I am married to Margaret for the last 30 years. We have 3 grown up children. I have 34 years experience in the Financial Services Industry. I spent 26 years with Royal Liver Assurance LTD, where I got to know many of our clients, as Sales Manager. I have spent the last 9 years working in partnership with Denis O'Sullivan. I qualified as a Q.F.A in 2001. My hobbies include all sports and travel. I sincerely hope you will allow us the privilege of dealing with your financial affairs and reaching your financial goals.
Jane Casey
Jane has 18 years experience in the Insurance industry. She joined Cotter & O'Sullivan Financial Services in 2012 as an office manager having previously worked with Zurich Life for 15 years. During this time she gained extensive knowledge in Pensions, Investments and Protection products. She holds a BA (Honours) in Business Administration. She is a qualified financial advisor and is a Graduate Associate Member of the Charted Institute of Personnel and Development. Jane is married to David and has three children. In her spare time Jane enjoys running.
Denis O'Sullivan
I have worked in the Financial Services Industry for the past 18 years. Initially I worked as a Senior Financial Advisor with Royal Liver Assurance before starting up Cotter & O Sullivan Financial Services in 2006 with Seamus. I am a Qualified Financial Advisor and I also hold a Pensions Diploma (LIAP) and a Mortgage Diploma (LIAM) with the Life Insurance Association of Ireland. I am married to Nora and have one daughter, Ellen. I love going to matches and also enjoy gardening. I would be delighted to help you and your family in securing your financial future.
Life Assurance & Mortgage Protection
Life assurance policies pay out a lump sum or a regular income on the insured
person’s death.
What would happen to your family if you never made it home from work
today?
With life assurance, you can make sure your family is protected even if the worst
happens to you. It makes sense to take precautions against the financial impact of
your death. Cotter & O Sullivan Financial Services will help you assess your need for
life assurance cover. This will depend on your age, family circumstances and lifestyle.
Typically you will want your mortgage and any loans cleared. You may wish to
provide a fund for burial and allow your surviving partner to take time off work. You
may also wish to replace your income for a time while your children are dependent.
Benefits of Life Assurance
We will assess what cover you have in place through mortgage protection, pension
schemes, other policies and social welfare benefits. If there is a deficit in cover
Cotter & O Sullivan Financial Services can advise on the best way of providing the
cover through term assurance or whole of life cover; the term length of the policy;
whether cover is provided by a lump sum or income benefit, or a mix of the two. We
will also compare policies from across a number of different life assurance companies
with whom we hold agencies with and recommend the most appropriate for you.
Mortgage Protection
Life is full of surprises. Being prepared for unexpected turns in the road is important.
Mortgage protection is generally the lowest cost security in financial planning.
In most cases, mortgage protection is a legal requirement. Even if there are
exceptions to this legal requirement, the lender will typically insist on the cover.
Cotter & O Sullivan Financial Services can get you the best quality cover at the most
competitive cost based on product provider with whom we hold agencies with.
Remember, you are not obliged to take cover from the lending institution. In fact
it is illegal for a bank to offer you a mortgage on condition you take your Mortgage Protection
with them.
At its most basic, mortgage protection is life assurance that runs in parallel with the
outstanding mortgage amount.
Your home is probably: THE BIGGEST INVESTMENT YOU HAVE MADE
Benefits of Mortgage
Additional Optional Benefits to Mortgage Protection
You can also get Mortgage Protection with options to increase the cover and the term should
you decide to move home. This is useful in the case of your health going against you as you
may be unable to trade up without the cover. Ask us the cost of adding serious
illness cover to the mortgage protection.
Making the Process Easy
Applying for cover starts with completion of a medical proposal form. The life
assurance company may write to your GP for a report, and in some cases a medical
examination is required. Once you are accepted by the life company, cover is
permanent for the term of the policy regardless of what happens to your health. Cotter & O'Sullivan Financial Services will assist you with the form filling and will ensure the policy is set up correctly.
Protecting you & your Family
If you or your spouse die, the loan is cleared. If you are young, you should consider
convertible term; this cover stays the same over the mortgage term and you can
extend the cover at the end without further health evidence.
Income Protection
Income protection provides cover for periods of long absence from work
due to accident or illness. Income protection pays a taxable income
benefit if you are unable to work. Tax relief is available at your marginal
rate on premiums paid.
Accident or illness. Unable to work? Don’t worry!
The key question with this cover is when should the benefit start paying out? The
“deferred period” can be 4,8,13,26 or 52 weeks. This means you must be off work for
more than your selected deferred period before the cover kicks in. After that time you
are covered up to retirement should your illness or disability last that long.
