Guide · Mon Feb 09 2026 19:00:00 GMT-0500 (Eastern Standard Time)
Preparing for a discovery call without building a binder
What UK households should gather before an introductory financial advice meeting — and what can wait until the formal fact-find.
Clients often arrive at a first call with either nothing or a suitcase of statements. Neither extreme helps. A discovery conversation is about fit and scope, not a full fact-find.
Useful materials for thirty minutes:
- A one-page note of what prompted the call — retirement date, divorce settlement, business sale timing, or inheritance questions.
- Rough totals for pensions, ISAs, property equity, and debts (rounded figures are fine).
- Names of other professionals already involved: accountant, solicitor, mortgage broker.
Leave the full PDF archive for later. We will request specific schemes once a letter of engagement is signed.
If both partners need to agree before fees are spent, invite both to the call. Misaligned goals surface early and save weeks of analysis aimed at the wrong priority.