02072454429

So whats the great presentation about Schreiber all in aid of then?

I received a call of my own from "the world's largest independent international financial consultancy".  I agreed to the meeting as the lady on the other end of the phone was quite affable.  So glad I did due diligence before the meeting, now needless to say I wont be going.  Thanks all

This is my first time i visit here. I found so many entertaining stuff in your blog, especially its discussion. From the tons of comments on your articles, I guess I am not the only one having all the enjoyment here! Keep up the good work.

I see that Devere have set up a charitable foundation for good causes , ie. childrens institutions in Malta etc !  

You have to hand it to them ... they do 'whatever it takes' to keep hold of good PR.This was reported in The 'International Advisor' ... i suspect that Devere own this site or are shareholders, as they get at least one report on there a week, and it's always very flattering and favourable.

The major offshore Investment / Insurance entities will always back Devere as they get good business from them .... shameful really.But that's how it works.Skandia lick Greens [***] all the time and massage his ageing ego , because quote ' he's the biggest provider in the grey market' ... The Grey market means , unregulated , unauthorised & legally pretty dodgy !!!! Can't see why any expat would not now after so many years be aware of them and cautious.

Now, does anyone have any info on the current whereabaouts of Simon Pratt ?

Is the international graduate fasttrack scheme worth going on?

Is it commission-based ONLY?

International fast track scheme for Graduates ? Thanks for that ....... best laugh of the day. You'll be promised ALOT, and get nothing in return. Fast track means , be a co-ordinator, cold calling ex-pats ALL day ..getting rejected by 85 per cent, and maybe making a slim living on your Consultants commissions ( If he / she is any good at what they do .........) Then get fast tracked onto a training Programme in Malta (financed by Skandia or Close Bros ......or whoever else is providing a speaker for a morning or two. Devere say they 'invest ALOT in you on the weeks training course' .......Answer is; NO THEY DON'T. You pay for your flight out & back and the likes of Skandia etc pay to be there & cover the hotel costs. Fact.

This company is a huge scam for 95 PER CENT of people that work with it ( note, not for it !) .

Be very aware.

Devere claims:
"Each graduate will embark on a 13 week programme gaining hands on experience of contacting and building relationships with clients while studying for and completing five recognised financial advisory exams (FAIQ).The Financial Advisers' International Qualification (FAIQ) is considered the knowledge benchmark for International IFAs. This qualification is essential to work for successful and respected offshore financial advisory firms."
https://www.devere-group-careers.com/page/GraduateScheme.aspx

FAIQ is offered by the Chartered Insurance Institute: http://www.cii.co.uk/membership/designations/

Except that:
"The British Expatriate Networking Group was set up five years ago on LinkedIn ... In particular, financial advisers with deVere have been keen to join the group to contact members about its financial services.... “Some financial advisers are using titles that they are not allowed to use and seem to link themselves with institutes to which they are not members.  ..."
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/personalfi ... l-networks.html

Good grief!

FAIQ is seen as the international benchmark? By whom? It is only an NVQ 3 exam, are international standards really that low?

The CII site states that completion of this "tick box" paper contributes 15 credits towards Diploma. It seems that the Diploma is the minimum UK benchmark paper. The CII state that 140 exam credits are needed for this low level qualification. This is NVQ 4. So, let's do the math;

15/140= 10.7

There we have it folks, using the information from a professional standards website, the advisers are 10.7% along the way to meeting the minimum UK standards.

Stand up all you CII(Award) and FAIQ graduates and take a bow.

Thanks for your replies. Looks very dodgy.

Will give it a swerve then; as much as I would love to live and work abroad, I don't want to be naiive and go into something that will fleece me.

Thanks again.

It is just a title to say pitch up make 120 phone calls a day and if you can't make the appointments you will be sacked, i.e there is no scheme and I know many that have fallen for that one. Not to be rude but "most" graduates would be a bit young to be an adviser very quickly not through ability but just because clients expect somebody with a bit of age.

If you have a good degree get a real job maybe outside the UK but get a real job!

