RAYMOND TAN

Raymond is an acquaintance I met in church in 2010 – part of a small group of 6 people who attended a short 2 months course. Over a few weeks we got to know each other better and he shared he was a financial advisor. I had just started work and wanted to start getting my personal financial matters in order / start a portfolio, so I spoke to him. I also spoke with a few other financial advisors out there who cold called / sent contact details to my mailbox.

The difference between Raymond and the other advisors was immediately obvious. Other advisors tended to push products they wanted to sell without much consideration for how they would meet my personal needs and life plans. I had a specific request to find an insurance plan I could pay off in 5 years to free myself up in terms of financial commitments for possible career changes 5 years from then. They all ignored me on this point, only Raymond took me seriously.

Raymond started by asking questions about my lifestyle, my plans in terms of employment, housing, other financial commitments. He took a very holistic view and did his very best to put together a portfolio that met my needs, and balanced it against my plans and commitments to ensure that: 1) coverage was good (not too much, not too little), 2) I had both medical, savings, and investment in my portfolio coverage, 3) my special request to have as much of it paid in 5 years as possible was met.

Never once has Raymond pushed me into something I was uncomfortable with. From time to time I reach out to Raymond to ask if there is any other product I can buy to fill out my portfolio / give better coverage. I do this because I know I can trust Raymond to have my best interests at heart. I would never do this with any other financial advisor who pushes. Raymond always patiently listens, clarifies, meets up with me face to face to hear me out / get my concerns, and is always upfront and straightforward with me on whether something can be done. No other financial advisor I’ve met has ever been able to top the spirit of care and excellence he brings to his job.

Raymond recommended a rider for my medical coverage, and I am deeply grateful for that, as over the years, I developed autoimmune conditions that required hospitalisation and sometimes emergency care. I would not have been as well covered or worry-free about my bills had Raymond not made the right recommendations from the start.

Raymond also recommended an excellent investment-linked plan, which has performed beyond the market and my expectations – that company was a solid pick.

I have recommended a friend to Raymond before. She was in a particularly difficult situation financially and still needed coverage. Raymond was able to help her find a plan that suited her needs. It’s been at least half a decade. She still talks to me about how good Raymond is from time to time.

I would say, meet Raymond, his service and quality of care speak volumes for itself. Raymond is more than an advisor. I think the word that best describes him is a true friend.

Raymond takes time to find out what my needs are and explains to me the reasons behind his recommendations. This is something that not many advisers will make an effort to do. I am comfortable with the recommendations and do not feel pressured to make decisions on the spot. He patiently answers my questions, even when they are repeated!

I have recommended him to my friends. I assured them that Raymond’s priority is to help and guide them in realizing their financial goals. They can also be rest assured that they have no pressure to make decisions on any purchases.

Thanks to Raymond, I am now clear of my retirement plans and long-term financial goals.

I hear horror stories of how advisers and agents disappear after hard selling policies to their clients. I personally had an unpleasant encounter myself when I tried to make a claim on behalf of my late father and realized that the agent was nowhere to be found. When the insurance company assigned another agent to the policy, he simply gave instructions on the documents I had to prepare and I ended up going through the whole claim processes on my own.

With Raymond, I never had to worry about such issues. As a personal friend, he introduced me to the concept of holistic insurance coverage, making sure that my family and I are sufficiently insured in the needed areas. All the recommendations that he has given thus far have been of good quality, and I trust that they have not been made based on the incentives he would get for any particular policies. I am assured that I am paying good value for money for my family’s coverage.

My family has made several insurance claims over the years, and Raymond has always stayed on top of things, making sure that our claims are expedited, advising us in the course of the processes. In cases of dispute, he would always do his best to work things out with the insurance companies.

I am certain that not all advisers out there are for their clients and willing to go out of their way to build lasting relationships with them. Raymond is probably a rare find, and that is why I highly recommend him as a highly dependable adviser. If you have been making insurance purchases yourself or from agents who aren’t that responsive, or if you simply want a peace of mind when the need arises for you to make insurance claims, do give Raymond a try. You will not be disappointed!

I first got to know Raymond through an ex-colleague of mine whom I trusted and thus I believe that her recommendation would be good and that’s why I started entrusting my finances to him since 2013.

Raymond is different from other advisers I had previously met who were just selling insurance as he also provides advice on how I can invest my money instead of putting it in a bank and incurring losses because of inflation and low interest rates.

He was very thorough in explaining how my money will be invested and also introduced an investment strategy that allows for quarterly re-balancing of portfolios to minimise risk and maximise returns. I find his knowledge in his area of expertise as an adviser very impressive. He was able to turn my losses into gains within a short span of time.

My favourite part of the service he provided was the meetings where we discussed my finances and also catch up with each other.

I would highly recommend him to someone else and in fact I have already done so. Raymond is a trustworthy fellow who has his clients’ interest at heart even while he is making a living for himself. He shows sincerity and dedication to his work and gives thorough explanations of his investment strategies. I am 100% satisfied.

A sentence that best describes my relationship with Raymond is that he is a godsend/blessing.