If your job covers your income for long periods, or if you have significant financial
resources to support you, you could take a longer deferred period, which would
reduce the cost of the cover. Alternatively, you might seek a shorter deferred period,
which is available for certain occupations.
Some occupations will not be eligible for cover while others will attract higher
premiums. You should discuss the nature of your job, particularly any risk factors
associated with it, with us so we can give you a clear idea of the cost and availability
of cover.
Retirement Planning
Cotter & O Sullivan Financial Services advise on Retirement Savings, Directors Pensions, Personal Pensions, Self-Administered Pensions, Group Pensions, Pension Transfers and Post Retirement Options (AMRF'S, ARF's and Annuities).
Pensions are a tax efficient way of saving.
You get tax relief on your contributions at your marginal rate;
Funds accumulate tax free until retirement
25% of your fund or 1.5 times salary tax-free at retirement.
Benefits of Saving for your Retirement
You can save personally, either through a personal pension, PRSA or AVC. Or you
can save through a company, with an executive pension, company scheme or AVC.
Cotter & O Sullivan Financial Services can advise on the best options for your
particular circumstances based on product provider with whom we hold
agencies with.
Pension transfers
Nowadays it is commonplace for a person to have several jobs during his or her
working lifetime. This can mean you have several retirement savings accounts with
several companies. Cotter & O Sullivan Financial Services can help you navigate
this complex area. We will be able to talk you through the issues involved and you
can appoint us to deal with the scheme trustees on your behalf.
Post retirement options
Having spent years building your retirement fund, it’s worth spending a bit of time
with us discussing the options available to you at retirement. For some, that will be
the traditional annuity route i.e. income for life. Others may wish to explore post
retirement investment through Approved Retirement Funds (ARFs). Either way
Cotter & O Sullivan Financial Services is expertly qualified to talk you through this
choice and we can recommend the most appropriate course of action for you (based
on product provider with whom we hold agencies with).
Savings & Investments
It’s your money – it’s your choice where to invest it.
Investing your money for the medium to long term is a big decision. So before you make that
leap, it’s important to know that you’ll have the choice as to how and where your money is
invested and flexibility to change your investment choices if your personal circumstances
change.
At Cotter & O Sullivan Financial Services Limited, you can choose from a wide range of
funds and you can save a lump sum or a regular amount every month. We recommend that
you talk to us so we can help you choose the savings product that is best suited for you.
Credit Union Investments
Cotter & O'Sullivan work very closely with Investment Product Manufacturers to provide innovative, bespoke, secure products for Credit Unions whilst satisfying the Trustee Investment Order, Credit Union Investment Guidance Notes and CP88 directive. - This ensures the products we offer to Credit Unions will be a perfect match in key areas of:
Regulatory Requirements
Capital Protection
Regular Income
Credit Ratings
Cotter & O'Sullivan Financial Services also carry out due diligence on counterparties taking into consideration, Financial Strength and Credit Risk in assessing these. This insures the products we offer Credit Unions are the most suitable and secure available at the time. We only offer Credit Union products backed by Financial Institutions of High Investment Grade quality. We can also offer Credit Unions once off bespoke investments specifically tailored to the Credit Unions requirements.
Cotter & O'Sullivan Financial Services Ltd are Investment Advisors
Religious Orders & Charity Investments
Cotter & O Sullivan Financial Services offer Investment Advisory Services to a large variety of
organisations. We have been working with Religious Orders, Congregations and Charities for over 15
years. In this time we have gained an indepth understanding of their Investment objectives and
requirements. Integral to our approach is understanding each client's circumstances and financial
requirements. We work with our clients to define those requirements, and then assist in
implementing them.
Cotter & O'Sullivan Terms of Business
Cotter & O`Sullivan Financial Services Ltd.
These Terms of Business set out the general terms under which our firm will provide business services to you and the respective duties and responsibilities of both the firm and you in relation to such services. Please ensure that you read these terms thoroughly and if you have any queries we will be happy to clarify them. If any material changes are made to these terms we will notify you.
Authorisation with the Central Bank of Ireland
Cotter & O`Sullivan Financial Services Ltd is regulated by the Central Bank of Ireland as an insurance intermediary registered under the European Communities (Insurance Mediation) Regulations, 2005; as a Multi-Agency Intermediary/Authorised Advisor authorised under the Investment Intermediaries Act, 1995 and as a Mortgage Intermediary authorised under the Consumer Credit Act, 1995. Copies of our regulatory authorisations are available on request. The Central Bank of Ireland holds registers of regulated firms. You may contact the Central Bank of Ireland on 1890 777 777 or alternatively visit their website at www.centralbank.ie to verify our credentials.
