These Terms of Business set out the basis on which Northstar Financial Planning Ltd will provide services to you as an individual private client of the Company. Please take a few minutes to read through these and if you have any questions, we will be happy to answer them. Any changes to our Terms of Business will be updated on the website.
Northstar Financial Planning Limited (“The Company”) is regulated by the Central Bank of Ireland as an Intermediary under the European Union (Insurance Distribution) Regulations 2018 (IDR). Copies of our authorisations are available on request by emailing info@northstarfp.ie. The Central Bank of Ireland holds registers of regulated entities, the company regulatory number is C190060. You may contact the Central Bank of Ireland on 1890 777777 or alternatively visit their website at www.centralbank.ie to verify our credentials. The company complies with the Consumer Protection Code, Minimum Competency Requirement and Fitness & Probity Standards, which offers protection to consumers. The Codes can be found on the Central Bank’s website www.centralbank.ie
The Company is subject to the Consumer Protection Code, Minimum Competency Code and Fitness & Probity Standards which offer protection to consumers. These Codes can be found on the Central Bank’s website www.centralbank.ie
The Company is a member of Brokers Ireland. Our principle business is to provide financial planning advice and/or insurance, investment and pension advice. Any advice or recommendations that we offer will be based on your stated objectives and circumstances and takes into account any restrictions that you wish to have in place. We will confirm to you in writing the basis of our reasons for recommending any financial products.
The website offers Life Insurance, Mortgage Life Insurance (also known as Mortgage Protection) Specified Illness Cover and Income Protection quotations. The website provides quotes based on the recommended cover from the providers with whom we hold agency appointments.
All quotes from the online calculators are indicative (see below – Online Calculators Terms and Conditions of Use). For Protection Products all quotations are subject to underwriting. We will provide assistance to you for any queries you may have in relation to the policies or in the event of a claim during the life of the policy and we will explain to you the various restrictions, conditions and exclusions attached to your policy. However, it is your responsibility to read the policy documents, literature and brochures to ensure that you understand the nature of the policy cover; particularly in relation to Life Insurance (including Mortgage Life Insurance), Specified Illness Cover and Income Protection products.
The Company acts as a Broker which means that the principal regulated activities of the company are provided on the basis of a fair and personal analysis of the market. The concept of fair analysis is derived from the Insurance Mediation Directive. It describes the extent of the choice of products and providers offered by an intermediary within a particular category of life assurance and/or a specialist area. The number of contracts and providers considered must be sufficiently large to enable an intermediary to recommend a product that would be adequate to meet a client’s needs.
The number of providers that constitutes ‘sufficiently large’ will vary depending on the number of providers operating in the market for a particular product or service and their relative importance in and share of that market. The extent of fair analysis must be such that could be reasonably expected of a professional conducting business, taking into account the accessibility of information and product placement to intermediaries and the cost of the search.
In order to ensure that the number of contracts and providers is sufficiently large to constitute a fair analysis of the market, we will consider the following criteria:
The company does not have any ‘tied’ relationships with any institutions that would compromise our ability to offer you impartial advice and choice. The Company is a member of Brokers Ireland.
We may earn our remuneration on the basis of fee, commission and any other type of remuneration, including a non-monetary benefit or on the basis of a combination of these methods. A non-monetary benefit will only be accepted if it enhances the quality of the service to our clients.
Pursuant to Regulation 68 of the Consumer Protection Code, a summary of the details of all arrangements for any fee, commission other reward or remuneration paid or provided to us which have agreed with product providers is available in our office or on our website and www.northstarfp.ie
In certain circumstances, it will be necessary to charge a fee for services provided.
If we receive commission from a product provider, this may/will be offset against the fee which we will charge you. Where the commission is greater than the fee due, the commission may become the amount payable to the firm unless an arrangement to the contrary is made.
In certain circumstances we will charge a fee in replace of or in addition to a commission payment being received. This will be clearly outlined in your Statement of Suitability.
Additional fees may be payable for complex cases or to reflect value, specialist skills or urgency. We will give an estimate of this rate in advance of providing you with services. If we receive commission from a product provider, this will be offset against the fee which we will charge you. Where the commission is greater than the fee due, the commission will become the amount payable to the intermediary unless an arrangement to the contrary is made.
If we receive commission from a product provider [and off-set the commission against the fee which we would otherwise have charged you] but the commission is subsequently clawed-back by the provider because of early encashment by you or because of the transferring of the assets or business to another provider or in any circumstances consequent on your actions or omissions, we will charge a fee to you that is equal to [100% of] the clawed-back commission. That fee will be owing in simple contract upon the claw-back of the commission.
The Company can provide advice on PRSA’s, Personal Pensions, Executive Pensions, Group Pensions, Buy Out Bonds, ARF’s/ AMRF’s, Annuities and other related pension products as requested. For this the Company is remunerated by commission and other payments from product producers on the completion of business. In certain circumstances, it will be necessary to charge a fee for services provided.
Any fees where applicable will be advised in advance to the client in writing. Fee’s may be charged for advice given irrespective of whether a product purchase is initiated by the client.
