Fernleigh Wearden & Company Ltd
Independent Financial Advisers
Four fields. That’s it.
One of our advisers will ring you back by the end of the next working day, at the time you asked for.
In a hurry? Call us on 01772 864314, 9am–5pm Monday to Friday.
For business
Most workplace pension schemes were put in place to meet a deadline and have not been reviewed properly in years. That is a cost to you and to your staff.
Overview
Every employer has to enrol eligible staff into a qualifying pension scheme. Meeting that duty is the easy part. Doing it in a way your employees actually value is where most schemes fall down.
If you are setting up for the first time, we will find a provider that suits both you and your workforce, handle the assessment and communications and make sure the scheme meets your obligations to The Pensions Regulator. If you already have a scheme, we will review the provider, the charges and — the one almost nobody checks — the default fund the vast majority of your staff will be sitting in.
We also talk to employers about what the scheme signals. Small firms lose good people to bigger ones and benefits are very often what tips it. A workplace pension nobody understands is a wasted cost; one that is explained well is a genuine retention tool.
Most companies now have a scheme in place already. If you want to set up a new one, or review the one you have, our charges start at £795. The introductory call is free.
Advice areas
From first set-up through to the annual review nobody else reminds you about.
Choosing a provider, assessing your workforce, handling communications and meeting your duties from day one.
Charges, fund range and provider service. Schemes set up in a hurry rarely turn out to be the best available.
Where most of your staff will sit for decades. It is worth ten minutes of somebody’s attention.
We will come in and explain the scheme to your staff in plain English. Take-up and appreciation both rise sharply.
Employer contributions are one of the most tax-efficient ways for an owner to pay themselves. Frequently underused.
Structured properly it can reduce National Insurance for both you and your employees. It does not suit every business.
Quick calculator
A rough guide to your minimum employer contribution, based on the statutory 3% of qualifying earnings.
Your figures
Estimate only. It applies the statutory minimum employer contribution of 3% of qualifying earnings, using the 2025/26 band of £6,240 to £50,270, to an average salary. Your actual cost depends on each employee’s individual earnings, your scheme’s definition of pensionable pay and whether you contribute above the minimum. Thresholds are reviewed annually by the Government. This is not advice — please speak to us for figures based on your own payroll.
Working with us
Nothing is committed until step five and the first two cost you nothing but time.
A chat, at our office, your home or over video. We listen, you ask questions. There is no charge and no obligation and if we can't help we'll say so.
What you have, what you owe, what you want and how you feel about risk. This is the part most people find surprisingly useful in itself.
We review your existing plans, charges and funds against the whole of the market. Being independent means nothing is off the table.
A written report in plain English setting out what we suggest, what it costs and why. You take it away and think about it.
Only once you're happy. We handle the paperwork, the providers and the chasing, which is usually the tedious bit.
If you'd like us to, we'll review everything at least once a year and tell you honestly if nothing needs changing.
Who you’d be dealing with
Mark specialises in pensions and financial planning for businesses and as our Chartered Financial Planner he handles most of our company scheme work and the more complex cases.
In their words
I have always found Fernleigh Wearden & Company to be very helpful and professional in company and personal matters. They are on hand to answer any of our queries promptly and efficiently.
Always attentive and at the end of a phone or an email. Positive, professional and reliable.
We have had a long and successful working relationship with Fernleigh Wearden & Company. They are always striving to do the best for our business and personal needs. I would highly recommend them to anyone.
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Read moreCommon questions
If you employ at least one person who meets the eligibility criteria, yes. Auto enrolment duties apply to every UK employer and The Pensions Regulator can and does fine businesses that do not comply.
Currently 8% of qualifying earnings in total, of which at least 3% must come from the employer. You can contribute more and some employers do precisely because it helps them keep staff.
Almost always. Provider charges have come down considerably, fund ranges have improved and a great many schemes were chosen quickly to meet a staging date rather than on merit. The review costs you nothing to discuss.
Yes and we would encourage it. A pension nobody understands is a cost with no benefit attached. Half an hour explaining it properly changes how the whole workforce sees it.
Employer pension contributions are usually one of the most tax-efficient ways to extract value from a company and are frequently overlooked by the very people running it. Worth a conversation in its own right.
Setting up a new scheme or reviewing an existing one starts at £795. We will give you a firm figure before you commit to anything — see our costs page.
Our services
Advice areas overlap. Part of our job is spotting which ones actually apply to you.
Tell us when suits and we will ring you back by the end of the next working day. The review conversation is free.
