Testimonials

“As retirement time approached (after what would be nearly 40 years in the civil service) I wanted sensible guidance on how to manage my pension and my bits and pieces of savings/DIY investments.

My union was willing to advise me, but just didn’t inspire me with a great deal of confidence. Looking at adverts – and what related details I could find online – about the myriad of independent financial advisors and investment organizations was confusing to say the least.

Then I got myself booked onto a short course, run by the civil service for employees in my position, about things to consider when retiring. The most attractive aspect was that it included a session on pensions, tax and investment. That part was rather good and happened to be delivered by Greg Spiller.

After my other dabbling’s in search of guidance Greg was a breath of fresh air. I really liked his personality, his evident knowledge/expertise and enthusiasm and it wasn’t very long afterwards that I decided to see what he could do for me.

And Greg did rather well. He explored carefully my circumstances and financial needs, explained the options and agreed with me a way forward I felt comfortable with. Greg set up some rather better investments for me than what I had been running and organized what has turned out to be a rather profitable home for what was left of my pension lump sum after the balance of my mortgage was settled.



The investment organization he helped me choose has kept me informed of progress, Greg has kept me informed of any relevant developments and he seems to have managed to keep my charges pleasantly low.

All in all, rather good in the approximately three years we have been associated and I’m happy to recommend Greg Spiller as a very good IFA."

Robin Cowley

HM Principal Inspector of Health & Safety, Retired

“As Chief Executive of EC02 our company has recently benefited from the professional straight talking independent financial advice provided by Gregory Vesey Spiller (Director) of Acumen Associate Financial Services through a review of our company employee benefits that we provide.

As a company, we were pleasantly surprised that an ongoing cost reduction of 30% was able to be achieved relating to our Group Pension Scheme. Moreover, a substantial upgrade to our Group Life Cover Scheme by way of increasing Free Life cover levels by 84% relating to all staff.

The huge improvements would not have been achieved without accepting the free review from Greg Spiller and his team. Our experiences have been extremely positive on this basis and are therefore happy to endorse the free review service provided by Greg. His extensive level of personal experience in providing financial advice both at company level and personal in our opinion makes the service beneficial to all."

David Williams

Chief Executive ECO2 Limited

"I have known Greg Spiller, Director of Acumen since 1998. I trust Greg to handle my own financial affairs.

My firm regularly recommends clients to Greg Spiller as we have confidence in his ability to assist clients. He is very approachable, and clients are happy with the service that he provides."

Michael Downey & Aidan Jones

Partners Glamorgan Law; previously Charles, Crookes & Jones

"Greg Spiller IFA and Practice Principal of Acumen Financial Services has provided an efficient and professional service by arranging a number of buy to let mortgages for me over the past few years. Each time he has managed to secure the best mortgage deal, been on hand with any advice required and has ensured that the process has run smoothly from start to finish. I will certainly be using him in the future and would be more than happy to recommend him to others."



Ruth Amesbury

Senior FInance Officer, Civil Service

"The pension advice I received from Greg Spiller IFA and Practice Principal of Acumen Financial Services was amazing. I had a number of pensions and it had all got a bit confusing, he arranged for all the pensions I had to be transferred into one pension fund and helped me manage my future in a much more effective way, and would be more than happy to recommend him to others."

Paul Amesbury

Business Proprietor

"I first met Greg Spiller in 2014, at a Pre-retirement course arranged by the national Civil Service Learning organisation. Greg had been requested by Civil Service Learning to present an information session to educate Civil Servants about their investment options when they retired.

I was very impressed by Greg’s extensive knowledge. His impartial sound advice certainly gave me the opportunity to consider the best options to suit my personal circumstances. After I retired in 2015 I did not hesitate in contacting Greg. He spent a great deal of time discussing and advising me of the best returns on investment to suit my requirements.

Greg has telephoned and emailed me regularly since then to keep me updated on my investments. I have total confidence in his ability as a professional in the field of finance and I would not hesitate in recommending him to family and friends.