Sustainability Factors – Investment/IBIPS/Pension Advice: When providing advice on insurance-based investment products (‘IBIPs’) or investment advice the Company assesses the Principal Adverse Impacts (PAI) information published by product manufacturers as follows:
The company will examine the Product Providers’ literature to establish the Principal Adverse Impacts for the relevant products. The firm will then compare financial products across available providers to make informed investment decisions about the suitability of ESG products for individual clients.
As a client of the Company we will always be available to assist in any queries you may have in relation to financial products. We will also from time to time advise you of offers which are exclusive to existing clients. These services are available as long as you continue to maintain your policy under our agency.
It is in your best interests that you review, on a regular basis, the products which we have arranged for you. As your circumstances change, your needs will change. You must advise us of those changes and request a review of the relevant policy so that we can ensure that you are provided with up to date advice and products best suited to your needs. Failure to contact us in relation to changes in your circumstances, may result in you having insufficient insurance cover and/or inappropriate investments.
With most policies you have a ‘cooling off’ period during which you can cancel a policy and get a refund of any premiums you have paid. These will be clearly advised in the policy information received from the company or the relevant insurer.
It is the policy of the Company to avoid a conflict of interest when providing services to clients. Where an unavoidable conflict arises we will advise you of this in writing before providing any business service. If you have not been informed of any such conflict you may assume that none arises. A full copy of our conflicts of interest policy is available on request.
The Company has a written procedure for handling customer complaints. We ask that you make any complaint against our company, relating to services provided by us, in writing or by electronic means to ken@northstarfp.ie. We will acknowledge your complaint within 5 business days and we will fully investigate it. We shall investigate the complaint as swiftly as possible, and the complainant will receive an update on the complaint at intervals of not greater than 20 working days starting from the date on which the complaint is made. On completion of our investigation, we will provide you with a written report of the outcome. In the event that you are still dissatisfied with our handling of or response to your complaint, you are entitled to refer the matter to the Financial Services Ombudsman or the Pensions Ombudsman. A full copy of our complaints procedure is available on request.
The Company is a member of the Investor Compensation Scheme Ltd established under the Investor Compensation Act 1998. The legislation provides for the establishment of a compensation scheme and to the payment in certain circumstances, of compensation to clients of Companies covered by the Act.
However, you should also be aware that a right to compensation would only arise where money or investment instruments held by this Company on your behalf cannot be returned either for the time being or for the foreseeable future and where the client falls within the definition of eligible investor as contained in the Act. In the event that a right to compensation is established, the amount payable is the lesser of 90% of the client’s loss, which is recognised as being eligible for compensation or €20,000. The Company also holds Professional Indemnity insurance of €1,500,000 in compliance with the Insurance Distribution Regulations 2018.
The Company is also a member of the Brokers Ireland Clients’ Compensation and Membership Benefits Scheme (BIC). Subject to the rules of the scheme the liabilities of its members firms up to a maximum of €100,000 per client (or €250,000 in aggregate) may be discharged by the fund on its behalf if the member firm is unable to do so, where the above detailed Investor Compensation Scheme has failed to adequately compensate any client of the member. Further details are available on request.
The company does not accept cash for the payment of insurance or pension premiums. All business transacted will be on the basis of payment by direct debit/ cheque with funds being paid directly to the insurance company or pension/ investment provider.
Northstar Financial Planning Limited holds agencies with the main Life Insurance companies in Ireland. A list of agencies held is available on request.
All claims are handled by the relevant insurer. You must notify the insurer of a claim within a reasonable time, or otherwise in accordance with the terms of the contract of insurance.
If you make a false or misleading claim in any material respect (and know it to be false or misleading or consciously disregards whether it is) the insurer is entitled to refuse to pay and to terminate the contract.
Where an insurer becomes aware that a customer has made a fraudulent claim, they may notify the customer advising that they are voiding the contract of insurance, and it will be treated as being terminated from the date of the submission of the fraudulent claim. The insurer may refuse all liability in respect of any claim made after the date of the fraudulent act, and the insurer is under no obligation to return any of the premiums paid under the contract.
All information received by us will be treated in the strictest confidence. We will only disclose information obtained in the following circumstances:
The Company complies with the requirements of the General Data Protection Regulation 2018 and the Irish Data Protection Act 2018. The Company is committed to protecting and respecting your privacy. We wish to be transparent on how we process your data and show you that we are accountable with the GDPR in relation to not only processing your data but ensuring you understand your rights as a client.
The data will be processed only in ways compatible with the purposes for which it was given and as outlined in our Data Privacy Notice, this will be given to all our clients at the time of data collection. We will ensure that this Privacy Notice is easily accessible.
Please refer to our website www.northstar.ie/privacynotice, if this medium is not accessible for you we will ensure you receive a copy by post. Please contact us at ken@nortgstarfp.ie if you have any concerns about your personal data.
All calls, both inbound and outbound, may be recorded. You will be notified in advance of the call if it is being recorded.
