Upcoming and Past webinar details and video recordings have been moved to the Webinar Hub.

If your client wishes to make a 'single' investment that is greater than their bank will allow them to transfer in one electronic transaction, there are 2 options available to you.

1. You can make multiple single investments as part of one online application, in which case each electronic payment will be invested as it is received. (please note all investments will go into the same asset allocation.  If investing in ETFs this option may result in paying higher fees depending on the trade size.)
2. If you make one single investment as part of the online application, the investment amount can be split into multiple electronic payments which will be invested upon receipt of the final payment.  Please be aware that client money regulations will only allow us to hold monies for 10 working days before being invested or returned to client bank account.  If the full investment amount is not received within that time we would require a new application for the appropriate amount to be submitted to allow investment of the payments received.

Novia have taken your feedback into account and as a result we have amended our withdrawal process to help clients access their money in these difficult and unpredictable times. 

We will now allow scanned copies of all withdrawal forms (this includes UFPLS and BCE forms for pensions) with immediate effect. As we have heard from Government there is increased fraudulent activity seeking to take advantage of the current situation. The risks are increased where Investor instructions are received non face to face and original documents are not obtained. Novia will of course conduct checks to verify the Investor's bank details and we appreciate your support in completing any additional steps that we may require.

Temporarily, we can also now accept client withdrawal instructions from you as the Adviser, with our form being amended to include an Adviser signature box. 

The security of client assets is paramount to us and all checks will be rigidly carried out. Please note these changes are temporary and we are implementing them to assist in these difficult times in line with our culture of always putting the client first and of maintaining our adaptability to do so.       

In light of the current difficulties around Social Distancing and isolation, Novia will now accept scanned forms (not photos of forms) for any Origo enabled transfers. 

A link has been deployed to the Quick Links section of our home page detailing the list of providers who are currently Origo enabled. We ask that you check this link to determine if the pension transfer you are submitting requires the original (non-Origo) or if you can email us the scanned copy. We will reserve the right to ask for the original, especially if we deem the image isn’t legible. 

IMPORTANT – some of those on the list have legacy books of business or certain policies that can’t move through Origo, or we may find that requests are rejected by the ceding scheme. Ceding schemes also have the right to ask for an original; as such it is important that you retain the original until (at least) the transfer is complete. Where we do need the original, Novia will not be liable for any transfer delays. 

Back in March, when lockdown came into effect and remote working became the norm, we implemented changes to enable you to provide scanned documentation – making it possible for you to continue to provide great service to your clients even when you couldn’t see them in person.

We’re really pleased with the positive feedback we’ve had from you all for this short term solution and now we are looking to implement more robust long term options that will provide even greater ease of use to ensure you can continue to provide the same level of service 

Whilst we are regularly adding new Adviser Zone functionality  to reduce the requirement for paper applications, we are looking to ensure that those processes that cannot be completed as part of the online journey can still be completed without reliance on wet signatures.  As such we have reviewed our requirements and are updating how we will accept instructions. From 10th August, many servicing forms will no longer require a signature – as long as they are submitted via Secure Email within Adviser Zone.  It is important to note that from this time scanned signed documents will no longer be accepted by email.  

New versions of the following forms will become completely signatureless, providing they are delivered as an attachment via the Adviser Zone secure email service.  Any Advisers who do not wish to utilise this option, can still use the forms and submit by post WITH a wet signature:

• Phased Income Recurring Switch instruction
• Rebalancing Instruction
• Recurring Switch Instruction
• Regular Investment Instruction
• Asset Request Form
• Corporate-Trust Rebalancing Instruction
• FATCA Corporate form
• FATCA Individual-joint form
• FATCA Trust form
• Internal transfer
• Stocktrade Account Cancellation
• Stocktrade Application Form
• Age 75 LTA test questionnaire 

