Ian Brewer - CEO & Founder

Ian is a multiple award winning, creative and innovative financial advice distribution expert.  He has hands on experience in on-line distribution and is a pioneer in remote financial advice distribution.

Ian has been responsible for launching several innovative advisory businesses from scratch including First Independent Direct, providing full independent financial advice whilst discounting 50% of the commission for the benefit of the consumer.

Ian is the only person to win the BT (British Telecom) Financial Innovation awards for financial services innovation twice in row and has won many other awards for financial services innovation. Ian also made the top 20 in a worldwide competition hosted by Standard Bank to find disruptive ideas in the Fintech Space and was recently selected to be judge in the Customer Experience Awards 2016.

Ian is passionate about doing the right thing for consumers and is determined to right the many wrongs that continue to bring down the Financial Services Industry.

Why We’re Doing This: Ian’s Story

Some 24 years ago I took out a pension. I didn’t pay into it for very long and then pretty much lost track of it until, one day, I received a letter from the Department of Pensions. A certain pension company wanted to get in touch as they had identified me as the owner of the pension plan I had started 24 years ago. A few weeks later, I received a pension statement – it was disappointing – the money I had put in hadn’t grown as much as I would have expected considering how long I had held the pension. In fact, it was now worth less than the money I had put in. I thought being a financial adviser, it must have been invested in some poor performing funds, but when I checked further, this wasn’t the case.
The funds had been growing at an average rate of 8% per year for at least 20 years – not bad at all.

So What Had Gone Wrong?

I queried this with the pension company, who bamboozled me with an explanation which – frankly – I didn’t fully understand. Because it was such a small amount, I couldn’t be bothered to argue any further.
Another 12 months passed and a more detailed statement arrived. Once again it hadn’t grown but this time I noticed why. This Pension Company had been charging an annual management charge of 7.75% pa for 24 years.

I Couldn’t Believe It And I’m A Financial Adviser – I Felt I Had Been Duped!

All Financial Services Companies have an obligation to treat customers fairly (known as TCF). Knowing this, I complained that I had not been treated fairly. An extract from the reply I received is below:
“I appreciate that you do not feel that we have treated you fairly, however, just because you do not agree with the level of annual management charge it does not mean that it is unfair.”
In essence their argument is that they have behaved fairly because they have charged all of our customers an annual management charge of 7.75%.

So They Take All The Growth Over 24 Years And They Call It Fair?

Disappointed, I wanted to transfer the pension elsewhere so that I could reduce the impact of charges. But, as a final insult, they wanted to charge a 50% penalty for giving me the privilege of accessing my own pension!
From this experience, LowerMyCharges.com has been created. My guiding mantra has been ‘if this can happen to me it can happen to anybody’ and I am driven to help you get fair financial advice at a reasonable price.

Peter Deane - Chief Operating Officer & Co-Founder

Peter is an award winning Financial Services Marketer who has worked on some of the most famous brands in the sector.

Peter has championed the consumer throughout his career and has developed a deep understanding of their wants and needs and how, all too often, the Financial Services Industry fails to meet these.

He developed and launched More Th>n, the direct insurer challenger brand from Royal & Sun Alliance that put customers at the heart of its proposition. He also led the marketing teams at the motorists consumer champions The AA and RAC, as well as at the ever popular Churchill Insurance … Oh Yes!

He shares Ian’s passion for doing the right thing for consumers and when Ian approached him with his plans he jumped at the chance to make them happen.

Gerald Evans – Dip CII – CMAP – Financial Adviser

Gerald joined Lower My Charges at inception on January 2019 as a Financial Planner  bringing with him over 30 years experience in Financial Planning within both the Bank assurance and independent world. Gerald specialises in pensions, investments and building life long relationships with his clients.

In his spare time Gerald  enjoys spending time with his family, cycling, jogging and photography.

Dylan Roberts – Dip FA – Financial Adviser

Dylan is an experienced financial services professional, with a background of providing compliance services to banks and large financial organisations on a consultancy basis.

With a track record of reviewing financial advice to ensure it is compliant and suitable, and with a strong belief in providing high quality and low cost advice to everyday people, Dylan is excited to join Lower My Charges as a financial adviser.

Rachael Jenkins – LLB – Financial Administrator

Rachael is our Financial Services Administrator, her background is from High Court Enforcement and RTA claims management within the legal and financial sector and also from compliance management.