You have a point, but .......................... the offshore products are very simple and really do not require a vast technical knowledge at all, they are nothing like the UK products, compliance etc. The FAIQ is a bit of a joke as it covers 95% of stuff that you will never use and really is a bit of a waste of time in that it is not relevant to what is sold. The content is all based on UK rules and definitions which ain't much help if your client is not from the UK!

I know that is not an over useful answer to the point you raise but I believe an accurate truth.

""most" graduates would be a bit young to be an adviser very quickly not through ability but just because clients expect somebody with a bit of age"

i.e. anyone wanting to pose as an adviser is more convincing if they're older. Whatever backstory/XX years of experience they come up with will sound more plausible to the client. Clients who think they re talking to an experienced financial expert will think the sales pitch is financial advice.

53 websites that share same IP address (http://www.ewhois.com/ip-address/78.136.38.154/)

Selection:
Valais Investment Management (http://www.valais-investments.com), Providence Capital QROPS (http://www.providence-capital-qrops.com/),  ia-int (i.e. Inter-Alliance International http://www.mas.gov.sg/news-and-publications/e ... re-pte-ltd.aspx), Vantage (http://www.vantage-hybrid.com/), Middleway Holdings, Tirana Group, My Offshore Portfolio (http://www.myoffshoreportfolio.com/), ATLAM QNUPS (http://www.atlam-qnups.com/), Zanida Group, Beazley Retirement Fund (http://www.moneymarketing.co.uk/offshore/hmrc ... 1018030.article), Bexley Investments, UAM Sarl (United Asset Management http://www.uam-sarl.com/), Wealth and Living Magazine (http://www.wealthandlivingmagazine.com/), Sales Offshore (http://www.salesoffshore.com/).

Full list (53 results):
devere-group-annualawards.com,  dv-fx.com,  ia-int.com,  offshore-rec.com,  middlewayholdings.com,  optionsoffshore.com,  tiranagroup.com,  vantage-hybrid.com,  devere-group-charity.com,  devere-group-lifeinsurance.com ,  devere-group-onlinelifeinsurance.com,  devere.info,  devereandpartners.info,  devereandpartners.net,  devere-group-forex.com ,  devere-group-fundplatform.com,  devere-group-international.com,  devere-group-investmentplanning.com,  devere-group-investorinsight.com,  devere-group-sipps.com,  devere-ifa.com,  devere-international.com,  devere-investments.com,  devere-recruiting.com,  devere-spain.com,  devereandpartners.com,  deverebrokers.com,  devereinternationalmortgages.com,  devereinvestment.com,  devereoffshore.com ,  recruitsoffshore.com,  financialstructuredproduct.com,  financialstructuredproducts.com,  salesoffshore.com,  myoffshoreportfolio.com,  pic-recruiting.com,  providence-capital-qrops.com,  internationalfinancialoptions.com ,  uk-expat-mortgages.com,  dv-p.com, dvainvest.com,  wealthandlivingmagazine.com ,  valais-investments.com,  valais-sarl.com,  atlam-qnups.com,  uam-sarl.com,  zanidagroup.com,  dv-p.net,  beazleyretirementfund.com,  askdevere.com,  bexley-investments.com,  progs4wealth.com,  progs4wealthfundplatform.com

23 Feb 2013's MoneyBox BBC Radio 4 Programme continued to discuss the ongoing Pension Liberation Scam with the Minister responsible for pensions, Steve Webb. Listen to the grilling the minister gets and how little the government is doing despite the £4 million a week being scammed.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b01qspjg PENSION UNLOCKING
For the third week we return to the growing crime of persuading people to transfer their pension savings into recently registered pension schemes and taking huge fees for illegally letting them have some of their money back. This week - the legal aspects. Is the law adequate to help trustees stop the transfer when they suspect a scam? And if not, will the Government pass new laws to protect desperate people from the crooks - and themselves? We speak to a pensions lawyer and Pensions Minister Steve Webb.