To improve efficiency while enhancing security, requesting money to be paid to your client can also be instructed via this signatureless route, providing the form is delivered as an attachment via the Adviser Zone secure email service and we have existing verified bank details on the system. To deliver this more efficient process in a secure way, bank account changes will be a separate request via a new form, which will have to be completed and verified in advance of any withdrawal.  We recommend that you set up bank details for your clients as soon as is convenient to take advantage of the more efficient income and withdrawal process. Alternatively, they can be submitted via post WITH a wet signature:

• Amend Income Drawdown
• Benefit Crystallisation Event Application
• Phased Income Application /Amendment
• Regular investment collection
• Regular withdrawal instruction
• Withdrawal Instruction Investor - GIA and ISA

Some forms will require a wet signature mainly due to the requirements of third parties or until we can incorporate them into new arrangements, we encourage you to revisit this page from time to time as it will be updated with latest guidance as processes are added.  We would also like to encourage you to utilise biometric verification when it is offered as it provides a greater level of security to you, us and most importantly, the investor.

Providing scanned documents even without a scanner can be done easily using one of the many apps available for iOS and android. Simply take a photo on your phone using the app.  Novia is not endorsing or recommending any of these apps and how you and your clients may wish to use them.  However, where Novia is willing to accept scanned documents, during these unprecedented circumstances, it may be helpful for you or your client to use one of these apps.

Please review the details published by Novia about the forms and documents we are willing to accept as a scanned document.  This will enable Novia to process instructions without potential disruption to the post. Novia may still require the original document to follow or may require you to send the original document to us on request, therefore either you or your client must keep the original document.

Some of the apps include additional features.  Although these may be of benefit to you please note that Novia requires a pdf of the scanned image to be sent to us. You must ensure you process your clients' personal data in accordance with the Data Protection Act 2018.

Below are just some of the scanning options available that might help you and your clients over the coming weeks:

Genius Scan

PDF element 

Scanner Pro

Microsoft Office Lens

With the country locked down in self-isolation, technology for client meetings is invaluable. With people of all ages now used to using facetime and other such apps, it would be relatively normal and easier than ever for Advisers to deliver services to clients virtually. 

Better yet, there are a wide range of video conferencing technologies available that take this a step further and allow you to:

• Make it possible for your clients to book meetings directly in your calendar
• Send a meeting request containing a simple link to your client to join the meeting (and in many cases can sync with various calendar systems such as google and outlook).
• Share screens with your client to walk them through any documentation you would normally present in face to face meetings.
• Record the meetings (in fact some video conferencing software can automatically transcribe the meeting to provide a written record.)

Novia is not endorsing or recommending this software or how you should use it with your clients. However, we would recommend that you declare to your client that you aim to record your meeting and ensure that you are aware of where that data is saved if you chose to save it to the cloud rather than on your local machine.

Scheduling software

• MS Bookings - (https://www.microsoft.com/en-gb/microsoft-365/business/scheduling-and-booking-app)
• Calendly - (https://calendly.com/)

Video conferencing software

Here are some examples of video conferencing software that might be useful to you.  Some offer free trial or free tiers depending on the level of use you require.

• Zoom Meeting (https://zoom.us/pricing)
• Callbridge (https://www.callbridge.com/)
• 8x8 (https://www.8x8.com/uk)
• Skype (https://www.skype.com/en/)
• Cisco Webex (https://www.webex.com/)
• Microsoft Teams (https://products.office.com/en-GB/microsoft-teams/group-chat-software)

Transcribing technology

There are a range of transcription or voice to text technologies available that will enable you to keep a written audit trail of your client meetings even if your meetings are via video conferencing.

They all have varying features including mobile options and different levels of access/complexity. Of course, you would need to make it clear to your client that you aim to use this technology.  Here are some examples both paid and free that you might find of use over coming weeks and beyond. 

• Otter.ai (https://otter.ai/login)
• Trint (https://trint.com/)
• Transcribe (https://apps.apple.com/us/app/transcribe-speech-to-text/id1241342461)