Treating Customers Fairly

IMC Financial Services Ltd (IMC) are delighted to inform their clients that they have embraced all aspects of The Financial Services Authority (FSA) - Treating Customers Fairly (TCF) policy and have reviewed all its company's procedures and practices to ensure that their actions fully embrace TCF principles and expected outcomes.

The FSA, who IMC are directly regulated by, are an independent watchdog overseeing the financial services industry and offer both rules and guidelines to assist companies, like ourselves, in both managing and developing their clients and client needs.

The FSA have defined six consumer outcomes, which explain what they want TCF to achieve for consumers and we are proud to say that our Company policies and procedures follow the same guidelines.

Detailed below are the six outcomes the FSA are looking to achieve through TCF and how we at IMC conduct our business to incorporate each one of them.

1. Consumers can be confident that they are dealing with firms where the fair treatment of customers is central to the corporate culture

IMC response: We have always conducted our business with the best interest of our clients being the fundamental goal. We follow very clear processes when dealing with both potential and existing clients. Our advice process enables all our Advisers to fully understand our clients financial needs as well as any specific goals they may have now or in the future. As an independent advisory firm, we have access to the whole of market for products such as MORTGAGES, PROTECTION, INVESTMENTS and PENSIONS, which ensures that our recommendations are both suitable and specific for our individual clients.

We undertake regular reviews on our Advisers sales to ensure both suitability and compliance and our findings form part of the individual Advisers continuous professional development.

2. Products and Services marketed and sold in the retail market are designed to meet the needs of identified consumer groups and targeted accordingly

IMC response: We agree with our clients to contact them prior to the expiry of any previously agreed product sale or when we are aware of a clients future specific financial need and are authorised to recommend suitable solutions.

In addition we send our clients our bi-annual "smart money" magazine, which provides useful and up to date details of changes in the financial sector. Clients that have completed the IMC data protection document will be excluded from this communication at their request.

An example of how we are proactive in contacting our clients to address a near future need is our letter and follow-up telephone calls to those clients who have an expiring mortgage product within the forthcoming 3 months. Communication will always be initially in the form of a letter prior to any telephone calls being made concerning this matter. We do not undertake any cold calling as we obtain clients authority to undertake the above calls through the signing of our re-mortgage consent form at the time of the original mortgage having completed.

3. Consumers are provided with clear information and are kept appropriately informed before, during and after the point of sale.

IMC response: We are committed to continued communication with both potential and existing clients and are rightly proud of the positive feedback received from our clients with regard to this area (please see feedback examples at end of document).

After an initial meeting, our Advisers will maintain an agreed regular contact with their clients until both parties are ready to complete the product solution required. After an agreed sale, our administration team will be in regular contact to ensure that the client is kept informed on their application process and to offer any additional assistance if required. Furthermore, we will not only contact the client after the completion of their product sale but continuously throughout the future by way of our bi-monthly magazine or mortgage renewal letter/telephone call.

4. Where consumers receive advice, the advice is suitable and takes account of their circumstances.

IMC response: Our Advisers are qualified to give both advice and recommendations to their clients, having achieved the necessary industry qualifications such as CeMap and FPC.

Prior to offering any advice or recommendations our Advisers will complete a comprehensive fact find of their clients present circumstances and future goals and will utilise this information when providing independent solutions.

IMC are directly regulated by the FSA, who are an independent watchdog that regulates financial services and are covered by The Financial Services Compensation Scheme.

5. Consumers are provided with products that perform as firms have led them to expect, and the associated service is of an acceptable standard and as they have been led to believe.

IMC response: We have internal measurements to review the performance of a number of our recommended product providers and we utilise this information when offering financial solutions to our clients needs.

All sales are administrated from application to completion with further contact made by us to ensure full client satisfaction with the service afforded by all IMC staff. Feedback is subsequently used for both individual staff development and company review.

6. Consumers do not face unreasonable post-sale barriers imposed by firms to change product, switch provider, submit a claim or make a complaint.

IMC response: We undertake to ensure that prior to any agreed product sale, our Advisers have discussed all the features and benefits of their recommended product and have ensured that any restrictions or penalties involved with the contract are clearly understood by our clients and do not conflict with their plans or requirements.

All our Advisers, prior to recommending a product solution, will review any restrictions, time clauses and penalties in line with the client's details to confirm suitability.

We also undertake to contact our clients prior to the expiry of a previously agreed product sale to discuss future actions required to maintain maximum product benefits.

Below are a few comments received from our clients via our Customer Satisfaction questionnaire, which is sent out on completion of a sale.

• Total integrity and good communicator
• Knowledgeable and helpful. Administrator kept us regularly updated throughout the process, which was very much appreciated.
• Both Adviser and administrator were excellent
• Will use you again
• Concise advice and delivery is always important and we found that this was achieved
• IMC has been excellent, very confident in Adviser getting me right product and whenever I deal with him, I have always been happy.
• He was easy to deal with and very responsive to our requests and identified the best mortgage given our requirements.
• Good, very responsive, set out options well.
• Honest and thought of me as customer at all times. Solution recommended resulted in no benefit to individual adviser but you would not have known from enthusiasm and care taken.
• Awkward scenario made very simple and understandable by adviser, clear and concise.

For general insurance we usually offer products from a selected panel
of providers.

I M C Financial Services Ltd, IMC House, 17 Sheen Lane, Mortlake,
London SW14 8HY.

I M C Financial Services Ltd is authorised and regulated by the Financial Services Authority. I M C Financial Services Ltd is entered on the FSA register (http://www.fsa.gov.uk) under reference 449388.

The FSA do not regulate some forms of mortgage.

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