In my opinion Greg provides a first-class service and I have no doubt that he maintains a high level of service for all his clients."

Deborah Chard

Retired Civil Servant Manager

"I have known Greg for over 24 years, during which time he has advised me and my family about a significant number of financial issues.

These have included, investments, mortgages, life insurance pensions and taxes. His sound advice has always been valuable but his advice re pensions has been particularly welcome in the light of all the changes he is always up to date and I have found his advice and guidance immensely helpful and supportive.



He comes to the house, nothing is too much trouble to him and he always goes the extra mile. He deals with all matters with confidentiality and an obvious clear understanding of my family’s needs."

Professor Jonathan Cowpe

Director Dental Postgraduate Education in Wales & Honorary Consultant in Oral Surgery

"I have always found Greg Spiller’s advice and support invaluable. A few years ago, in the months leading up to my retirement from my post as Professor of Paediatrics at the University of Wales College of Medicine in Cardiff Greg’s advice on my pension options proved first rate.

He has since helped manage our financial portfolio, especially that which concerns investments, with wisdom and a sensitivity that reflects a very thorough understanding of the economic marketplace. We very much appreciate Greg’s integrity and it is always a pleasure to be in his company."

Professor David P Davies

Retired Head of Paediatrics University of Wales College of Medicine Cardiff

"I have known Greg Spiller of Acumen Financial Services for more than ten years. In that time, he has been personally responsible for looking after a broad range of services for me, my husband more recently my sons.

His diligence in being up to date with the latest market products is impressive and his own personal continuous improvement in keeping his qualifications to the highest level enable him to provide his customers with best advice and service.

For us as a family Greg and his staff have advised us on a wide range of areas as listed below:

· Initially securing a number of Mortgages – domestic and buy-to-let – always providing the most current whole of market competitive rates with plenty of choice offered to suit our financial needs.

· Purchase of an Investment Bond to utilise a pension cash sum when I left work, this bond offer was only open for a short period of time, however due to his excellent product awareness Greg secured this for me. This has proved far better than attempting to buy an annuity with a relatively small sum.

· Restructured and significantly improved not only my husband’s Personal Pension Scheme but more importantly his Company’s Pension Scheme, which was under performing with above average charges to the disadvantage of the employees prior to Greg’s intervention.

· Advised and arranged an Actively Managed whole of market Investment Portfolio more recently with one of the best Discretionary Fund Management companies based in the UK. Our Portfolio Investment has been arranged by Greg at a lower cost structure than that could be obtained through dealing direct with the Investment Company. Once again this has been good advice and I am delighted with the professionalism of the investment company, their thorough communications and most importantly the performance of portfolio.

· Researching and arranging Protection Plans for Life Insurance, Critical Illness, and Home Insurance from the whole of market ensuring we obtain the most appropriate and cost effective protection plans available.

· Family guidance over the last two years for both my sons in preparing to raise their first mortgages, Greg has personally seen them both through the process with advice and administration support making it clear and straightforward.

· On a communication level, Greg responds rapidly to requests to phone him and responds to emails normally within a few hours. He will attend meetings at your home and is often available on a Saturday morning. In short, nothing is too much trouble.

Greg and his associates deliver a friendly service backed up by exceptional knowledge and care. I can also confirm from my experience that should Greg be out of the office when you call, help and support is always at hand from his knowledgeable associates until his return.



As a family, we have also recommended Greg to our friends and they have been more than pleased."

Linsy Williams

Retired Vice President of Human Resources Gyrus Medical

"I have known Greg Spiller of Acumen Associate Financial Services for the past seven years. After many dealings with financial “planners” I have finally found one I can genuinely trust. Greg is very personable and a mine of information on all matters relating to personal finances.

He is always available on the telephone and can sum up range of options in an easily understandable way, whether they relate to mortgages, investments, pensions, private health care etc.



He will leave no stone unturned and both myself and my family are grateful to him for providing a first-class service over many years. I would recommend Greg to other people without hesitation, Greg is the route to finally getting your house in order."

