FAQs - 2023 Guide to Top Rated Financial Advisers
Top Rated Adviser
- How do I register for the 2023 Guide to Top Rated Financial Advisers?
You can register for the Guide here and one of our team will be in touch to share how to qualify. - When is the qualification deadline for the 2023 Guide to Top Rated Financial Advisers?
Qualification for the Guide closes on December 31st 2022 - What are the qualification criteria for the 2023 Guide to Top Rated Financial Advisers?
10+ reviews since January 2022 (these can be client or first impression reviews).
4.5+ average rating
4.5+ average rating for reviews since January 2022
A fully Verified VouchedFor profile -
I already meet all the criteria above do I still need to complete the application form?
No, so long as you continue to meet the qualification criteria, then you will feature in the 2023 Guide to Top Rated Financial Advisers. -
Do prospect first impression reviews count towards the 10+ reviews?
Yes, you need a combined total of 10+ reviews. These can include both prospect first impressions and client reviews.
Find out how you can qualify for the 2023 Top Rated Adviser Guide. Register here.
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Will there be an opportunity to purchase trophies and copies of the Guide?
Yes, Top Rated Merchandise can be purchased at the Top Rated Store: https://store.vouchedfor.co.uk/
Top Rated Firm
- How do I apply to be considered as a Top Rated Firm?You can apply to be accredited as a Top Rated Firm here. Qualification for the Guide closes on December 31st 2022
- Do I have to invite ALL my firm's clients to review my firm?
No. There are some exemptions, as follows:a) New clients, who have been a client for less than 3 months
b) M&A clients, whose original firm was acquired by or merged with yours in the last 12 months
c) Clients without an email address
d) Celebrity clients
e) Clients who are unwell or infirm
f) Clients of advisers who are under notice
g) Clients who have previously reviewed you on VouchedFor
h) Corporate clients
i) Clients who have not paid you for a service within the last 12 months - Do I have to pay for my firm to be Top Rated?
No, you can qualify as a Top Rated Firm for free, as long as all your advisers have 'Starter' VouchedFor profiles so they can gather reviews.
However if you wish to use the Top Rated Firm promotional assets and feature in the 2023 Guide a license fee (determined by your firm size) will apply, which we will waive completely if your advisers' membership fees equal or exceed the license fee.The license fee bands are as follows:
5 or less advisers = £540+VAT
6-10 advisers = £1,080+VAT
11-20 advisers = £2,160+VAT
21-30 advisers = £3,240+VAT
31-40 advisers = £4,320+VAT
40+ advisers = £5,000+VAT - Is there a deadline to qualify?
Yes. The deadline to qualify as a Top Rated Firm 2023 is 31st December 2022. We will assess which firms have qualified on this date. - Will all Top Rated Firms feature in the 2023 Guide?
It depends how many qualify. Space is finite so if more firms qualify than we have space for, we will feature the best large, medium and small firms based on their rating. All Top Rated Firms will be highlighted within the listings of any of their individual advisers who qualify as Top Rated Advisers in the Guide.
All Top Rated Firms will be featured in the digital Guide and will have access to the Promotional Assets (point 2 dependent). - Do I have to qualify as the firm of the FCA ID I use?
An adviser ‘counts’ towards a firm name based on the FCA ID they have added to VouchedFor. - How will VouchedFor know I've invited all my firm's clients?
There are 3 main ways:a) Top Rated Firms sign a pledge to invite all non exempt clients and agree to VouchedFor auditing them to check this.
b) Data trends, we'll be able to tell if a firm's reviewers' profiles are inconsistent with other firms'.
c) In marketing Top Rated Firms, we'll make the criteria clear, so if a client who hasn't been invited to leave a review sees this, they are likely to ask us why. - Can I qualify if I don't have many clients?
Possibly. You need enough reviews for us to be confident saying you are great!So you EITHER need a minimum of 100 reviews as a firm OR you need a minimum of 25 reviews per adviser to qualify as a Top Rated Firm.
- What if my firm tries to qualify but doesn't manage to?
At least you tried, which is testament to you 'walking the walk' with transparency! Plus, in trying to qualify, you will have built up many valuable reviews which will help you generate huge value from VouchedFor and beyond at both adviser and firm-level. - What does "inviting 100% of your firms clients" mean?
For the purposes of Top Rated Firm, inviting 100% of your clients means inviting all clients who's assets are currently under management and all clients for whom you have performed a service in the last 12 months.
Apply now to be a 2023 Top Rated Firm.
Other Top Rated Financial Adviser Guide Questions
- I’ve ordered merchandise from the Top Rated store, when will it arrive?
You will receive your Top Rated merchandise following the publication of the Guide. Merchandise will be dispatched on the week commencing 28/03/22 - Can location/town be changed for an adviser?
Qualifying advisers will be emailed to confirm their listing, including their location. Any location change requests we receive will be reviewed by our listings team. Please note, we can only implement location changes that clearly improve accuracy for consumers. - Are there are promotion codes and/or discounts available?
There are no promotion codes or discounts available at this time. - Can I cancel the merchandise I ordered?
Any trophy ordered can be cancelled prior to 1st March. In order to cancel the merchandise, you will need to email customer_service@vouchedfor.co.uk. - On the guidance it says we have to be clear that the Guide is distributed in the Times rather than endorsed directly by the Times but can we use their logo when we say this on marketing material
You shouldn’t use The Times’ logo on marketing material, but this image may be used instead. - Why don't you list people as chartered or not in the Guide?
Due to limited space, we are unable to list Chartered status in the Guide. - Why can't I list myself as a ‘Mortgage adviser and a Protection adviser'?
The only categories we can allow are Financial Adviser, Financial Coach, Mortgage Adviser, Protection Adviser or Equity Release Adviser. This is to avoid confusion for consumers. However, we will clearly explain within each category the full list of services provided by each adviser. - Will advisers receive a free copy of the Guide?
Yes, advisers will receive a complementary copy of the Guide - How can I check if I have confirmed my listing?
Please email customer_service if you’re unsure about whether you’ve confirmed your listing. - Why can advisers only buy a minimum of 5 Guides?
Due to time and cost issues regarding packing and shipping, we are unable to cater for orders of less than 5 Guides. - Will advisers be emailed about changes to Guide listing?
Yes, you will be notified of any relevant changes up to 3 weeks after you submitted it. - Can I include titles such as DipFS when ordering the trophy?
No. Additional words / titles have led to strange layouts in the past when the trophies were printed. To avoid formatting issues titles, firm names and qualifications will be not used on the trophy. - Do I receive an invoice for my purchase?
An invoice is sent to you automatically via email after your purchase is completed. - When will badges and Top Rated tools be made available?
The badges will be made available on the 5th February, we will be sending out an email on that date to let everyone know that they're available to order. - Can I order the trophy and/or other merchandise without VAT?
Unfortunately, all orders are run through the online store so we are unable to process it as a different amount. - Can I order retrospective trophies for a previous year?
Yes, this is possible. Please email customer_service@vouchedfor.co.uk for more information.
Any questions? Email us at customer_service@vouchedfor.co.uk
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