Pursuant to provision 4.58A of the Central Bank of Ireland’s September 2019 Addendum to the Consumer Protection Code, please see attached a summary of the details of all arrangements for any fee, commission, other reward or remuneration provided to Chartered Financial Solutions Ltd (CFS), from product producers where a formal agency agreement is in place.

This document does not show the level of remuneration payable on a specific clients plan, but rather the maximum level of commission payable on the various products distributed through CFS. This document can be viewed by clicking here.

 

Chartered Financial Solutions

Guiding Your Financial Future

About Us

About CFS

Chartered Financial Solutions (CFS) has been helping clients plan and achieve their financial goals since early 2005. We advise on over €200 million of pension and investment assets on behalf of a broad range of clients.

CFS is Mark Haskins and Shane Brennan, supported by the hard-working administration team, led by Kate Duffy as the operations manager.

Sadly, our other founding director, Justin Prendergast, passed away suddenly in 2015. Justin was an integral part of the successful growth of our business, and a great friend.

We’ve developed the business and travelled alongside our clients since the very beginning. CFS values long-term relationships with clients; we’re not interested in short-term transactions. It means consistency, continuity, and confidence in a professional approach, which will continue to be our key focus going forward. We are proud to confirm that many of our clients have been with us since 2005, a good testament to these aspirations.

Our fundamental goal is to provide first class impartial advice to retail clients and SMEs, and we are primarily active in the area of pension planning. Since 2005, we have built a successful client facing brokerage based in Ranelagh.

We specialise in empowering owner-directors, senior executives and the self-employed to make well informed decisions with the goal of achieving great long-term financial outcomes.

Terms of
Business and Privacy Statement

A copy of our current Terms of Business is available here. These terms are effective from 9th December 2024. We have also included a copy of our Privacy Statement.

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Fee Schedule

Chartered Financial Solutions Limited provides a transparent charging structure for clients. We operate a fee basis if this is your preferred method of payment.

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Our Remuneration

Pursuant to provision 4.58A of the Central Bank of Ireland’s September 2019 Addendum to the Consumer Protection Code, please find a summary of the details of all arrangements for any fee, commission, other reward or remuneration provided to CFS.

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Chartered Financial Solutions Ltd is regulated by the Central Bank of Ireland

Financial Planning

A good financial plan puts you in control. It gives you a clear sense of where you want to get to, how you’re going to get there and then helps you stay on track.

Over the years, we’ve established what we think is the best approach to financial planning. The core of this is keeping things simple and to the point; we capture the information we need from you then use our expertise to work out the most effective way of helping you achieve your goals. Some elements of financial planning are necessarily complex but the process itself shouldn’t be.

This approach helps to address those important questions:

  • Will my financial position enable me to achieve my lifetime dreams?
  • Will I be able to live the life I want to lead when I retire?
  • Are my business / family financial assets working as hard for me as possible?
  • Does my investment portfolio reflect my preferred level of risk?
  • Will my family be financially secure if I fall ill or die?

We also use clever software to help us give you a clear view of your future financial position. The video below explains this process clearly:

First ticker copy

April 10, 2015

Expert financial planning for profession…Read more

Team

Meet the faces behind our company

Shane Brennan MBA, ACII, QFA, SIA, RPA

Director and co-founder
After nearly 40 years in the industry, Shane has a broad range of experience and qualifications. He is an Associate of the Chartered Insurance Institute, a Qualified Financial Advisor, and a Specialist Investment Advisor. In addition to this, Shane is a Retirement Planning Advisor and holds an Honours MBA.

Linkedin

Mark Haskins MSc, FLIA, QFA, CFP®, RPA

Director and co-founder
A Certified Financial Planner and Qualified Financial Advisor, Mark has over 30 years’ experience in financial services. He also has a master’s degree in Financial Planning, is a Retirement Planning Advisor and is a Fellow of the Life Insurance Association.

Linkedin

Carol Bradford QFA, RPA

Financial Consultant
Carol is a Financial Consultant with over 25 years’ experience working in the financial services industry. Carol works closely with clients providing advice and guidance on all financial objectives. The advice encompasses pensions, investments, savings plans, and protection benefits, with a keen focus on retirement planning.
Carol is both a Qualified Financial Advisor (QFA) and Retirement Planning Adviser (RPA).