Carolyn Meade

Head Teacher Cyfarthfa High School Merthyr Tydfil

"I have known Greg Spiller of Acumen Associate Financial Services for about 8 years during this time I have always found him to be approachable and friendly while maintaining a professional approach.

He was recommended to me to help me sort out my pension with a big pension agency he managed to sort out with one letter something I had been trying to do for 5 years so I was very impressed.

He has always been happy to explain everything to me in language I understand which I found a welcome change from others I have had financial advice from in the past.

He is always contactable and returns calls and queries immediately (often on a Sunday) and I like the fact that you get straight through to him and not a call centre.



He has helped us to manage our finances and make the best use of our money I definitely wouldn’t make any decision without consulting him I trust him completely and I know that everything we discuss is totally confidential."

Marianne Cowpe

Principal Lecturer Field Leader Policy Leadership & Clinical Governance

"I met Greg Spiller before 2010 when I was still working at what is now Airbus in Newport; when he was invited in, by the company, to advise employees about their wider options in providing for their livelihood towards and after retirement.

Impressed with what I saw I approached him personally and he has since then provided me with a service I understand and which has worked very well for me. My meetings with him have always been a pleasure and in many ways rather fun. He is realistic but optimistic and his advice has been proved sound.



I count him as a friend."

Peter A.J.Swinbank B.Tech LL.B C.Eng MIET

Retired Professional

"As retirement time approached (after what would be nearly 40 years in the civil service) I wanted sensible guidance on how to manage my pension and my bits and pieces of savings/DIY investments.

My union was willing to advise me, but just didn’t inspire me with a great deal of confidence. Looking at adverts – and what related details I could find online – about the myriad of independent financial advisors and investment organizations was confusing to say the least.

Then I got myself booked onto a short course, run by the civil service for employees in my position, about things to consider when retiring. The most attractive aspect was that it included a session on pensions, tax and investment. That part was rather good and happened to be delivered by Greg Spiller.

After my other dabblings in search of guidance Greg was a breath of fresh air. I really liked his personality, his evident knowledge/expertise and enthusiasm and it wasn’t very long afterwards that I decided to see what he could do for me.

And Greg did rather well. He explored carefully my circumstances and financial needs, explained the options and agreed with me a way forward I felt comfortable with. Greg set up some rather better investments for me than what I had been running and organized what has turned out to be a rather profitable home for what was left of my pension lump sum after the balance of my mortgage was settled.



The investment organization he helped me choose has kept me informed of progress, Greg has kept me informed of any relevant developments and he seems to have managed to keep my charges pleasantly low.

All in all, rather good in the approximately three years we have been associated and I’m happy to recommend Greg Spiller as a very good IFA."

"We have known Greg Spiller for more than 20 years, within that time he has become not just a financial advisor of the highest quality but also a good friend. Greg is the only person we trust with our money.



Nothing has ever been too much trouble for him, he always goes the extra mile. Greg always acts with the utmost integrity and sincerity. We cannot thank him enough for the financial portfolio that he achieved on behalf of our son Matthew, Greg really is one in a million."

Cheryl & Phillip Prewett

Trustees

"We have used the services of Greg Spiller Independent Financial Adviser Principal of Acumen Associate Financial Services for holistic financial planning advice, the advice service that he provides to us relates to Pensions and Investments.

The services he has provided to date involve a detailed review of our existing plans and our attitude to risk to check if they are still appropriate for our needs, combined with an analysis of what our needs and personal objectives are.

Greg then recommended the most appropriate Pension and Investment products from the whole of the market, being an Independent Financial Adviser allows him to do this as he is not a restricted advice based financial adviser as most of them are these days. As an IFA this enables Greg to select the best financial product solution available for us to achieve our personal objectives.

Being recently retired we wanted to feel confident that our financial portfolio was being managed as efficiently and professionally as possible. A friend recommended Greg and I am extremely pleased that I acted on that recommendation.

