Previous Experience
Ally has been involved in Financial Services since 1991, starting off with Pearl Assurance in Belfast, before moving into the International markets in 1996. As company Director he believes that people are the most important part of a large, International business.
Having the right people and giving the right advice has taken BFMI to the top of their sector and are now the leading brand within the international financial advice sector.As Group Director, Ally heads up the operations in the USA and Caribbean and continues to look at new opportunities for the Group in Latin and South America.
Areas of ExpertiseFinancial, retirement and tax planning
Qualifications/AccreditationsFinancial Planning Certificate
MembershipsMember of the Chartered Insurance Institute, London
Charity workHospice, Maidstone, Kent, UK
TestimonialFrom various sources, it was very apparent to us that financial control, procedures, restrictions and compliance can be very different in Spain than in the UK.
Friends that have lived in Spain for over 10 years recommended we look at a well regarded publication: “You and the Law in Spain” by David Searl. This covers many aspects including buying property, taxes and investment in Spain. Also, browsing the internet and English papers we were aware that things like tax liabilities, pension payments, inheritance tax, capital gains as well as general financial matters, needed proper investigation and professional advice. The laws in Spain regarding personal finance can frequently change. In addition, the statutory financial regulations can be different in one part of Spain to another. For example, financial regulations on inheritance tax are different in Andalusia than say, in Madrid.
Having family and friends living in Spain, from their experience and advice, as we intended to make a permanent move to Spain, it was clear we needed reliable and independent financial advice. We intended selling up in UK, buying a home in Spain, transferring private pensions and would have a substantial capital sum for investment for our future retirement in Spain. Professional advice was essential.
Personal recommendation is one way of selecting such advice. Fortunately, we had independent sources of advice to consider. I had dealings for a number of years with a business operation in the Costa del Sol and was given suggested company and personnel to consult. Family and an estate agent, with whom we had had dealings with over some years, were also consulted for their suggested recommendations.We contacted some of these and then had a number of useful and informative meetings with two financial advisers that we selected to consult.
We decided to use Blacktower and in particular Ally Kerr to handle ALL our financial concerns. The advice and recommendations made by the two independent financial advisers regarding my personal pension and our capital investment were both very, very similar – virtually identical recommendations on pension organisation and capital investment planning, but differing in particular with the choice of financial institutions to use. This gave us reassurance that the advice being given was reliable – both Blacktower and the other financial adviser company are thoroughly regulated by worldwide financial compliance regulators.We have had numerous meetings with Ally and found him not only a most pleasurable and friendly person to deal with, but also someone who can identify a client’s main objectives, tailor-make financial recommendations to suit those objectives and someone who ‘really knows his stuff’. A true professional, with impartial financial advice that we believe can be trusted to provide the very best solution to our needs. Being a nice guy that is always readily approachable also helps.
When I asked Ally if he could send his recommendations to my Account Manager at Chase de Vere in London, who had handled my personal pensions and certain investments for many years, for his assessment of the Blacktower recommendations, he did not hesitate to do so. That provided us with still further confidence that we were dealing with the right person and trustworthy advice.“I would have no hesitation in recommending, at least consulting with, Ally and getting recommended financial planning considerations from Blacktower.
Mr. David White