Kate Duffy QFA, RPA

Operations Manager
Kate is our operations manager, who is responsible for the smooth functioning of operations and continuous process enhancement across the company. Kate also
works closely with the directors to devise and implement strategic plans to advance the overall goals of the company.

Kate is a Qualified Financial Advisor (QFA) and Retirement Planning Advisor (RPA), with over 7 years’ experience in financial services. Kate also holds an Honours Degree in Commerce International from UCD.

Lauren Gannon QFA

Life & Pensions Administrator
Lauren has worked in CFS since 2019 as a Life & Pensions Administrator. Lauren is a Qualified Financial Advisor (QFA) and looks after both retail and corporate clients. Lauren also holds a BSc (Hons) in Education & Training from DCU.

Sinead O’Donovan QFA

Life & Pensions Administrator
Sinead has worked in CFS since January 2023 as a Life & Pensions Administrator. Sinead is a Qualified Financial Advisor (QFA) and looks after both retail and corporate clients. Beforejoining us in CFS, Sinead spent the previous 8 years working in financial services.
Sinead also holds a degree in Law from UCD.

Our Services

Pensions

While pensions can sometimes seem daunting and complicated, our job is to simplify this journey for you. With the right advice, pensions are plain sailing.

A pension is an incredibly tax efficient way to save for your retirement. We can work with you to identify your pension needs, review your options, and then help you choose a pension that fits your circumstances.

If you’re an employer, we can help you to plan, establish and administer a pension plan for you and your employees. We have many years’ experience of reviewing company needs, advising on employer obligations and helping build and implement successful and rewarding company pension schemes.

Employer Brochure

investments

Investments

The investment world is a big and sometimes confusing place.

We’re guided by a few simple principles, which help to make the most of your investments:

  1. Diversification – a well-diversified portfolio reduces risk.
  2. A long-term view – the longer you’re invested, the more time there is for the ups and downs of markets to balance out and you can benefit from potential growth over time.
  3. Volatility – there’s no such thing as a risk-free While volatility can feel uncomfortable, it’s a normal part of investing.
  4. Market timing is futile.
  5. Risk – understanding your attitude to risk is a key consideration.

At CFS we can help you define your investment goals, determine a balance of risk and reward you’re happy with, and then talk you through your investment options.

We place great value on liquidity of assets, regular reviews, and a well-diversified portfolio.

live-cover

Life & Illness Cover

Protect your life, your lifestyle, and your loved ones. We’ll show you how affordable and worthwhile peace of mind can be.

How financially prepared are you for illness, serious injury or even death? Who would pay the bills, the mortgage and everything else that your income covers? If you’re a business owner, how would the business survive?

No matter how hard it is to think about unexpected serious illness, injury or death, planning ahead will give you enormous peace of mind now, and ease the financial burden if the worst does happen later.

At CFS we can talk you through the various forms of protection you need to provide peace of mind and financial security for you and your loved ones. Our extensive knowledge of the life assurance market allows us to quickly select the most appropriate products and solutions for you.

John Glennon, Managing Partner, RSM Ireland

April 10, 2015

At RSM Ireland, we have trusted the team at Chartered Financial Solutions Ltd (CFS) to provide expert advice and first-class service for over 10 years now. They provide us with personalised advice and insight into our director and staff pension and staff insurances. They are client-centric and have demonstrated a deep understanding of our business throughout the years, always working with us to review our requirements as they adapt to provide tailormade solutions. The service they deliver is continuously high quality, reliable and exceeds our expectations. CFS have delivered for RSM Ireland above and beyond.

Deirdre Sexton

April 10, 2015

CFS has been giving me financial advice for 15+ years now in both Investments and Pensions. Their thorough and on-going service means I know that my investments are being well looked after. Their retirement software is excellent providing much needed piece of mind. I find their services very professional and delivered in simple, clear language that I can understand.

