What Their Customers Are Saying

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All testimonials are provided and verified by Holborn Assets. Verified testimonials on Opinion Corp is a paid feature of the platform.

Great for Long Term Investment

Holborn Assets
I contacted Holborn in early 2013 having read many informative articles written by them over the years in Gulf News about managing ones assets. My advisor contacted me thereafter and came to my office to advise me with my investment planning. He spent a lot of valuable time with me until I was completely comfortable with the suggested investments. I subsequently referred him to my partner, who was also impressed with the time and dedication that he put into the exercise. He too went ahead and invested funds with Holborn. Our investments to date are showing promise and with regular updates from him, we feel happy with our portfolios. To date, I can say with confidence, that Holborn is not only my asset manager but feels more like a friend whom I feel I can put my trust in.
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Professional and friendly

Holborn Assets
The service provided by my advisor as well as the administration/support staff has been excellent. In particular the time that my advisor and his team spent chasing down my numerous pensions and then clearly illustrating the options that were available to me. The advice was clear and concise but not in anyway “pushy” or “selling”. The whole experience was easy, enjoyable and professional. I have no doubt that I will use Holborn’s services again and would recommend my advisor to anyone seeking advice or options with regard to future investments / savings or existing / future pensions.
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Fantastic and highly ethical company

Holborn Assets
Holborn and it's advisors are an extremely sound company with products designed to give their clients and their investments the best investment solutions and advice. It is quite sad that their competitors take to this site to write negative reports and it is damaging their own business since it reflects badly on them . As a long term client I can only advise you to take these misleading' reviews ' with a pinch of salt and once in front of a Holborn advisor you can scrutinse their qualifications,products and advice in person. Frankly these reviews are utter rubbish and are if you happen to have a hacker up your sleeve easy to pinpoint to individuals. They have held and continue to hold licences in not only UAE but UK and for the long time they have given sound advice to me and my family. Shame on their competitors in the market they will never have me as a client for their negative approach to sourcing the best for their client. PS Search for this site and see the terms and conditions of submission it will open your eyes to the nature of it.
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This review is from a real person who provided valid contact information and hasn't been caught misusing, spamming or abusing our website.

Verified Reviewer

Update by user Apr 01, 2020

With thanks and permission from Pensionlife.

Original review posted by user Apr 01, 2020
Following the miss-selling of New Earth fund by Holborn Assets, I undertook some research, as follows: UAE Insurance Authority. Licence number 180.Having a licence granted by the IA means that the company has been set up in...
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2 comments
#1906927

Can anyone help me with some information about what this means. My aunt had financial advice from Joe Capaldi and I am trying to piece together what he did with her investments.

He invested her money in RL360 and also used her money towards funding a company in Dubai called The Dynamic Zone. Is there anyone out there who may be able to shed light on who I can inform to investigate the said financial advice he gave her.

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ID
#1847849 Review #1847849 is a subjective opinion of poster.
Loss
$88
Preferred solution
Full refund
Holborn Assets's reply to:

Holborn takes the welfare of its 15,000 clients across our 8 global offices very seriously. Having been in operation for 20 years we have learned that in order to succeed in today’s global marketplace companies must put their customers at the heart of everything they...
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ID
#1075796 Review #1075796 is a subjective opinion of poster.
Service
Holborn Assets Customer Care

HOLBORN asserts £56000 to zero in UK pension lost less than three years after following HOLBORN Assets advice

Hi John Apologies I thought I had come back to you on this, but checking my email I have not. I have been back to both IVCM your SIPP provider and Old Mutual the underlying platform provider. They have confirmed that the AMT futures fund manager charged a 5% penalty on the original investment amount resulting in a penalty for withdrawing from the fund of GBP2,436, this 5% penalty does not decrease over time (as would be normal for a mutual fund) and was for the whole term of the investment within the AMT fund. This 5% charge plus the penalty charges and already overdrawn position on the Old Mutual Bond resulted in a negative balance on the overall bond of minus GBP2437 which technically was owed to Old Mutual. Old Mutual have written of this ‘debt’ and therefore there is nothing left in the pension account to be paid to yourself (but also no debt to Old Mutual). I have seen the recent press about Holborn but do not know any more information than yourself at this point. The above is obviously not what you wish to hear but, let me know when you are next planning on being in Dubai and we can organise to meet and I can try and help you in anyway that I can. Kind Regards ( name withheld as case is sub judice ) Wealth Manager
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1 comment
#1534294