Codes of Conduct
Cotter & O`Sullivan Financial Services Ltd 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
Our Services
Cotter & O`Sullivan Financial Services Ltd is a member of the Professional Insurance Brokers Association (PIBA). As a member of PIBA we must be in a position to place insurance with at least five insurers of the relevant form (life/non-life) and therefore can generally give consumers greater choice than agents and tied agents.
Our principal business is to provide advice and arrange transactions on behalf of clients in relation to life & pensions/mortgages/general assurance products. A full list of insurers, product producers and lending agencies with which we deal is available on request.
Cotter & O`Sullivan Financial Services Ltd acts as a Broker which means that:
Cotter & O`Sullivan Financial Services Ltd is regulated by the central Bank of Ireland
a) the principal regulated activities of the firm are provided on the basis of a fair analysis of the market; and
b) you have the option to pay in full for our services by means of a fee.
Fair Analysis
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, general insurance, mortgages, 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 needs of the customer,
the size of the customer order,
the number of providers in the market that deal with brokers,
the market share of each of those providers,
the number of relevant products available from each provider,
the availability of information about the products,
the quality of the product and service provided by the provider,
cost, and
any other relevant consideration.
Cotter & O`Sullivan Financial Services Ltd is regulated by the central Bank of Ireland
Life & Pensions
Cotter & O`Sullivan Financial Services Ltd provides life assurance and pensions on a fair analysis basis i.e. providing services on the basis of a sufficiently large number of contracts and product producers available on the market to enable us to make a recommendation, in accordance with professional criteria, regarding which contract would be adequate to meet the your needs.
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 policies 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 PHI and serious illness policies.
Specifically on the subject of permanent health insurance policies it is our policy to explain to you a) the meaning of disability as defined in the policy; b) the benefits available under the policy; c) the general exclusions that apply to the policy; and d) the reductions applied to the benefit where there are disability payments from other sources.
For a serious illness policy, we will explain clearly to you the restrictions, conditions and general exclusions that attach to that policy.
Cotter & O`Sullivan Financial Services Ltd provides general insurance on a limited analysis basis (providing services on the basis of a limited number of contracts and product producers available on the market).
Cotter & O`Sullivan Financial Services Ltd is regulated by the central Bank of Ireland
Cotter & O`Sullivan Financial Services Ltd We provide advice on the following product providers:
Aviva Life & Pensions
BCP Asset Management
Blackbee
Cantor Fitzgerald
Friends First
Insurety(April)
Irish Life
KBC
Liberty Asset Management
New Ireland Assurance
Piba Mortgage Service
Royal London
Standard Life
Zurich Life
Mortgages
Through the lenders or other undertakings with which we hold an agency, Cotter & O`Sullivan Financial Services Ltd can provide advice on and arrange mortgage products from the following range: fixed-rate loans, variable rate mortgages, capital & interest mortgages, interest only mortgages, endowment mortgages, pension mortgages and residential investment property.
Cotter & O`Sullivan Financial Services Ltd provides mortgage advice on a fair analysis basis (providing services on the basis of a sufficiently large number of contracts and product producers available on the market to enable the firm to make a recommendation, in accordance with professional criteria, regarding which contract would be adequate to meet your needs).
We will need to collect sufficient information from you before we can offer any advice on housing loans. This is due to the fact that a key issue in relation to mortgage advice is affordability. Such information should be produced promptly upon our request.
Cotter & O`Sullivan Financial Services Ltd is regulated by the central Bank of Ireland
Disclosure of Information
Any failure to disclose material information may invalidate your claim and render your policy void.
Cotter & O`Sullivan Financial Services Ltd is remunerated by commission and other payments from product producers or lenders on the completion of business. You may choose to pay in full for our services by means of a fee. Where we receive recurring commission, this forms part of the remuneration for initial advice provided. We reserve the right to charge additional fees if the number of hours relating to on-going advice/assistance exceeds X hrs.
In certain circumstances, it will be necessary to charge a fee for services provided. These are listed below for life, non-life business and Standard PRSAs. In other circumstances where fees are chargeable or where you choose to pay in full for our service by fee, we will notify you in writing in advance and agree the scale of fees to be charged if different from fees outlined below.
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 firm unless an arrangement to the contrary is made.
Life Fees
You may elect to deal with us on a fee basis. (It is common to distinguish on the basis of the seniority of the person and between advisers and support staff.)
e.g.:
Principles / Directors €113.64
Senior Advisers €85.23
Associates €85.23
Support staff €56.82
Additional fees may be payable for complex cases or to reflect value, specialist skills or urgency.
Protection 
Planning 
Union Investments 
