Invested in you

"We were looking for an advisor who could help us to develop a plan for our retirement - not just someone who could give us investment advice - and we worked with David to develop our plan. One of the key benefits of working with David is it has given us confidence about our situation as we head into retirement. David's approach to developing a plan is well thought through, his communication is very good and he takes a prudent and conservative approach. He has all of the attributes that make for a good and trusted advisor. When we were assessing who could help us David was one of the few who emphasised the priority and importance of having a plan and this marked him out from other advisors whose focus was principally on giving investment advice. I would unhesitatingly recommend David and working with him to develop a plan for your retirement."

"John tells you what you need to hear and not always what you want to hear. He takes into account my conservative approach and consults me all the time on anything to do with my investment. John is not getting a commission from other companies to sell their products so I know that he can do what is best for me. My relationship with John is extremely good. I feel relaxed with him and I feel I can ring him up anytime about anything. The service I receive from John is 'perfect'. Michelle, his assistant is knowledgeable, helpful, pleasant and nothing is ever a problem. John is extremely knowledgeable, understanding and pleasant and I am happy to refer anyone to John and have already done so and they are now also happy clients of Makowem & Isaacs Financial Planning."

"Dave provided us with a highly credible Retirement Financial Plan based on a thorough analysis of our personal situation. The systems and processes that they used provided us with a high level of confidence about our future finances. While they use conservative approaches and models, this is exactly what you need when getting financial advice. We would absolutely recommend Makowem & Isaacs Financial Planning to others seeking sound financial advice. Many thanks for your help, assurance and analytical approach insights that I've gained."

The Professional Advisers Association (PAA) Excellence Awards were announced at the National Advisers Conference Gala Dinner, last Thursday night, 3 August 2017. The PAA Excellence awards recognise PAA members who demonstrate the founding values of the Association: client advocacy, diligence in their work, compliance with relevant regulations and professional development.

Nominated by PAA members and industry partners, nominees were scored across a range of criteria by an independent panel of judges. David Isaacs was awarded Investment Adviser of the Year 2017. The judges said “David provides clients with a unique approach to investment planning to achieve retirement or investment goals. He demonstrates achievement of client outcomes and allows clients to make informed decisions about retirement planning.”

“The PAA Excellence Award winners have shown true professionalism, outstanding customer service to their clients and are making a notable contribution to the financial services industry. Our winners deserve the acknowledgement and we congratulate them on their achievement,”

"John seems to care about my investment returns, my financial situation and my general well-being. I have found John to be honest, informed, trustworthy and generous. I trust the advice that John gives me and I recommend John all the time to family and friends. John’s broader approach to my financial affairs is a bit like a financial education and I have been very satisfied with my returns. Working with John feels a bit like working with family."

“Dave from Makowem & Isaacs Financial Planning recently helped me review my investments and retirement planning. I was really pleased with how easy he made it. The meetings were informal but at all times thorough and professional. The written recommendation was comprehensive, accessible and shaped to meet my individual needs.

Overall the experience was extremely positive and I have a far better understanding of my investments now. It is great to know that in Dave and his team I have people who take a genuine interest in helping me reach my short-term and long-term goals and in managing my investments. I can confidently recommend Dave and Makowem & Isaacs Financial Planning to anyone thinking about investing money or planning for retirement.”

"We get really great service from John. John and Michelle are both easy to get along with and nothing is a problem. Emails, phone calls and questions are dealt with quickly and my working relationship with John is more like a friendship. John has taken a long term holistic approach with our financial planning and I trust his advice implicitly. John operates with integrity and he is trustworthy, sincere, professional and somehow manages to communicate in an informed but easy to understand way."

"I discovered an exceptional financial advisor in Dave Isaacs. He explains financial investment so well in plain language – I wish I'd had that clarity of understanding years ago. He's always been friendly and easy to deal with, and given me confidence in his advice. The Select Wealth Management scheme he recommended has performed very well for me too."

"In May 2016, I found myself in a situation where I required financial advice. Dave Isaac's came highly recommended by colleagues with experience in working with advisors who had no hesitation in recommending Dave from the experiences they had.

My first impression was that I was pleasantly surprised. Dave agreed to see me at a day's notice, and at my first meeting I received a very comprehensive overview of the organisation and the communication I received was in plain English but also very informative. Dave really took the time to understand my situation and circumstances and subsequently provided a recommendation 3 days later. I have felt very comfortable, well informed and clear about the process, options and this certainly helped make the decision process easy. With my high expectations in service, efficiency and capability I am extremely pleased with my choice and I look forward to the future with Dave and team."