Airbusman2002, please go to www.expatinvestmentclaims.com to get further information on how to get financial compensation for your mis sold SIPP

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ID
#1024557 Review #1024557 is a subjective opinion of poster.
Holborn Assets's reply to:

Holborn Assets - Review in Financial Services category

Holborn Assets is a leading Global Financial Services company headquartered in Dubai and variously regulated by the FCA in the UK, the FSB in South Africa and the Insurance Authority of Dubai, UAE. Currently it employs circa 350 people and services 15,000 very happy clients with high quality advice and service, a responsibility it does not take lightly. Its mission is to put ‘The Right Money, in The Right Place at The Right Time with Integrity and Respect for all’ and they have built an enviable reputation over nearly 20 years of operations by ensuring their consultants are qualified, experienced and meet their exacting standards. From the International Service Center in Colombo they strive hard to provide first class client servicing from a 60+ strong team providing monthly valuations, quarterly portfolio reports and customer newsletters. Historical performance is not indicative of future results and as such investments can go up aswell as down, in circumstances where clients feel they have fallen short of their own exacting standards there is a robust complaints procedure and where they are found wanting they will ensure clients are recompensed. This is not a customer of Holborn.
author's review
ID
#1022810 Review #1022810 is a subjective opinion of poster.
Reason of review
Problems with payment

Do not deal with Holborn assets I lost 80 k a big chunk of my savings it ripped my life apart and with no remorse the financial advisor got his commission.Don.t touch this company with barge pole.Holborn has a duty of care to its customers so do the right thing to stop people's lives being ruined and pay back my life

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Holborn Assets's reply to:

No customer service ,untrustworthy business practice

As a leading global financial services company providing excellence in advice and service since 1997 to our over 15,000 clients world wide customer service is at the heart of what we do. On the back of this and other positive and constructive feedback we have recently upgraded our client services team and expanded our operations to a team of 30 dedicated agents who are available 24/7 to answer any questions or queries our clients may have wherever they are. Our team is on hand to provide best in class technical and general support. We are also proud to announce the launch of our new Global Operations Hub to further shore up our proposition to the end user. We believe this now makes us the leading provider of solutions to expats by some margin and would be delighted to sit with individuals who have any further questions.
author's review
ID
#784881 Review #784881 is a subjective opinion of poster.
Reason of review
Poor customer service

before you sign with holborn assets they call you almost every day but when you sign you don't have to be worry any more that they call you and if like in our case we are losing big time money with them

and you sending mail or call no one answer

i send even to the top management mails and no one answer not Mr.Parker ,Mr Leahy

both are managing directors

when you call you can maximum reach Mr.Parkers PA

the person who make the deal with us he never answer any mail or call he is going somewhere his phone is with allays with his PA

the customer care Director Mr. Caleb he also not answer any mail

we are very disappointed with Holborn Assets not only because losing a lot of money ,even more that no one care in this company its more dishonesty

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Holborn Assets's reply to:

Holborn Assets Pension Agreement Review from Bitem, Catalonia

Dear Mr. Brooks,

We do take client care and servicing very seriously. Should you feel we fell short of our standards or have a specific issue with the advice you received then please contact our Customer Service team on +97144573831 and they will be happy to assist.
author's review
ID
#781831 Review #781831 is a subjective opinion of poster.

Holburn Assets...please steer clear....moving my 4 UK pensions offshore they have lost me £10000 + already....and thats before they have even been invested ....and they dont care...and high level management fail to reply to my emails

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Holborn Assets's reply to:

Holborn Assets

Thank you for your feedback John. We have tried to contact you however none of the contact details you provided appear to work. Would you please submit more information on the Contact Us section on our main website with your contact details and a member of our team will be in touch.
author's review
ID
#740546 Review #740546 is a subjective opinion of poster.
Pros
  • Freindly
Reason of review
Distrust
Preferred solution
Not to be contacted by this company again.

I met with an advisor form Holborn assets. I already had an advisor but he said I should have an Audit done every few years, it seemed to make sense. When we met he was really nice but made me feel really scared over the charges and the fees my current advisor was taking, I signed some paperwork as he said it was just an audit and he had to look. The next day My other advisor phoned and said my account had been transferred. I was shocked my advisor came down and explained everything to me and that they had no way of *** an Audit, they were in direct competition to them and that they would turn round and add fee's on.

After a week Holborn phoned and said that the previous advisor was charging 2% per annum and that they would only charge 1% per annum. And recommended a load of fund switches.