Jude Devins

October 28, 2022

I have used CFS brokers for over 7 years. During that time, I have received excellent independent financial advice in a number of areas including retirement planning, life cover and PHI. They are highly qualified specialists in their field and from my experience their constant focus is on ensuring their clients long term financial goals and needs are met. They are very responsive to all information requests and are very personable to deal with. CFS take time to consider the specific needs of the individual and provide tailored solutions to meet those needs. CFS is how a high-quality brokerage should operate.

Lisa Cantillon

October 28, 2022

I have dealt with Shane Brennan of Chartered Financial Solutions Ltd (CFS) in a professional and personal capacity for over 15 years. Shane Brennan is a true professional. Shane takes time to ensure that his clients understand the entire process of investing in pensions and is always willing to explain things until the client is comfortable. In particular, Shane is very good at ensuring that the client has adequate knowledge to enable the client to make informed decisions. Shane is straight talking, honest and not afraid to tell it as it is. I cannot recommend Shane highly enough. CFS also have expertise to explain, not only the different type of investments but, the people behind the investments to understand the skill levels of investment managers which is a key information for clients.

Paul King

October 28, 2022

We have dealt with Shane in CFS for nearly ten years, having known both principals in CFS for many more. Mark and Shane are very professional, knowledgeable (as are their staff) and a pleasure to deal with. More importantly CFS have reassured my wife and I, in a seamless way, in our financial journey of raising our family and saving for our retirement through a comprehensive financial plan. Also, life and savings policies have been reviewed which have saved us money and also optimised the correct amount of life cover. I would highly recommend anyone looking for financial advice speak with Shane or Mark in CFS.

Robbie Grogan, Finance Director, Kepak Group

October 28, 2022

After a number of years of receiving poor service from our previous advisors Kepak Group appointed CFS. They have been the professional advisors on the Kepak Group Pension & Risk Schemes for many years. The professional manner in which they provide service, support, and advice is exemplary. They have the necessary resources in place to deliver a consistent service offering and ensure the smooth running of a large group pension scheme. Shane & Mark also provide excellent, tailored advice to our employees on their pension funds and the range of options available to them. Additionally, from my perspective, as finance director, I have a very high level of confidence that the services they provide protect both the interests of the business and the members of the scheme. This allows me to sleep easy at night in the knowledge that we are operating our scheme to the highest standard. We would highly recommend their services to others.

Gerry O’Grady

October 28, 2022

Chartered Financial services has been my financial adviser in terms of insurance, pensions, and investments for many years both personally and professionally. From a company perspective CFS organised and managed a number of pension schemes in various companies in which I've been employed. Their advice and service, particularly from Shane Brennan, was always so good that I made it my business to have CFS appointed as pension scheme advisers in each company I moved to and they remain as advisers to my own company today. From a personal perspective, CFS and Shane have advised myself and my wife on everything from life assurance, serious illness protection, pensions and investments and continue to do so today. I can't speak highly enough of their professional and personal service, the calm and clear manner in which complicated financial matters are explained, the regular updates they provide and the suggestions they make in terms of new potential investments. I would wholeheartedly recommend CFS to any prospective client.

Insights

Find out what’s happening at our company

October 31, 2024

Pension Fund Threshold Changes – October 2024

By Shane Brennan
Pension Fund Threshold Changes On the 18th September 2024, the Department of Finance released recommendations following an independent revie…
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December 12, 2023

Auto Enrolment – Guidance for Employers

By Kate Duffy
Auto Enrolment – Guidance for Employers As there has been lots of media coverage on the Irish Government’s proposed Auto Enrolment (AE) sche…
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May 29, 2020

Recent Market Volatility – May 2020

By Shane Brennan
What strange and challenging times we are all living in. As Covid-19 continues to restrict all of us in Ireland and around the world, everyo…
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March 22, 2019

Dublin Broker of the Year!

