Question 1

Is the email, text, letter or call asking you for financial and personal info?

Accepted Answer

Fraudsters pretend to be companies who you may have relationships with such as Columbia Threadneedle. Be wary even if you think you recognise the sender. Genuine companies never ask for financial details in an email/text or unsolicited call. Don’t reply, and don’t click on any links or attachments.

Question 2

Do you know who really sent the communication, or made the call?

Accepted Answer

If in doubt, phone the company on a trusted number or visit their website by typing their web address directly into the address bar. Don’t click on a link or copy and paste from the email/text itself. Do not try to contact the company on a number, address or email provided on the suspected communication.

Question 3

Is the email/text/letter or call trying to scare you into action?

Accepted Answer

Communications from reputable companies should sound reasonable and calm. Fraudulent messages often contain threats of account suspension or immediate risk of fraud. If you’re not sure about a communication you have received purporting to be from Columbia Threadneedle, you can always phone us on 0345 600 3030.

Question 4

How to tell a suspicious email/ text from a real one:

Accepted Answer

We never ask you to confirm personal or financial information in an email/ text.
Scam emails/ texts often look strange, with a messy layout and spelling mistakes.
Our email addresses always end with columbiathreadneedle.com or digital.ctinvest.co.uk.
We never ask you to carry out a test payment online or transfer money.
We will never ask you to send personal information or identity documentation to an address which isn’t listed on our website.

Question 5

My financial situation has changed – what can I do?

Accepted Answer

We understand that the recent increase in living costs has impacted many of our investors. Our plans are designed to be flexible to adapt as your circumstances change. If you need to, you can amend your Direct Debit using our online portal or by calling our customer services team. If you decide to amend your direct debit amount, please remember the minimum monthly investment is £25 per account (or £10 for a CTF Stakeholder).

Question 6

My personal details have changed. How can I let you know my new details?

Accepted Answer

Please write to us with your new details and sign the letter with both your old and new signatures.

You will also need to enclose documentary evidence of the change – for example your marriage certificate. Any documents should be copies certified on each page. This means that a copy is made by a professional (e.g. lawyer, bank, financial adviser, postmaster) who then signs the form and certifies that they have seen the original. Please note that we cannot accept photocopies that you have made yourself.

We will then write to you to confirm that the changes have been made and return the documentation to you. You will normally receive this within ten working days of sending your request.

Question 7

My address has changed. How can I let you know my new details?

Accepted Answer

If you are the only account holder you can notify us of your new address by using the online Investor Portal or by calling us on 0345 600 3030.

Alternatively, you can send us a written instruction to: Columbia Threadneedle Management Limited, PO Box 11114, Chelmsford, CM99 2DG.

If your account is held by more than one person, then any notification of address change must be in writing to the address above and signed by all account holders who are changing their address.

Question 8

How do I make a top-up payment into my account?

Accepted Answer

If you are the only account holder, you can do this through the online Investor Portal using a debit card. Alternatively you can send us a cheque in the post along with the relevant Top-Up Form.Your money is invested on the next available dealing day after receipt of your payment (subject to online dealing cut-off times).

Question 9

Where can I find a value of my account?

Accepted Answer

You can view the value of your account through the online Investor Portal at any time. We also quote the share prices of all our trusts online. Alternatively, you can call us on 0345 600 3030.

Question 10

How can I sell shares in my account?

Accepted Answer

You can use the online Investor Portal to send us your instruction (please note that joint investors or accounts registered under company names cannot do this online). Alternatively, you can complete and send us a Sale of Shares form or send us a letter, including your account number, and signed by all accountholders.Your shares will be sold on the next dealing day after we receive your instructions (this is usually the next business day) and we will send you confirmation in the post.You will normally receive a cheque to your home address within eight business days. If you would prefer the proceeds to be paid directly into your UK bank/building society account, you must provide proof of your bank details at the time you request the sale. Please note that you cannot withdraw sales proceeds from either a CTF or JISA account.

Question 11

Can I change the fund(s) that I am invested in?

Accepted Answer

Yes, you can switch your existing and/or future investment choices.If you are the only account holder, you can do this through the online Investor Portal. If not you can also use the relevant Change of Investment Instructions form. You can also find the Key Investor Information documents and performance details of each of our funds online.We will then carry out the sale, and purchase of the new shares, on the next dealing day (this is usually the next business day) after we receive your instruction. We will then write to you with details of the transactions and your new holdings – you will normally receive this within 5 working days.We’re not able to recommend investment option(s) you should pick so if you are unsure, you should speak to a professional financial adviser.