Greg in my opinion has provided the highest quality professional advice and personal service, he always makes himself available to speak to us and what is very important to us is he provides advice in language we can understand without jargon.

Greg is patient with friendly manner, we believe he goes the ‘extra mile’ and the same applies to his office staff who we have had occasion to deal with if he is in client meeting.



In addition, we like the fact that when you call the Greg Spiller Acumen office he has a person answering the phone not a computer, being able to speak with person not a machine matters to us going forward in this progressively computerised world we live in."

Brian & Kaye Fletcher

Retired Professionals, Monmouthshire

"I have known Greg Spiller for a number of years after consulting him on financial advice for my mother. He impressed me with his friendly manner, patient approach and professional attitude.

Our paths have crossed since; he gave a most helpful talk on financial considerations at a retirement seminar that I attended.

Since retiring, I have consulted Greg for investment advice and once again have been impressed by his diligence and attention to detail.



I am pleased to recommend Greg wholeheartedly as an exemplary professional Independent Financial Adviser.

I look forward to our next meeting, whenever it may be."

Chris Lewis

Retired Senior Civil Servant

"Our family has been delighted to receive high quality financial advice and support from Greg Spiller over a number of years. He offered sound and sympathetic advice to my mother at a difficult time which so impressed us that we subsequently transferred our own financial affairs into his capable hands and recommended that our children did the same. In my case, he has supported me through the start-up of my new business; a process that I was finding confusing and overwhelming. He worked tirelessly to ensure that I was provided with the best possible information to make decisions.



We are all grateful to him for his professionalism, efficiency, and patience. He carefully considers each client’s circumstances before offering personalised advice and recommendations. We are pleased to recommend him unreservedly."

Richard & Amanda King

Education Consultancy Services

"Greg Spiller was recommended to us and as a family we have engaged his services for Independent Financial Planning Advice. Important to us is that Greg has an affiliation with Shropshire because he has a son living locally which means Greg spends a lot of time in the area.

The services Greg has provided us to date involve Advice on Pensions and Investments which has included a detailed review of our existing plans and our attitude to risk. This part of the service was vital to ensure that our existing plans met with our needs and requirements.

In our opinion Greg has provided the highest quality professional advice and personal service. He always makes himself available to speak to us and what is very important to us is he provides financial advice in language we can understand without jargon.



On a communication level, Greg and his office staff respond rapidly to our requests by phone and email normally within a few hours, Greg will attend meetings at your home and is often available on a Saturday morning.

In short Greg is the best Financial Adviser I have had dealings with, nothing is too much trouble for him he provides a friendly service backed up by his exceptional 35 years of Financial Planning knowledge."

Carol Roberts

Senior Manager

"Greg Spiller has provided Heather and I with financial advice for more than a decade and throughout that time the service we have received has been absolutely excellent.



Greg helped us secure the lowest interest rate on our present mortgage has saved us thousands of pounds.

In addition, help when purchasing a second property and arranging a personal pension for Heather was invaluable.

At this time, Greg is advising us on important decisions related to my retirement and the purchase of a property for our eldest son. Greg delivers a fantastic financial service and is always contactable when decisions need to be made quickly."

Mike & Heather Lewis

Professor of Oral Medicine & Dental Hygienist

"I would like to express my sincere gratitude and appreciation to Greg Spiller of Acumen Financial Services. From the second I instructed Greg he was professional, courteous and sympathetic to my situation, using his many years’ experience and expanded network, Greg was able to source a market leading rate with a unique borrowing criteria.

From conception to completion Greg has been nothing short of brilliant. His communication skills, knowledge of the market regular updates and explanations are a credit to him the service he provides.

Greg did not stop there, Greg then went on to recommend and put me directly in touch with a solicitor who he assured me would efficiently complete and protect my purchase.



Both myself and my partner are extremely grateful to Greg for his hard work and efforts to secure the mortgage for our dream home. I would highly recommend Greg to my Family, friends and customers."

