Awp [TEXT DELETED BY FORUM TEAM]

malc_b

I've been phoned up. 1st by someone wanting to send me a monthly magazine by email on pension (SIPPs). OK, if it's free I'll look at it. Haven't seen a copy yet though, apparently I have to wait for the next issue. Soon after I was phoned by AWP 0203 384 2410 (David Jenn AFAIR) telling me about how investing in agricultural land was a good idea. He sent me a brochure by email. Turns out this land is in Australia.

The email said "As well as being suitable for cash investors these are all HMRC regulated for SIPP investment."

It also gave the name AWP as Alhaurin Wealth Planning. Since I took this phone call, I've been out a lot and not next to the phone. My wife tells there have been numerous calls that hang up just be she can get to phone to answer it or is cut off just as she does. All are the above number. The one time she did answer it the bloke on the phone couldn't even tell her what AWP stood for.

Googling the phone number gives:

http://www.ifalife.com/members/profile.asp?UserID=12950

So the london number is linked to Spain. Their web site www.alhaurinwealthplanning.com also shows a spanish connection [TEXT DELETED BY FORUM TEAM]. The web site says:

SIPP compliant investment products are approved for inclusion into private pensions by the UK Government (H.M.R.C.) and by F.S.A. approved SIPP providers. SIPP pensions are subject to the same strict regulations and approval for U.K. tax relief as every other type of pension.

"We are an introducer to fully F.S.A. regulated, specialist pension IFA's and SIPP providers in the U.K. We provide a seamless, regulated service to clients who want to improve the performance of their pension fund and savings."

The magic words SIPP and FSA imply protection but my gut is not liking them :-). The phone calls are far too pushy I think.

Linton

It's quite fun investigating these sorts of people....

1) Look at their web address on http://www.networksolutions.com/whois/index.jsp

This will tell you who registered the website when and where.

The AWM website was set up in July 2009 in Spain, so hardly a long established company

2) Cut and paste some of the phrases on their website into Google. Quite often you will find interesting similarities elsewhere.

In his case you will find http://pfrservices.com/index.shtml
Looks a little familar.

It could be genuine but I dont think I will be investing with them!

dunstonh

"We are an introducer to fully F.S.A. regulated, specialist pension IFA's and SIPP providers in the U.K. We provide a seamless, regulated service to clients who want to improve the performance of their pension fund and savings."

Technically bits of that are correct but also wrong or worded to give the impression of regulation.

IFAs can provide advice on the SIPP wrapper without providing advice on the assets held within the wrapper. Indeed, if you use direct assets then the IFA may not or will not be able to provide advice on it. So, looking at the wording, they could be using an IFA to get the SIPP set up but after that, what you do with the money in the SIPP has nothing to do with the IFA.

A general rule of thumb when it comes to investments is that no decent FSA authorised firm will cold call you on investments.

bgoode

Hello to everyone, my husband and I have been regular visitors to moneysavingexpert.com for a while now, we have been perusing the forums on an almost weekly basis without ever noticing information regarding Alhaurin Wealth Planning or The Pension Alert Magazine.

our story-
Just before Christmas a lifetime friend sent us the following FSA document link after we recommended that he also contact AWP.
(fsa.gov.uk/pages/Doing/Regulated/Law/pdf/terry_wright.pdf)

Our initial contact was through the company mentioned in the FSA pdf document, we were just wanting to release some cash. The deal progressed with the company Alhaurin Wealth Planning, they even filled out all of the forms for us. the deal clincher was that we move our pensions into what they recommend and we can can have a tax free 7,500 pounds each as an incentive payment, paid into any account we wish and on top of everything our pensions will grow by at least 12% per annum. We are still waiting for our incentive payments to be actioned, at first they told us that it can take 30 days, now they just say the boss is busy or that he is on holiday but they do insist we be patient as it will be sorted out soon.

And now we find this thread.
I personally think that the FSA should publicize these important bulletins in the national press. We completed our "deal" on October 22nd, 7 days after that bulletin was created.
We have forwarded all of our information on to the FSA investigator and they are doing all they can to bring our pension monies back to where it can be professionally managed by a "regulated" expert in pension matters.
Needless to say really but I will anyway, "Always check the company or person out first" and especially if what they are offering comes with the warning to keep it to yourself.
We are hopeful that we will recover our pensions to their original condition but we both fear that this will not be the case for the hundreds or thousands of others that were also hoodwinked or ill advised and have yet to find this message or even this forum.

Be Safe, but be sure your money is even safer.
- Margaret and John