Question 12

How do I pay the annual account charges?

Accepted Answer

We will deduct the charge firstly from any uninvested cash held on your account, then sell shares.If you’d prefer, you could set up to pay the annual management charge by direct debit. This can be set up on the online Investor Portal. Alternatively, complete a Direct Debit Instruction form and return it to us.

Question 13

How do I change my direct debit amount?

Accepted Answer

If the account is held in your name and the direct debit is paid from a bank account in your own name, you can change your direct debit amount on the online Investor Portal. Alternatively, you can call us on 0345 600 3030You can also download and fill out the relevant Top-Up form for the account, signed by the bank account holders and the Columbia Threadneedle Savings Plan holder (if different). We will confirm the changes in writing to you, and you will normally receive this within 10 working days of sending your request.

Question 14

How do I change the account my direct debit is collected from?

Accepted Answer

If the account is held in your name and the direct debit is paid from a bank account in your own name, you can change your direct debit amount on the online Investor Portal.Alternatively, complete a Direct Debit Instruction form and return it to us along with proof of your bank/building society details (see below).You will need to allow at least 13 business days for the mandate to be set up by us, and your bank. You are welcome to send a cheque for any missed payments. This cheque (which can double up as proof of your account details) should be made payable to Columbia Threadneedle Management Limited.We will confirm the details of the new direct debit in writing to you. You will normally receive this within 10 working days of sending your request.

Question 15

Can I receive income from my investment(s)?

Accepted Answer

We automatically use any dividends received from your investments to purchase more shares. For accounts other than a CTF or JISA, if you would prefer the dividends to be paid into your bank account, we can arrange this for you.This can be set up on the online Investor Portal. Alternatively, complete a Dividend Mandate form and return it to us, along with proof of your bank/building society details (see below). We will confirm your request in writing to you. You will normally receive this within ten working days of sending your request.

Question 16

What proof of bank/building society details can you accept?

Accepted Answer

The proof needs to be pre-printed by your bank and show:

Your sort code
Your account number
The name of the accountholder(s)

This is normally a pre-printed pay-in slip (which is usually found in the back of your cheque book but may be provided by your bank/building society separately) or cancelled cheques (i.e. a blank cheque that you have scored through so that it cannot be used). A cancelled cheque is sometimes referred to as a spoilt cheque or a voided cheque.

Question 17

How can I notify you of the death of an account holder?

Accepted Answer

We’ve produced a Bereavement Guide to help you with the next steps

Question 18

I don’t have a financial adviser – can you send someone out to advise me?

Accepted Answer

We do not have a team who are able to advise individuals on trusts or products to invest in.

However, Independent Financial Advisers are able to recommend our funds and products. If you don’t know an adviser, then getting a recommendation from friends or family can be a useful starting point. Alternatively, an organisation called IFA Promotions can provide you with details of advisers in your local area. You can obtain this information from their website www.unbiased.co.uk.

Question 19

How do I make a complaint?

Accepted Answer

At Columbia Threadneedle Investments, we take complaints very seriously. If you have a complaint or are dissatisfied please let us know so we can try to put it right.If you wish to complain, please email us at investor.relations@columbiathreadneedle.com or call us on 0345 601 3313 from the United Kingdom or on +44 203 975 0500 from overseas (lines are open weekdays 9am – 5pm). Alternatively, you can write to us at Investor Relations, Columbia Threadneedle Management Limited, PO Box 11114, Chelmsford, Essex, CM99 2DG

Question 20

Best execution policy

Accepted Answer

When you buy or sell shares through a Columbia Threadneedle Savings Plan, we do not provide a market dealing facility for individual buy and sell instructions. Instead we combine your investment instructions of other investors and carry that combined order out on the next available dealing day by placing orders with a broker dealing on the London Stock Exchange. This means the price you obtain may be more of less favourable than if the order was carried out individually.

We have in place an order execution policy to ensure we take all sufficient steps to get the best possible result for you when we transmit your orders to a broker for execution, and we have a programme of pre and post trade monitoring to ensure our duties are met. We publish details annually of our top brokers and the execution results we achieve.

You can find the Order Execution Report on our documents page.

Question 21

How do I access your Privacy Policy?

Accepted Answer

The Columbia Threadneedle Privacy Policy can be accessed here.

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