John Enticott

Managing Director of Collect My Wheels.Com

"Just a few lines to thank you for your professional help over the last eight years. It has always been a pleasure to deal with your company and many of my clients have reported back to me that your services have been of great value to them in arranging mortgages for properties both here in the UK and also in Spain.

We have found your approachable and common-sense manner to the most seemingly complicated issues to be reassuring and confidence building, in an area where many people are left confused by the vast array of financial products available.

We look forward to a long and enduring working relationship with you and are confident that you will always endeavour to source the best product for me personally.



I am always confident to recommend your services to many of my clients."

John Anthony

M.D ‘Apia’ Spanish Property Sales

"We initially approached Greg about remortgaging to pay for a house extension. His open and sensible approach made him the obvious choice when it came to investing a family inheritance.



He is thoughtful, approachable, and has a knack of explaining financial complexities in clear terms that can be easily grasped. We have always felt Greg has taken time and trouble when examining what would best serve our needs, and trust him unreservedly.

We can highly recommend him for his personal, honest and impartial advice, and he will definitely look after any future financial requests we may have."

Lyn & Trudi Arnold

Retired Professionals

"I was fortunate enough to be recommended to Greg Spiller when I found myself in a very difficult situation. Upon retiring, my husband of 40 years unexpectedly left me, and I was faced with the possibility of losing my house. To enable me to stay in it, I had to look at taking equity from the family home.

I knew nothing about this, but fortunately, Greg did. He completely took the worry away from me when I was feeling very vulnerable. We had a few telephone conversations to establish what I needed and he talked me through the procedure. He then came to visit me, with a schedule prepared, and went over this carefully and answered any questions. He has always been very prompt at returning my calls and emails if I was worried or didn’t understand something.

I would certainly recommend him to anyone who finds themselves in a similar situation, or in any other situation that involves releasing equity from their home, as not only is he very knowledgeable, but also very patient and understanding."

Denies MacRae

Retired Professional

"I would like to thank you for the very efficient way that you have guided us through the “minefield” of Equity Release. You have handled it in a very efficient manner, and have speeded up what was a very lengthy and slow process.



I would certainly appreciate your help if we need to call on your services in the future."

Ray Howard

Estate Trustee

"Working with Greg Spiller of Acumen was a pleasure. He was able to help us quickly through the ER process and achieve our goals in a friendly and common-sense manner. Would certainly have no hesitation in recommending the service to others."

Alan & Joan Hurley

Retired Professionals

"I have happily trusted Acumen to provide well-considered, timely and relevant financial advice for over ten years. The professional service offered by Greg is exemplary and there is a real effort to ensure the products of interest are suited to my needs. Looking forward to another ten years of quality support."

Kirsten Wilcock

Domain Leader, WJEC

"Greg Spiller of Acumen was recommended to us by a friend and as first-time buyers, he has given us complete peace of mind with our mortgage, home insurance and life insurance. We couldn’t have done it without him! We were so impressed, we have already recommended his services to family and friends.”

Joe Wheeler & Connie Sansom

Agricultural Instructor & Parkland Gardener

"Greg has helped to explain financial matters to us including life insurance, mortgages, pensions and investments. He is very approachable, patient and allows you the time to consider your options. Greg is always quick to deal with queries. It is never too early in life to get your financial affairs in order.”

Jon Stevens

Primary Teacher

"I recently contacted Greg to enquire about life assurance schemes for my husband and myself.

Greg visited us at home at a time convenient to ourselves to talk us through the alternatives and then provided us with a number of different quotes for the various options we required, in a timely manner.

Throughout the meeting, Greg was really helpful and offered us a range of advice for this and other financial service packages and also recommended which would be unsuitable and therefore a waste of money for us, which we very much appreciated.

He didn’t push or try to hurry our decision process along and when we found the package that was right for us, he was helpful and explained all of the implications.



As a result of this service we have approached Greg to offer us quotes for additional financial services and are very confident in our decision to use Greg’s services and in the level of trust we have in him, to act in our best interests."

Wedding Planner