PDF Tapescript:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/shared/spl/hi/program ... x_23_feb_13.pdf

MP3 Audio:
http://downloads.bbc.co.uk/podcasts/radio4/mo ... 30223-1204a.mp3

Related Links:
Action Fraud: Reporting Pension Liberation Scams:  www.actionfraud.police.uk
The FSA: Consumers warned over pension liberation schemes www.fsa.gov.uk
The Pensions Regulator: Pension liberation fraud www.thepensionsregulator.gov.uk
The Pension Advisory Service: Pension liberation plans www.pensionsadvisoryservice.org.uk
The Money Advice Service: Pensions: www.moneyadviceservice.org.uk
HMRC www.hmrc.gov.uk/pensionschemes/pen-liberation.htm
ICO for reporting pension scam calls and texts https://www.snapsurveys.com/swh/surveylogin.asp?k=134674895144

MoneyBox E-mail your questions www.bbc.co.uk/radio4/features/money-box/contact/ or call 03700 100 444 from 1pm to 3.30pm on Wednesday.

Steve Webb's contact details:

Steve Webb
Department for Work and Pensions
Caxton House
Tothill Street
London
SW1H 9DA

Tel: 020 7340 4000
Website: www.dwp.gov.uk
Email: ministers@dwp.gsi.gov.uk

Steve Webb
House of Commons
Westminster
London,
SW1A 0AA

Tel: 020 7219 4378
Email: webbs@parliament.uk

Steve Webb
Constituency Office
Poole Court
Poole Court Drive
Yate, Bristol
BS37 5PP

Tel: 01454 322100
Fax: 01454 866515
Email: steve@stevewebb.org.uk

Or ask your MP to table a question in the commons via www.writetothem.com

Is Moneybox interested in British nationals outside the UK being encouraged to transfer their UK pensions offshore? Does it believe that there is no connection between the companies calling UK residents for pension releasing and those calling British nationals abroad offering QROPS schemes? There has been a connection before: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rS36OlVCY5s

The transcript doesn't mention QROPS once or the HMRC list of QROPS schemes, which includes a "Providence Retirement Plan" and STM schemes (http://www.international-adviser.com/11145/de ... ed-life-company, http://www.international-adviser.com/news/eur ... -specialist-stm). The BBC has interviewed representatives from Devere as financial experts five times within the last four months (http://www.youtube.com/user/deveregroupchannel), so can hardly claim not to be encouraging pension transfers, since that is what Devere Group offers and appears to excel at:

"deVere Group... said it has handled more than a third of the assets transferred out of the UK and into qualifying recognised overseas pension schemes since QROPS were created in 2006"
http://www.international-adviser.com/news/ret ... n-a-third-qrops

"According to figures released by the group yesterday, its advisers had assisted with 35% more cases of UK nationals wishing to transfer their pensions overseas using a Qualifying Recognised Overseas Pension Scheme in 2012 than during the previous year."
http://www.international-adviser.com/news/pro ... -cases-as-green

So far Devere seems to be doing a great job at what it does, compared to the British authorities/regulators.

Excellent idea!

Why not write to money box and see what they say? CC Mr Webb

Good man!

Done. e-mails to PL and SW.

Upcoming event in Frankfurt advertised on the Internations expat forum, ticket money collected by a Devere representative. Event said to be in support of the Giveback Association, which has a work-in-progress-style website registered in December 2012  (http://givebackassociation.com, http://www.networksolutions.com/whois/results.jsp?domain=givebackassociation.com) and claims to raise funds for Save the Children and Down Syndrome International. Date of the event at which this British MP is said to be speaking is Friday, 19 April, when the House of Commons is in session (http://www.parliament.uk/about/faqs/house-of- ... e/recess-dates/):

http://www.internations.org/events/view/an-ev ... kennedy:::39275

"An Evening with Charles Kennedy

Don't miss the chance to spend the evening with one of the UK’s most entertaining speakers, popular on the After Dinner circuit and UK television.

This exciting evening welcomes you with a chilled glass of champagne, then a sumptuous 3-course meal will be served, created by one of Europe’s top chef’s Martin Steiner, washed down with a fine selection of red and white wine.

Once suitably refreshed and nourished, your attention will be captivated by an entertaining after dinner speech from Charles Kennedy. Former leader of the Liberal Democrats he was elected to the party in 1999 after Paddy Ashdown resigned and continued for 7 years taking the party through two General Elections before resigning himself in January 2007. A witty and intelligent speaker, Charles talks about his time as Leader of the Liberal Democrats and current political affairs.