Two beneficial financial outcomes since I started working with him are:

• I no longer have to worry that I will spend all my savings on things I shouldn’t because they are safely under his care. I only keep enough for myself for emergency funds and invest the rest with him.
• I have a trustworthy and knowledgeable adviser to turn to when I need help and a great friend that no money can buy.

Kudos to Raymond! Keep up the good work!

I felt empowered and better able to make sound financial decisions on my own after consulting with Raymond. He made it clear during the session that his sole purpose during our first appointment was to share with me things that I should be aware of when crafting my own financial plan, and the things to consider, whether or not I followed through with him.

Subsequently, he was prompt in following through, by providing me with the information that he agreed to send to me after our first appointment. After which, he knew to give me the much-needed personal space to evaluate my current financial situation and to make a sound financial plan. Many advisers at this point would be texting or calling me on a very regular basis which made me feel pressurized to make a decision even before I evaluated my current situation and all my options, but it was not the case with Raymond. He was extremely patient throughout this process, and yet at the same time, prompt to respond whenever I needed further clarifications.

We discussed many things and I do not particularly have a favourite but I found that all in all, the things that we discussed were very comprehensive in terms of coverage, savings, investments and planning for retirement. What I also liked was that because Raymond is not from any particular insurance company, I had the flexibility to mix and match policies from different financial institutions that best suited my needs.

I have recommended Raymond to many of my colleagues at work, my church members and even my family members. I tell them that he is a very trustworthy man who is very equipped in guiding them through the various financial planning decisions they have to make.

I’ve known Raymond for about 14 years now. We were colleagues at what was probably our first real jobs out of school. Being the only two younger employees in a small organization, we naturally hung out together and got to know each other.

We left the organization at about the same time and embarked on different paths. When I heard that Raymond had gone into financial advising, I immediately wanted him to help me navigate this very complex business of managing the little savings me and my wife had. He has always been a down-to-earth and trustworthy friend. Our lifestyles and focus in life were similar, and I knew I could count on Raymond to keep my grounded while providing opportunities that matched my more conservative outlook.

An example of Raymond’s amazing commitment was during a minor mishap of one of my kids where a hospital visit was required. I had totally forgotten about notifying Raymond, but he saw my quick update on social media, contacted me and immediately followed up on the paperwork while guiding my interaction with the hospital administrative staff to ensure that everything was in order. Raymond came through many such similar incidents, and has always been there for the tougher times in life.

When asked if I would recommend Raymond to my friends – the answer is an unequivocal yes. Everyone should have someone like Raymond on their side. Life is unpredictable enough. Raymond has been a valuable shock-absorber over the bumpier bits, and a very, very good friend. I live a simple life and am probably one of his smaller clients, but he understands that peace of mind is important to me, and has never failed to be there for me.

I got acquainted with Raymond in 1999 when we were serving the military. He is dependable and always keeps a watchful eye on the fine details, not only for himself, but also for his mates. Over the years, he constantly demonstrates this behaviour.

Raymond is sincere in his approach and provides a balanced view based on my needs analysis profile. He is sharp in his observations and with this, he puts forth only product recommendations that are good and suitable for me. As I progress over the years, Raymond conducts regular reviews to establish my needs and ensure that I am financially well covered. Raymond is also always ready to assist with any queries that I might have and promptly follows up when I need help on any day, at any time. This is even so for other existing financial products that he did not broker for me.

No issue or case is too small for Raymond to assist with. We would always arrange for our travel insurance through Raymond – a small case in the bigger scheme of things. I recall in June 2016, when I was on vacation with my family, we met with an unfortunate accident and were unsure of what to do. We called Raymond late in the night, and he gladly took our call. With his usual calm and dependable nature, he immediately advised us on what to do, and concurrently confirmed with the insurance company on our available options. We were able to continue with the rest of the trip based on his advice and instructions. Going one step further, after we returned home safely, he took over and ensured that we were well taken care of and followed through till all our claims were settled.

Raymond now provides the same level of service and advice for my family and friends. I am grateful for his advice and help over these years and will continue to recommend him to any of our family, friends or acquaintances who require sound financial advice.

This is exactly what we need of an adviser.

I first met Raymond in November, 2011; he was introduced to me through an IPP seminar that was conducted at my company. We met several times throughout the years and we slowly build up a good rapport with Raymond financial adviser. I have never met a financial adviser which works independent from the insurance and financial institution, Raymond was able to make recommendations from a wide range of insurance and investment products offered by various companies. He has the personal touch and patience in making sure we understand the processes and commitments for these products. For me it is important that you have trust and faith in your financial adviser, that any recommendation or decision is based on the client’s requirements. I have recommended Raymond to several of my friends and family members because I believe in the good service, advice and professionalism rendered by him. I have known Raymond for 8 years and counting, we have developed a personal and professional relationship, an ideal scenario with your financial adviser. If I have to think about a phrase to describe my relationship with Raymond, it would be client-centric adviser. If I could share 2 beneficial financial outcomes with Raymond, that will be the Aviva MyShield and MyHealthPlus (which I have exercised recently, due to my heart condition) and also the investment plan with Tokio Marine for my retirement funds.