I called the providers direct, the provider confirmed my initial advisor was not charging any annual fee, that this had already been paid in advance and that there was no 2% per annum. the provider said that this was a trick being used to take clients away from other firms and start charging them a fee.

It turned out the funds they wanted to switch me in were all commission paying funds away from the low charging tracker funds I was in.

This all seems a little underhand.

Why cant advisors just be honest.

Hence to say I have gone back with my original advisor as I trust him and not these people who pretend to be friends, cast doubt and then start to charge.

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Holborn Assets Investments Review

LVP CASE ID 16-DHP0014 On September 8, 2016, Complainant submitted a complaint in accordance with the Legitimacy Verification Program (LVP). The LVP Complaint alleged that the post found at the following URL was defamatory in violation of Paragraph Two of the Terms of Use: Full URL of Post: http://www.holbornhub.com/holborn-asstes-lost-85-of-my-uk-pension-in-18-months-201507****2533.html/ The post’s author (“Poster”) was offered an opportunity to respond to the complaint, as provided in LVP Rule 9; however, the Poster failed to respond. Having considered the materials submitted in accordance with the LVP Rules, we hereby find as follows: The Post is more likely than not false, inaccurate, and in violation of Pissed Consumer’s Terms of Use. Accordingly, we recommend that the Post be removed in its entirety. We also recommend that the title of the Post be regenerated so that the title is removed in its entirety. Dated: October 10, 2016
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#1211325

Please take notice that Complainant has initiated a complaint against this Post due to alleged violations of Pissed Consumer’s Terms of Use (http://www.pissedconsumer.com/tos.txt) pursuant to Pissed Consumer’s Legitimacy Verification Program. To receive a copy of this Complaint send an email that includes the review number of this Post to lvp@pissedconsumer.com requesting a copy.

You, the Poster, have a right to respond to the complaint to establish the truth of this Post’s statements. If you intend to respond, you have 20 days from the date this Notice was posted to answer the Complaint. The Answer Form (https://s3.amazonaws.com/pissedconsumer/legal/LVP+Answer+Form.pdf)

must be submitted to lvp@pissedconsumer.com within 20 days of this Notice was posted.

Failure to submit your answer within 20 days waives your right to participate in the Legitimacy Verification Program as to this particular Complaint.

All Legitimacy Verification Program disputes are decided by an independent attorney who is not employee of Pissed Consumer and whose firm has contracted with Pissed Consumer to provide attorneys who will serve as Third-Party Neutrals in conformity with the rules of the Legitimacy Verification Program. Pissed Consumer WILL NOT reveal your identity or email address to Complainant without your express consent or pursuant to a subpoena or court order.

For more information regarding the Legitimacy Verification Program, please refer to the program’s rules found at http://www.pissedconsumer.com/static/legitimacy-verification-program-rules-and-conditions.html

LVP ID: 16DHP0013

ID
#672533 Review #672533 is a subjective opinion of poster.
Location
Dubai, Dubai
Reason of review
Poor customer service
Holborn Assets's reply to:

All our advisers are fully qualified financial advisers with industry standard qualifications. We ensure that all our advisers are qualified and knowledgeable in order to deliver the very best solutions to our clients.
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ID
#671618 Review #671618 is a subjective opinion of poster.
Location
Hemel Hempstead, Hertford

Contact Holborn Assets Customer Service

Website:
holbornassets.com
Mailing Address:
P.O.Box 333851 Al Shafar Tower, Level 15, Barsha Heights
Dubai, Dubai
United Arab Emirates
Phone:
+9 714 457 3800
Contact Holborn Assets Customer Service
Holborn Assets's reply to:

Holborn Assets - Investments Review from Dubai, Dubai

We are proud to offer clients regular bank busting returns on their investments, however, it is common knowledge that investments sometimes go up and sometimes go down.
author's review
ID
#668316 Review #668316 is a subjective opinion of poster.
Pros
  • Personalised proffessional service
  • Professional service and honesty
Reason of review
Good customer service

Holborn Assets seem to have a lot of complaints on here and I have been directed to this site by my adviser who works with them. I have used him and Holborn Assets for at least ten years now and I have to say that I am very, very satisfied with them.

There was one incident where I thought that the fund advice I was given was dubious and I demanded a meeting to explain why my investment was suffering. I was met by not only my adviser but also a rep from the investment company and also one of the board members.

I have to say it was explained and dealt with efficiently and professionally. I took their advice and rode the storm, only a year later the fund recovered and I was on my way.

