This case study explores how an individual with substantial cash holdings in various accounts consolidated their funds into one platform to achieve better returns, avoiding the low interest rates and fees associated with traditional bank and stockbroking accounts.
To consolidate cash savings into a single platform offering better returns than traditional banks and avoid the interest skimming seen in stockbroking and high street investment accounts.
Background Information
Personal/Financial Situation: The client had substantial cash holdings distributed across various bank accounts, stockbroking accounts, and high street investment accounts. Despite the significant amount of cash, they were receiving low returns and noticed interest skimming on some accounts with a paltry interest paid to the client.
Challenges: The main challenges were consolidating the cash from various locations and in different wrappers into a single platform, finding a solution that offered better returns than traditional banks, and avoiding the fees and interest skimming from stockbroking and investment accounts.
Goals and Objectives
Goals:
- Consolidate cash savings into a single, more efficient platform.
- Achieve higher returns than those offered by traditional bank accounts.
- Access fixed-term deposits to earn a better yield by locking cash away. Build as a ladder to recycle matures as needed.
- Maximise overall returns on cash savings.
- Ensure easy access to funds and maintain liquidity.
- Avoid hidden fees and interest skimming.
Strategy and Plan
Analysis: A comprehensive analysis was conducted to evaluate the current returns from various accounts, the fees associated with them, and potential platforms that could offer better returns without hidden costs. Selection of a suitable flexible investment platform and use of tax wrappers to get the best return possible.
Plan Development: The financial plan developed focused on:
- Platform Selection: Identifying a platform that offers competitive interest rates and transparency with fees.
- Consolidation Process: Creating a strategy to transfer all cash holdings into the chosen platform efficiently.
- Return Maximisation: Ensuring that the new platform offered higher returns on deposits compared to existing accounts.
Results
Outcomes:
- Successfully consolidated all cash holdings into a single, high-return platform.
- Achieved significantly higher returns compared to traditional bank accounts.
- Eliminated hidden fees and interest skimming from previous accounts.
Conclusion
Summary: The individual successfully maximised returns on their cash savings by consolidating funds into a single, high-return platform, eliminating hidden fees, and achieving better financial performance.