are happy to work alongside your mortgage adviser and provide information where appropriate.

Yes. We offer online access to investment values through our client portal or a provider app, depending on the arrangements in place.

Yes. Clients can access investment information online through our portal.

No. Mortgage advice is not currently part of our service.

No. We do not advise on equity release.

Yes. We can advise on personal pensions as part of your wider financial planning.

Yes. We can advise on occupational pensions and how they fit into your overall retirement plans.

Yes. We can help you review your pensions and assess whether consolidation may be appropriate for you.

Yes. We can help you work through how to access your pension in a tax-efficient way.

Yes. We can discuss ethical and sustainable investment options as part of your investment planning.

Yes. We can help you consider how best to use or invest inherited money in line with your goals and circumstances.

Yes. We can advise on SIPPs where they are suitable for your needs.

No. We do not advise on Final Salary or Defined Benefit pension transfers.

Yes. Inheritance Tax and estate planning form an important part of our work for many clients.

Yes. We can advise on investments including ISAs as part of your broader financial plan.

Yes. We can advise on protection planning, including life cover, critical illness cover, and income protection where appropriate.

Yes. We offer an initial consultation without charge.

Our fees depend on the level and complexity of the services you require.

We use a range of fee approaches, including fixed fees, and in some cases a combination of charging methods depending on the work involved.

We can receive commission on protection plans where this has been agreed with you in advance.

No. We do not currently charge VAT on our advice fees.

Our fees are designed to reflect the value of the service we provide. We do not aim to be the cheapest or the most expensive, and benchmarking suggests that we offer strong value compared with many other financial planning and investment firms.

Our fees are set out in our Guide to Services and Costs, which we will provide at the first meeting.

Yes. We can help you explore whether early retirement is realistic and what steps may be needed to support it.

Yes. Retirement planning is a key part of the work we do.

We often work with clients who are approaching or going through a transition point in life. This may include retirement, the sale of a business, bereavement, receiving an inheritance, or planning how to pass wealth on to family.

Yes, where we believe we can provide clear value for money.

Yes. Company directors and self-employed clients form a large part of our client base.

Yes. We work with both clients approaching retirement and those who are already retired.

Yes. We can help clients make informed decisions after receiving an inheritance.

Yes. We can help clients plan around the sale of a business and the decisions that follow.

Yes. We can support clients through the delicate financial decisions that often follow bereavement.

Yes. We work with all of these groups and understand the different questions and priorities each may have

Yes. We regularly help clients review existing pensions and investments held elsewhere.

No. However, we are careful to ensure that any service we provide offers good value for money.

Yes. Financial planning is about much more than investing money. If you are unsure whether we can help, we would be happy to talk it through with you.

Eligible investments are covered by the FSCS. This applies to most of the investments we recommend.

Our terms and conditions explain how to make a complaint and the process we follow if concerns arise.

We are bound by data protection regulations, which require us to keep only the information we need and to store it securely. You can find out more about how we manage data by reading our privacy policy here.

Yes. We have professional indemnity insurance in place.

You can confirm our authorisation and permissions by reading our listing on the FCA Register here.

Yes. Kate’s client reviews and testimonials are available on VouchedFor here