"When it comes to your hard earned cash, you want someone who is trustworthy, thorough and up-to-date with the latest thinking. That describes Dave Isaacs. Dave has walked my husband and I through a complicated insurance review and application process. He gives you solid advice, goes into bat for you and keeps the process going. We couldn't be more impressed with Dave, he is everything you want in a financial advisor. We plan to have a long-term relationship with Dave and look forward to working with him in the future."

“I've been grateful for the life cover I took through Makowem & Isaacs Financial Planning. Having recently been diagnosed with a serious illness, Makowem & Isaacs Financial Planning organised early repayment of my life cover and rearranged my investments. They've been great in sorting everything out for us.”

“We have been dealing with Makowem & Isaacs Financial Planning for some time now; enough for us to have developed an experienced viewpoint.

Things we like :- The in-depth profile interview used to determine your exact financial position and what you expect/need from your portfolio. We also find it re-assuring that this profile is regularly re-visited to ensure that the investment strategy continues to meet our current needs.

The reporting system which allows us to know exactly where every element of our investments sits at any point in time. This is not an amorphous investment and there is no 'smoke and mirrors'!

The regular reviews and recommendations to maintain the tenor of our investments and the necessity to have our authority before any change is made.

The fact that we are in control whilst receiving the best advice to exercise that control sensibly.

The feeling of security which comes from the deep feeling of trust we have in Dave, our advisor. We, along with others no doubt, are very reluctant to take on the responsibility of advising others, especially when it comes to dealing with life savings. Notwithstanding this, we have had no hesitation whatsoever in recommending Dave's services to friends and family.

Things we don't like :- nothing!”

“I have been impressed with the service I receive from Dave Isaacs and the team at Makowem & Isaacs Financial Planning. They are diligent, take the time to understand my financial situation and as a result can solve for my financial saving requirements. There's regular check ups as well which I like, as our financial situations change over time.”

“I didn't think I would ever see myself in a situation having to manage solely my financial issues. However, after my husband's passing, I realized that I needed help. Good friends suggested I contact Makowem & Isaacs Financial Planning, which I did smartly after my husband's company was sold.

My involvement with Makowem & Isaacs Financial Planning; from day one has been amazing. That initial meeting with my consultant gave me confidence about my financial future. In all aspects of the financial decisions I was totally involved and given the time to fully comprehend the fuller picture. That feeling of security is of paramount importance, knowing that all those years of hard work with both my husband and myself I would be carefully protected for the future. I feel I have a mutual friendship with my consultant who, at all times continues to provide an open door for communication, and gives me excellent quality of advice. Equally the staff are very helpful and informative. I would without any hesitation recommend Makowem & Isaacs Financial Planning”

“I would like to commend Dave Isaacs and the team at Makowem & Isaacs Financial Planning on the professionalism and the manner in which they perform business. Over the years Dave has helped me with insurance and investments and has given prudent advice. He was especially helpful with an insurance claim, speeding up the process and making funds available when they were needed most.

I recommend Dave and his team to anyone wanting financial/investment or insurance advice. There is no pressure from the team, but very good information is provided, which you can then make an informed decision on.”

“We have been clients of Dave Isaacs at Makowem & Isaacs Financial Planning since 2011 and would highly recommend his services. We have been extremely happy with Dave's service and professionalism.

From day one he assured us that our needs, circumstances and preferences were his top priority and recommended a suitable Investment Portfolio to meet our needs.We would recommend Dave to any prospective client.”

“Dave Isaacs has been my investment advisor for several years. I am very impressed by the quality of service I've received. Specifically, the quality of information provided, speed of response to my enquiries and most importantly the level of investment return his advice has delivered to me. I have complete confidence in him and Makowem & Isaacs Financial Planning.”

“Six years ago I engaged Makowem & Isaacs Financial Planning to manage a significant part of my retirement nest-egg. I have a very high level of satisfaction with the disciplined approach and regular clear communication with regard to the performance of my investments. With confidence I recommend Makowem & Isaacs Financial Planning to family and friends.”

“We (my wife and I) have been clients of Makowem & Isaacs Financial Planning for more years than we care to remember and have never had the slightest reason to regret investing with them. Of particular note for us is the regular communication, the regular reviews of the makeup of the investments, the responsiveness of our financial advisor and the year end summaries of information for tax returns.”