Why does Ownvance exist?
Ownvance exists because most people make their biggest money decisions with nobody independent to ask. Banks and platforms have something to sell, friends mean well but guess, and scammers keep getting better at sounding legitimate. We offer a plain, independent view and simple written tools, so people can keep their money safe and decide for themselves.
We work alongside you rather than taking over: we explain, check and write things down, while every decision, and every account, stays in your hands.
What principles guide our work?
Five principles shape our work: build a cushion before investing, take only risks you can explain in plain words, check every firm before money moves, stay independent by being paid only by clients, and write down what matters so you can come back to it calmly when a decision arrives.
- Build a cushion before you invest. Without one, the first shock tends to turn into debt.
- If a risk can't be explained in plain words, it isn't understood well enough to take.
- Check every firm and every offer before money moves, however familiar the name sounds.
- Our clients are the only people who pay us, which leaves nobody else with a reason to steer what we say.
- Write decisions down, so they can be reviewed later rather than remembered under pressure.
Who pays for Ownvance's work?
The people we work for, and nobody else. Every piece of work has a fixed fee agreed in writing before it starts, and we accept nothing from the banks, platforms, fund managers or brokers you might deal with. Nobody else pays for what we write on this website either, so our interests stay lined up with yours.
More on fees is on how we work.
What can you check about Ownvance before you get in touch?
Quite a lot. Our process, fees and limits are all set out on this site; our emails only ever come from this website's domain; and the scope and fixed fee go into a written letter before any work starts. We never ask anyone for money to invest. If something you want to know isn't covered here, ask us.
See how we work and is Ownvance legit?.
How do we write and check this website?
Our guides draw on regulators' own guidance and other official publications, and each one tells you which public records you can check for yourself. Each page is checked before publication and looked at again at least yearly, or sooner when the rules it covers change. When we get something wrong, we correct it openly.
Our editorial policy has the details. If you notice a mistake, please tell us.