Aventis Financial Planning

Aventis Financial Planning is a small Maltese firm that combines investment advice with insurance broking. Its offices are at Level 3, 91 London Offices on Triq Monsinjur Dandria in Msida, a busy business and residential area between Valletta and Sliema. The business was previously known as Lawsons Equity, and its style is plan-led advice that adapts as conditions change, with an emphasis on doing the simple things well.

It is one of the practices in our directories of pension advisors in Malta and financial advisors in Malta. The information below describes what the firm does and is not financial advice.

Regulation and how the firm operates

Aventis Financial Planning Limited is registered in Malta and licensed by the Malta Financial Services Authority to provide investment services under the Investment Services Act 1994 and to act as an enrolled insurance broker under the Insurance Intermediaries Act 2006. Its services have been passported across the European Union, so it can serve clients in other member states as well as in Malta.

The firm works on the basis of full fee transparency, with clear separation between adviser, manager and custodian. It does not hold client money. It works with carefully chosen partners such as custodians, discretionary fund managers, tax advisers and trustees, documents its decisions, and provides reports for clients. Every client has a written investment policy statement, and portfolios are reviewed quarterly for performance, risk and cost. A wider look at how the sector is organised is in our overview of financial services in Malta.

What Aventis offers

Financial planning covers custom portfolios and model strategies, together with inheritance, retirement and tax planning, with transparent charging on all advice. The firm's headline areas are retirement planning, savings and investments, pensions, life assurance, and insurance and protection. Protection includes life cover, critical illness cover and income protection from regulated insurers, and expats and internationally mobile clients are welcome.

On costs, the firm combines advice, platform and investment charges into a single arrangement, and it encourages people who already hold a portfolio to have it reviewed, paying particular attention to how funds are structured and whether they are tax efficient. Fees and eligibility details are on a dedicated page of its website rather than in a published price list, so ask when you get in touch. For comparison, general insurance cover is the specialism of AIB Insurance Brokers, also listed in our directory.

The people

John Debono is the executive director and financial adviser. Stephen Hardy is a director and Charles Cronin sits on the board as a non-executive independent director. Maryse Portelli is the company's money laundering reporting officer. The team's stated values are dedication, expertise and passion. Visitors who combine a meeting with sightseeing can use our Valletta guide to plan a day in the capital, only a short journey from Msida.

People coming from the UK often want to understand tax and residence before looking at investments, so our guide to Malta tax for UK nationals and UK guide to relocating to Malta are useful companions. Anyone needing day-to-day banking can compare the APS Bank branch in Birkirkara.

Getting started

The firm invites prospective clients to book a 30 minute call online or to ask for a portfolio review. Product availability and tax treatment depend on individual circumstances and jurisdiction, and the firm provides risk warnings covering investment and currency risks on its website. The website also gives visitors a way to book a portfolio review directly. It also carries downloadable regulatory disclosures, a complaints policy and a sustainability disclosure. To get in touch through us, use the VisitMalta.co.uk enquiry form on this page, say whether you are interested in retirement planning, pensions, investments or protection, and we will pass your message to Aventis, who will reply to you directly.