The company may make telephone contact with you if you are an existing customer, only if:
The company may make telephone contact with you if you are not an existing customer, only if:
The firm shall ensure that the extent of communications is proportionate, reasonable and not excessive taking into account your circumstances.
The Company will ensure that, where it communicates with you using electronic media, it has in place appropriate arrangements to ensure the secure transmission of information. The company will only make contact via Electronic Media where an email address is provided via the company’s website Northstarfp.ie via the Contact Me page or other digital technology operated by NSFP.ie or when you have been referred by an associate to Northstar FP.
By Agreeing to these Terms and Conditions you consent to the Company contacting you regarding the range of services the company provides that they believe may be of interest based on a referral, current business you have with Northstar Financial Planning or details included in the Quote Form and Contact Me page on the website. You have the right to be removed from the company’s marketing lists in the future by contacting us at info@northstarfp.ie and requesting the same.
Irish law will govern the provision of the services covered by the Company, and the Irish Courts will have exclusive jurisdiction over any dispute.
You agree that the results produced from any of the online calculator applications is not a quotation for service and that you understand that related results produced represent an indicative set of costs. It should be noted that accurate calculation results and quotations can only be received directly from a company representative after full details have been received on an application form. All applications are subject to underwriting from the relevant insurer.
We grant you a non-exclusive, revocable right to use the calculator applications solely for the purpose of receiving an indicative cost of theoretical circumstances. We may revoke your license at any time without notice.
We make no express or implied warranties or representations with respect to the calculator applications (including, without limitation, warranties of fitness, merchantability, non-infringement, or any implied warranties arising out of a course of performance or trade usage). In addition, we make no representation that the operation of the applications will be uninterrupted or error-free, and we will not be liable for the consequences of any interruptions or errors.
As with other professional services companies, we are under stringent requirements to identify our clients for the purposes of anti-money laundering legislation. We are required to request from you, and retain, some information and documentation for these purposes. If satisfactory evidence is not provided within a reasonable time, there may be circumstances in which we may not be able to proceed with your business transaction.
The provision of investment services is regulated under the Criminal Justice (Money Laundering and Terrorist Financing) Act 2010 and, as such, directors and staff in Investment and Mortgage Intermediary companies are required to report all knowledge or suspicion or reasonable grounds to know or suspect that a criminal offence giving rise to any direct or indirect benefit from criminal conduct has been committed, regardless of whether that offence had been committed by a client or a third party. If, as part of our normal work, we have knowledge or suspicion, or have reasonable grounds to know or suspect that such offences have been committed we are required by law to make a report to An Garda Siochana and Revenue Commissioners. In such circumstances we are prohibited from discussing such reports with you of same, such prohibition arising from restrictions imposed by the “tipping off” provisions of the anti-money laundering legislation.
It is the responsibility of the client to ensure that all information submitted is complete and accurate. It should be noted that clients/(s) have a duty to disclose any material facts, which come to light between the date, the proposal form is signed and the date the policy is issued. Failure to do so may result in any subsequent claim being refused. When you are applying for Life Insurance, Mortgage Life Insurance, Income Protection or Specified Illness Cover you are under a legal obligation to disclose all relevant details about your health or any other relevant item as requested on the application form. If it subsequently transpires that you did not disclose on your application something which was relevant and which you knew about, then the insurance company may cancel the cover under the policy and no claim will be paid. The insurance company will rely on what you have told them in your application. When in doubt about a specific item it should be disclosed and the relevant Insurance Company will decide on its relevance. Where you do not wish to disclose this information to the intermediary the Insurer can be contacted directly.
While every effort is made to ensure that quotations provided are accurate it is possible that from time to time the premium quoted may change between the time of the initial quotation and the policy issue. This premium advised by the insurer will be communicated to you once the policy has been submitted on receipt of a fully completed application. It is possible that the premium could be changed by the insurer between the time of submission of the application and the policy issuing due to various factors such as birthdays occurring, insurance company rates increasing etc. We will however keep you advised on any alterations at the earliest possible time. Any special terms relating to medical and other changes to standard criteria will be communicated to you in advance of policy issue and you will be required to confirm your acceptance of these in writing in advance. After policy issue clients can use the provisions in the policy in relation to the “Cooling off Period” if they do not wish to proceed. The information relating to the “Cooling off Period” will be included in the policy information from the relevant insurer.
Clients should note that no cover is confirmed as being in place unless the original policy documents have been received or confirmation has been received in writing from the insurer that cover is in place.
The value of your investment can fall as well as rise. Past performance is not a guide to future performance. The Euro value of non euro denominated assets can rise and fall as a result of exchange rate fluctuations.
Where references are made to tax relief or taxation these figures are for illustrative purposes only. Where clarification is required a Registered Tax Adviser should be contacted. A full list is available at http://www.taxireland.ie
Northstar Financial Planning Limited, Registered office and Place of Business: 19 Chapel Street, Carndonagh, Co. Donegal. Telephone No: +353 1 539 44 50
The Terms of Business are effective from January 2026 until further notice.
