Open an account
Becoming a client.
Onboarding takes about two weeks from first meeting to funded account. Most of that is verification we are required to complete — the part that needs your time is roughly ninety minutes.
Before you start
Who we are able to take on
We would rather tell you now than after you have filled in a form. If any of these is a problem, speak to us anyway — there is often a sensible route.
Minimums
Managed and advisory mandates start at $250,000 in investable assets. Planning-only engagements have no minimum and are charged as a fixed fee.
Where you live
We accept clients resident in Nigeria, Ghana, Kenya, the United Kingdom and the UAE. Other jurisdictions are considered case by case, subject to local licensing.
Who can apply
Individuals and joint applicants, family trusts and foundations, companies and partnerships, and pension or endowment funds.
One thing we cannot shorten
Every regulated firm must verify who you are and establish where your wealth came from. It is the least enjoyable part of opening an account and there is no version of it we can skip. What we can do is tell you exactly what is needed up front, so it happens once rather than in five rounds of email.
What you will need
Have these ready and it takes one sitting
Individuals and joint applicants
- Valid international passport or national ID card for each applicant
- Proof of address issued within the last three months — a utility bill, bank statement or tenancy agreement
- Tax identification number for every country in which you are tax resident
- Evidence of source of wealth: employment contract, business sale agreement, audited accounts, inheritance documents or property sale records
- A recent bank statement for the account you will fund from
Companies, trusts and foundations
- Certificate of incorporation or the trust deed, with any amendments
- Memorandum and articles, or the foundation charter and by-laws
- Register of directors, shareholders, trustees and beneficiaries
- Identification and proof of address for every beneficial owner holding 10% or more, and for each authorised signatory
- Board or trustee resolution authorising the account and naming signatories
- Most recent audited financial statements, where they exist
Certified copies are acceptable and are usually easier than posting originals. Our client team will tell you what counts as certification in your jurisdiction, and we can arrange video identification where an in-person meeting is impractical.
The process
Four steps, about two weeks
You will have one named contact throughout, and they will tell you where things stand without you having to chase.
Introductory meeting — day one, 45 minutes
We discuss your circumstances and what you want the money to do. No documents are needed yet. You leave with a written summary and an honest view on whether we are the right firm for you. There is no charge and no obligation.
Proposal and mandate — within five working days
We put a strategy, a mandate type and a fee schedule in writing. You take as long as you need over it. Nothing is signed until you are satisfied you understand what you are agreeing to, including what it costs and what can go wrong.
Verification and account opening — five to ten working days
You submit your documents through our secure portal. We complete identity and source-of-wealth checks, and open your account with the custodian bank in your own name. Most delays here come from a missing signature rather than anything complicated.
Funding and first investments
You transfer cash, or transfer an existing portfolio in specie where that avoids unnecessary realisations. We invest in tranches rather than all at once unless you ask otherwise, and you receive confirmation of every transaction.
Already hold a portfolio elsewhere? In many cases we can be appointed as manager over your existing custodian account, which avoids moving assets and is usually faster. Ask us at the first meeting.
Start your application
Tell us the basics and we will take it from there
This form starts the conversation — it is not the account application itself, and it asks for nothing sensitive. A member of our client team will come back within one business day to arrange your introductory meeting and send you a document checklist tailored to your situation.
Please do not send documents here
This form is not an encrypted channel. Never include passport numbers, tax identification numbers, account numbers or scans of identity documents. Once you are onboarded, everything of that kind goes through the secure client portal, which is built for it.
- No cost and no obligation at this stage
- Your details go only to our client team — never to a third party
- You can withdraw at any point before signing a mandate
Questions first?
You do not have to apply to talk to us
Plenty of people meet us two or three times over a year before becoming clients. That is a perfectly sensible way to choose who looks after your money.