Payment information
Please pay by PayPal to ian.royle@devere-group.com or by bank transfer: Recipient: Ian Royle; Account Number: 634411300; BLZ: 50040000. Please use your name and number of tickets as a reference.

This event will support the GiveBack Association.

Event Date
Start date: Apr 19, 2013
End date: Apr 19, 2013

Event Location
Jumeirah Hotel
Thurn-und-Taxis-Platz 2
60313 Frankfurt
Germany
Phone: +49 (0)69 297 237 0"

Rumour has it that Mr Pratt will be resurfacing as a partner of Spencer Lodge in Dubai. Mind you the source has turned out to be less than credible.....

Anyone know what kind of services are provided by Devere's operations within the UK, what products they're recommending, whether they're advising UK residents or expats in other countries or both and which company/companies they're operating through? FSA register indicates that it trades in the UK under the names deVere and Partners (UK) Limited, deVere and Partners (UK) Ltd, deVere Italia, deVere Mortgages and deVere United Kingdom (FSA registration No 469151) and deVere Recruitment Ltd (FSA registration No 503055). Companies House webcheck includes a listing for Devere Foreign Exchange Ltd (Company No 07909163) (Nature of business: 64999 - Financial intermediation not elsewhere classified), incorporated on 13/01/2012. A Devere website says "deVere Foreign Exchange's team of experienced and knowledgeable traders provide a professional and secure foreign exchange trading experience" (http://www.devere-group-foreignexchange.com/page/Home.aspx). Devere Foreign Exchange Ltd is not on the FSA register. It's address is at Regus serviced offices in Rickmansworth, Hertfordshire. A company of the same name (Company No 07543911), incorporated on 25/02/2011 was dissolved on 27/09/2011 and had offices at 21 Knightsbridge, i.e. the same address as deVere and Partners (UK) Limited on the FSA register.

Recent announcement on Devere site:
https://www.devere-group.com/news/deVere-Unit ... s-activity.aspx

"27 Mar, 2013
deVere United Kingdom reports 162% increase in business activity

The UK division of the world's largest independent financial advisory organisation has today reported an increase in business activity of 162 per cent in Quarter 1 of 2013, compared to the same period in 2012.

The significant increase demonstrates how deVere United Kingdom is bucking a shocking national trend, as the firm's announcement comes a day after official figures from the Financial Conduct Authority reveal that the number of IFAs in the UK fell by an alarming 20 per cent last year, while the number of bank advisers was down 44 per cent over the same period.  It was over this time that the industry prepared for the FSA's Retail Distribution Review (RDR).

This new number means that there is now only one IFA for every 3,000 people in the UK.

Mitch Hopkinson, deVere United Kingdom's Head of East Midlands, comments: "As deVere United Kingdom was fully prepared before the RDR 1st January 2013 deadline, we were able to start advising many of those individuals who were, effectively, abandoned by their previous financial or bank advisers when RDR was being implemented.

"As a direct result of the effects of RDR, amongst other factors, demand for our services is soaring - client numbers are up and the amount of assets under our management and administration are up - and we fully expect this to continue."

Kevin White, Head of UK Financial Planning at deVere, observes: "Another key driver for the 162 per cent increase of our UK business is the upward trend of British expats returning to the UK due to the growing requirements to use their tax status for repatriation purposes; indeed 95 per cent of our clients list this as their main financial priority."

To service the growing demand and to fulfil its pledge to consistently achieve standard-setting levels of customer care, deVere United Kingdom's parent organisation, the deVere Group, is to allocate further resources.

deVere Group director, Mike Coady, explains: "We have already committed to recruiting a further 50 UK-based IFAs over the next 12 to 18 months and to opening a third UK base this year, plus we've recently launched the pioneering telephone-based 'Direct Financial Planning Division' (DFPD).

"Additionally, the deVere Group is about to commence a top-level, six month strategic review of its entire global operation, and deVere United Kingdom is likely to be a principal benefactor of this as we look to further strengthen our position as the 'go to' advisory firm for international investors and expats in the UK market."