By Shane Brennan
22nd March 2019 - LPI Dublin Broker of the Year We were absolutely delighted to win the prestigious LPI Dublin Broker of the Year award at l…
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May 25, 2018

Updated Privacy Statement

By Shane Brennan
As the whole world no doubt knows, today is the day that the General Data Protection Regulations (GDPR) come into force. Accordingly, we hav…
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January 2, 2018

Updated Terms of Business

By Shane Brennan
Following recent regulatory changes, we have updated our terms of business, effective immediately. You can view these updated terms here.…
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October 11, 2016

Budget 2017

By Shane Brennan
In recent years it seems that most of the budget is leaked in advance, and this year was no exception.  For your convenience, we have highli…
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July 27, 2016

Retirement Options Changes for Defined Benefit Members

By Shane Brennan
From 22 June 2016, Revenue practice for retirement options on the treatment of Personal Retirement Bonds (PRB's) for former members of Defin…
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July 1, 2016

BREXIT – Further Update (Friday 1st July)

By Shane Brennan
Good afternoon, The old saying "a week is a long time in politics" was never more true! It's certainly been an eventful few days in the UK,…
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June 24, 2016

Brexit – Initial Update

By Shane Brennan
BREXIT – Initial Market Update (Friday PM) Good afternoon, As the song goes "breaking up is hard to do", but that hasn't stopped the UK from…
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July 27, 2015

Justin Prendergast RIP

By Shane Brennan
It is with great sadness that we inform you of the sudden passing of our wonderful friend and colleague Justin Prendergast. Justin passed aw…
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June 30, 2015

Update on Greece – 30th June 2015

By Shane Brennan
With Greece set to default on its IMF debt today, the following update sets out what we may expect over the coming days. Background Greece a…
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May 14, 2015

Pension Fund Thresholds – July 2015 Deadline

By Shane Brennan
The 2013 Finance Act reduced the Standard Pension Fund Threshold for individuals to €2 million, effective from 1st January 2014. While the m…
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January 12, 2015

Updated Terms of Business

By Shane Brennan
Following a regular review of our compliance procedures, we are updating our terms of business document to reflect the following  changes: A…
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December 3, 2014

CFS Fee Schedule

By Shane Brennan
Our updated schedule of fees is now available by clicking here.…
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November 17, 2014

Finance Bill 2014 – Changes to ARF’s & AMRF’s

By Shane Brennan
The Finance Bill was published on 23rd October 2014, and included a number of proposed changes to the treatment of Approved Minimum Retireme…
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October 14, 2014

Budget 2015 – Summary

By Shane Brennan
As the 2015 budget proceeds through the Dail this evening, the main points are outlined below. From a pensions perspective, the Minister has…
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July 9, 2014

Market Review – Q2 2014

By Shane Brennan
June continued the positive momentum with equities and bonds once again making gains. In June, the MSCI World Equity Index increased by 1.5%…
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June 1, 2014

Updated Terms of Business

By Shane Brennan
Following a recent review of our compliance procedures, we are updating our terms of business document to include the following  changes: A…
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January 14, 2014

Markets Review – Q4 2013

By Shane Brennan
December saw markets finish the year on a positive note with equities increasing further to record another stellar year. Markets had taken a…
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July 25, 2013

Market Review – Q2 2013

By Shane Brennan
Global equities fell for the first month in eight after the Federal Reserve reiterated it was mulling tighter monetary policy. Chairman Ben…
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April 11, 2013

Finance Act 2013 – Implications for Pensions

By Shane Brennan
Two important changes to pensions were passed into law in the Finance Act last week. Each are covered below. 1. Access to AVC’s Members of o…
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April 3, 2013

Market Update – Q1 2013

By Shane Brennan
The first quarter of the year turned out to be very strong for equity markets in particular. The strong returns were driven by a combination…
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February 27, 2013

Cessation of the Eligible Liabilities Bank Guarantee Scheme

By Shane Brennan
Yesterday the Irish Government announced the cessation of the Eligible Liabilities Guarantee (ELG) Scheme, effective from 28th March 2013. T…
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February 27, 2013

Irish Bank Deposit Guarantee Schemes

By Shane Brennan
Please click here for a summary of the two bank deposit guarantee schemes. The ELG will cease on 28th March 2013.…
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December 18, 2012

Deposit Rates – 18th December 2012

By Shane Brennan
Updated deposit rates are now available here. Rates are subject to change at short notice, so please contact us should you wish to confirm a…
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December 6, 2012

Budget 2013 – Summary

By Shane Brennan
The 2013 budget was read to the Dail yesterday afternoon, with no great surprises this year. Total spending cuts of €2BN were announced, as…
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September 24, 20120

Deposit Rates – 24 September 2012

By Shane Brennan
Updated deposit rates are now available here. As these rates are subject to change at short notice, pease contact us should you wish to conf…
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July 17, 20120

Where now for Europe?

