Savings and investments
Where to save for a home, for the children or for later. It depends on when you'll need the money — that matters more than the return in a table.
from €20 a monthIndependent advice since 2012
Money needs a plan, not a miracle.
We look at what you pay and what you really get for it. Then we suggest what to change — even if it means we earn nothing on some products.
13years in the field
640+clients
€0first consultation
9partner institutions
What we cover
Six things people come to us about
Most clients come with one question and leave with an overview of everything. You don't have to change anything straight away — and sometimes the best advice is to change nothing.
Pensions
PRSAs, company pensions and the new auto-enrolment scheme — but above all the answer to how much you really need to put aside. We work it out for your situation, not for an average.
free calculationMortgages and switching
We compare lenders and tell you whether switching is worth it — often it isn't, and then we'll tell you so, even though we won't earn anything from it.
free of chargeHome insurance
House, apartment, contents and liability. What we find most often is underinsurance — a sum insured from 2009 wouldn't cover even half a roof today.
free reviewLife cover
How much, and for what. Most policies cover death but not income protection or specified illness — and those are far more likely to be needed.
free checkPolicy review
Bring everything you pay for. We'll go through it line by line and tell you what's good, what's expensive and what's pointless.
€0Model calculation
What time does to money
This isn't an offer or a forecast. It shows how compound growth works when you put money aside regularly — and why the most important thing about saving is when you start.
If you already have something put aside. Leave it at zero if you're starting from scratch.
How much ups and downs you can take
Higher average growth also means deeper falls along the way. This is the most important question in all of saving.
Also allow for
How we work
Four rules we stick to
Financial advice has a bad reputation in Ireland, and we know why. These are the ways we try to be different.
First we ask, then we suggest
The first meeting is all about you — what you have, what you pay and what you're planning. We don't offer you anything at it. A proposal only comes at the second meeting, once there's something to propose.
no sales pitch at the first meetingWe tell you when nothing needs doing
About a third of clients leave the first meeting without changing anything. Their finances are set up well, and it would make no sense to redo them just so we could earn something.
a third change nothingWe talk about the risks too
Every product has another side — charges, lock-in periods, falls in value. If someone only shows you a graph going up, that's not advice, it's selling.
both sidesWe stay in touch
Once a year we check whether anything has changed — income, family, property prices. A policy from 2015 often doesn't fit today's situation, and without a review you wouldn't know.
once a yearPrices
Who pays us, and for what
Most advisers don't put this on their website. We do — because it's the first thing a client should know.
| Service | How to pay | How much |
|---|---|---|
| First consultationan overview of your situation and answers to your questions | per meeting | €0 |
| Review of existing policieswe go through what you pay and give our view | per review | €0 |
| Arranging insurancethe insurer pays us; the client pays nothing extra | commission | from the insurer |
| Arranging a mortgagethe lender pays us; the cost of the loan doesn't change | commission | from the lender |
| Arranging an investmentan entry charge depending on the product, which we always show you | of the amount invested | 0 – 3% |
| Fee-based advice with no productwhen you just want an opinion and we don't arrange anything | per hour | €60 |
| Annual review for clientswe go through changes and check everything still fits | a year | €0 |
| Help with a claimpaperwork, dealing with the insurer and appealing a reduced payout | per claim | €0 |
How it works
Four steps before you sign anything
We meet
An hour and a half, free of charge. You bring what you pay for. We don't offer you anything at this meeting, and you don't sign anything.
We go through the paperwork
We go through your policies, work out what they cover and what they cost, and compare them with what's on the market today.
We show you a proposal
With the figures, the charges, and what happens if the market falls. Always with the option of changing nothing, for comparison.
You decide
No pressure and no deadline that “ends tomorrow”. If you want a month to think it over, you take a month.
FAQ
What you ask us most often
How much will it cost me?
The consultation, the policy review and the annual review are free. When we arrange something, we're paid by the institution whose product you take out — for insurance and mortgages that doesn't change your price. Investments have an entry charge, and we always show it to you in euro, not as a percentage hidden in a table.
Are you really independent?
We work with nine institutions, not one. That means we can compare, but it doesn't mean we're neutral — commission varies between products, and that's a conflict of interest every intermediary has. So we'd rather name it, and we'll tell you the commission if you ask.
Do you guarantee returns?
No, and nobody is allowed to guarantee them. The figures in the calculator are a model with constant growth, so you can see the principle. In reality returns fluctuate — with an adventurous portfolio, a fall of a third during a crisis is common, even when the long-term average looks good.
I have old policies from 2010 — is it worth cancelling them?
Usually not straight away. Older policies sometimes have terms you can't buy today — a guaranteed rate, for example, or illness cover with no waiting period. Cancelling them and taking out new ones tends to benefit the intermediary, not the client. So we read them first and only then say anything.
What if the insurer won't pay out?
We help with the paperwork and the appeal, free of charge for our clients. Payouts are most often reduced because of underinsurance or an unreported change — both can be avoided with an annual review, which is why we insist on it.
Do I have to sign anything straight away?
No. And if someone pressures you by saying an offer is only valid today, that's a reason to walk away. Our proposals stand until market rates change, and when they do, we'll get in touch and recalculate.
Contact
Get in touch
The first meeting is free and without obligation. Bring what you pay for — policies, statements, even the ones you don't understand. We'll look at them together.
- Office18 Church Street, Anytown
- MeetingsMon – Fri 9:00 – 17:00, other times by arrangement
The business's phone and email are left out on purpose — this is an example website of a made-up business and we don't want anyone calling or writing to a stranger's number. A real website would show your contact details here. If you'd like a website like this, write to apoliak@apoliak.online.