Our industry awards – with a fresh twist

Thanks to reader input, the first Consumer Investment Awards threw new light on the best providers, writes Marc Sidwell

ed aph d ey. ance r t tter to customers: not only the top overall providers of general investment and pension services online, but also jargon-free communication, good customer service and value for money.

In particular, too many financial firms still struggle at clear communication with their audience. And conveying complex but vital information on pensions can be particularly challenging. The award for best pension communications set out to reward outstanding performance in this tricky task. Hargreaves Lansdown took the trophy

‘Too many financial firms struggle at clear communication’

based on both reader feedback and input from a panel of experts, with True Potential Investor as runner-up. Because the customers were in the driving seat, there were surprises alo along the way, even for the organise organisers. The winner of best custom customer service, The Share Centre, was not on the original shor shortlist. But so many of its customers wrote in un under “other” to record th their enthusiasm that it le leapfrogged the official c contenders – as it should h have at an event where th the voice of readers like yo you was the star. Con Congratulations to all the winne winners.

Award winner Tom McPhail of Hargreaves Lansdown with Holly Mackay, top; Investec’s Stewart Teague and May Auster with Holly Mackay, Marc Sidwell and Carlton Hood, below left; industry attendees at the awards event, below

Carlton Hood of Telegraph Financial Solutions