By Shane Brennan
July 2012 - Kleinworth Benson Investors have just produced a well balanced article about the ongoing Eurozone crisis. With their permission,…
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July 8, 20120

Market Update – Q2 2012

By Shane Brennan
Equity markets rallied in June with all equity markets exhibiting positive returns. In a very eventful month the markets were mostly range b…
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March 5, 20120

Deposit Rates – 5th March 2012

By Shane Brennan
Updated deposit rates are now available here. As these rates are subject to change at short notice, please contact us should you wish to con…
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August 4, 2011

Pension Levy Update

By Shane Brennan
Pension Fund Levy – Further Update Despite fierce opposition and much criticism, the Finance Bill (No.2) 2011 was passed into law on 22nd Ju…
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June 20, 20110

Deposit Rates – 20th June 2011

By Shane Brennan
Updated deposit rates are now available here. As these rates are subject to change at short notice, please contact us should you wish to con…
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June 1, 20110

Extension of Eligible Liabilities Guarantee Scheme

By Shane Brennan
1st June 2011 - the NTMA has today confirmed the extension of the Eligible Liabilities Guarantee Scheme until 31st December 2011. A copy of…
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May 11, 2011

Pension Levy

By Shane Brennan
The Government last night announced a levy of 0.6% of the market value of private pension funds. This is intended to raise €470 million this…
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April 8, 20110

Market Update – Q1 2011

By Shane Brennan
Global equity markets were shaken by the civil unrest in Libya and the Middle East and the massive natural disaster that hit Japan during Ma…
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March 25, 20110

Deposit Rates – 25th March 2011

By Shane Brennan
Updated deposit rates are now available here. As these rates are subject to change at short notice, please contact us should you wish to con…
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January 10, 20110

Markets Review – December 2010

By Shane Brennan
December was another good month for global equities and brought an end to a very strong year of performance for global equity markets. The M…
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December 7, 2010

Budget 2011 – Summary

By Shane Brennan
Good evening - a quick summary of the budget is below. We will no doubt be writing more about this subject in the coming days and weeks! Inc…
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December 1, 2010

EU/IMF Support Package

By Shane Brennan
Eoin Fahy, Chief Economist with Kleinworth Benson Investors has produced an excellent summary of the recently announced EU/IMF support packa…
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November 10, 20100

Deposit Rates – 10th November 2010

By Shane Brennan
Updated deposit rates are now available here.  As these rates are subject to change at short notice, please contact us should you wish to co…
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August 25, 20100

Deposit Rates – 25th August 2010

By Shane Brennan
Updated deposit rates are now available here.  As these rates are subject to change at short notice, please contact us should you wish to co…
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July 9, 20100

Market Review – H1 2010

By Shane Brennan
The MSCI World Index fell 3.2% in June, bringing the 2010 return to date to +5.9%. As has been the case for some months, daily volatility wa…
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June 24, 20100

Deposit Rates – 24 June 2010

By Shane Brennan
Updated deposit rates are now available here. As these rates are subject to change at short notice, please contact us should you wish to con…
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April 9, 20100

Deposit Rates – 9th April 2010

By Shane Brennan
Updated deposit rates are now available here. As these rates are subject to change at short notice, please contact us should you wish to con…
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April 8, 20100

Market Review – Q1 2010

By Shane Brennan
World equities enjoyed a very strong end to the first quarter with the MSCI World Index gaining 7.2% in March (in Euro terms). The index fin…
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March 1, 20100

Deposit Rates – 1st March 2010

By Shane Brennan
Updated deposit rates are now available here. As these rates are subject to change at short notice, please contact us should you wish to con…
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January 15, 20100

Deposit Rates – 15th January 2010

By Shane Brennan
Updated deposit rates are now available here. As ever, these rates are subject to change without notice, so please contact us to confirm up…
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January 11, 20100

Market Review – December 2009

By Shane Brennan
Markets ended 2009 in a very positive vein gaining 6.6% (in Euro terms) in December. The MSCI World index returned 29% for the year as marke…
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January 4, 20100

We’ve Moved!

By Shane Brennan
We are pleased to advise our customers and business partners that we have completed our move to more spacious offices in Ranelagh. See our C…
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December 4, 20090

Market Review – November 2009

By Shane Brennan
November was a positive month for equity markets overall as the MSCI World Index rose by 2.3%. However, this figure masks the volatility dur…
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December 1, 20090

Deposit Rates – 1st December 2009

By Shane Brennan
Updated deposit rates are now available by following this link. These rates are subject to change without notice, so please contact us shoul…
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November 5, 20090

Market Review – October 2009

By Shane Brennan
Global markets posted their first negative monthly return since February. The MSCI World Index fell by 2.7% overall. The month was volatile…
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October 13, 20090

Market Review – September 2009

By Shane Brennan
Global equity markets posted their seventh successive positive monthly return in September as the global economic recovery maintained it's m…
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October 12, 2009

Justin Prendergast – FLIA !!

By Shane Brennan
Many congratulations to Justin on completing his Fellow of the Life Insurance Association Examinations. Done in style too, with 75% achieved…
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October 8, 20090

Deposit Rates – 8th October 2009

By Shane Brennan
Updated deposit rates are now available here. These rates are subject to change without notice, so please contact us should you require conf…
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September 11, 20090

Market Review – August 2009

By Shane Brennan
Global equity markets continued in their positive vein in August but with varying overall returns for regional markets. The MSCI World Index…
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August 7, 20090

Market Review – July 2009

By Shane Brennan
So much for sell in May & go away...... July was a very strong month for global equity markets, with the MSCI World Index up over 7% in…
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August 5, 20090

Deposit Rates – 5th August 2009

By Shane Brennan
Updated deposit rates are now available here. These rates are subject to change without notice, so please contact us should you require conf…
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July 16, 20090

Deposit Rates – 16th July 2009

By Shane Brennan
Updated deposit rates are now available here. These rates are subject to change without notice, so please contact us should you require conf…
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July 10, 20090

Market Review – June 2009

By Shane Brennan
As the stockmarket saying goes - 'Sell in May and go away.....' After the rallies of March, April & May, June was a quieter month for gl…
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June 24, 20090

Protected: Pension Scheme Briefing – June 09

By Shane Brennan
Thanks to those who attended today's pension briefing, which we hope you found informative. Click here for a copy of the presentation slides…
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June 10, 2009

Deposit Rates – 10th June 2009

By Shane Brennan
Following recent client feedback, we are now adding a facility to our website for visitors to research current deposit rates in the market.…
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June 9, 20090

Market Review – May 2009

By Shane Brennan
…
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May 18, 20090

Market Review – April 2009

By Shane Brennan
April saw a continued rally in equity markets from their lows in early March 2009. The MSCI World Index rose by 11.5% as investor sentiment…
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April 8, 20090

Market Review – March 2009

By Shane Brennan
March 2009 was a positive month for equity markets with the MSCI World Index up 2.9%. All major regions posted positive returns, with Asia t…
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March 9, 20090

Market Review – February 2009

By Shane Brennan
February was another extremely weak month for equity markets. More astonishing losses were reported by the banking sector, which again recei…
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March 5, 20090

DCU In The Community, Lecture Series – 4th March 2009

By Shane Brennan
Many thanks to all who attended our Savings & Investment lecture in Dublin City University last night. Attached please find a copy of th…
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February 15, 20090

Market Review – January 2009

By Shane Brennan
January 2009 was the fifth successive negative month for stock markets, with the MSCI World Index falling by 1%. The month began with a shor…
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November 10, 20070

Marathon Success

By Shane Brennan
Many congratulations to Mark & Justin on their successful completion of the New York Marathon this November. Photographic evidence above…
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