I have read a few reviews on here about Holborn Assets in Dubai and South Africa - where I am from - and I can tell you that there are some sad people out there that just want to destroy the competition in the most cowardly fashion possible.

My experience with Holborn Assets has been excellent, and also my friends whom I recommended would say the same.

My advice is meet with your adviser and ask him or her whatever is on your mind. Don't dismiss this company over a review on a site with a name like this. This is your livelihood you are dealing with.

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1 comment
#1012420

My "investment" with Holborn Assets is still 85% down after two years falling and the "advisor" I used I found out is a convicted felon in the UK. How can this lot employ a convicted felon? I rest my case....

Holborn Assets's reply to:

Endless cold calls to hawk their stock garbage

We do our best to ensure that people who request to be placed on our DNC list are not contacted. However, with an organisation as large as ours, some people still managed to get called. We apologise for any inconvenience.
author's review
ID
#663020 Review #663020 is a subjective opinion of poster.
Reason of review
Cold calling

Great to see Holborn staff in here trying to paint over the damp.

Today I've had four missed calls from Holborns 'London' number. I had three unsolicited calls from them last week.

Each time I requested bluntly that they stop calling, but the calls don't stop. I was duped by this ilk when I first arrived in Dubai, and now have the pleasure of letting them lose me money for the next 18 years. Here's how they work. They look at your income and assess what the maximum monthly instalment is that you can sustain.

Then they lock you into 18-36 months of making that high payment. In return you get 'preferential benefits' like being able to take a month off when you're destitute. I've got a friend that works for one of these companies, and he assures me the first 18 months you're paying straight into the reps pocket as commission. If you're incredibly lucky, the funds they sell you will break even, and you'll just lose the exorbitant fees they charge.

Take the advice of someone that has lost over $15,000 with these jokers: you're better off investing in flea market pottery.

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Holborn Assets's reply to:

Unfortunately, as with all these anonymous reviews, the person cannot be held accountable nor be proven to be a reliable source.
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ID
#662437 Review #662437 is a subjective opinion of poster.
Location
Dubai, Dubai
Holborn Assets's reply to:

Unable to provide basic information to questions listed below

When in doubt, we urge all clients to contact our customer service department who are always available to answer any queries or concerns you may have. All contact details are on our website.
author's review
ID
#613383 Review #613383 is a subjective opinion of poster.
Reason of review
Poor customer service

How, when and from what source or sources did you acquire my details? including my contact details?

What? regulatory body or bodies are Holborn affiliated with, or subscribe too.

What? overall jurisdiction governs the activities of Holborn as it relates to the pensions side of the business.

If and when a UK pension is transferred offshore, what element of control does the client have? If ? the client wished to have it transferred back to the UK, is this possible? and is it subject to penalties?

Finally, It would be much appreciated if you can email me copies of papers I signed at our meeting.

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Holborn Assets's reply to:

Holborn Assets - Investment Review from London, London

We deliver investments from some of the world’s largest investment houses which often deliver bank beating returns to our clients. Should you have any queries or concerns, please contact our customer service department who are always on hand to help.
author's review
ID
#604389 Review #604389 is a subjective opinion of poster.
Reason of review
Not as described/ advertised

I received an unsolicited email from a business development manager and within the space of a few minutes a couple of follow-up calls. This person was trying to book me an appointment with a so-called UK qualified financial expert who apparently provides independent advice. This expert is apparently licensed to advise on investment and insurance products.

1. Very few if any Holborn Advisors would be qualified to advise on investments in the UK, this is a complete fallacy. Most only have the minimum level Certificate in International Wealth Management, a single module course from the CISI that anyone with half a brain, a few days study time and a calculator could pass. Many don't even have this.

2. Holborn Assets are not independent, they sell one white-label saving plan which they market under the name Holborn Assets Retirement Plan (HARP), and one lump sum investment product, which investors only get a choice of investing into 3 core holdings - their own broker funds. These products are both supplied by Royal London. Holborn receive volume override commissions on these products (they get paid more than all the other brokers) because they are tied into exclusive agreements. And they also receive a healthy commission on their own Old Broad Street broker funds of course - regardless of their appalling performance!

3. They advertise on the radio that they do not cold call. Cold calling for the solicitation of financial products is illegal in the UAE as they surely know this and yet still conduct telemarketing within the UAE and across the Global. I would like to know how they managed to obtain my private email address, my phone number and then contact me unsolicited?

4. If their financial salesperson is indeed a UK qualified expert, and intentionally making the claims above then he/she is actually deliberately mis-selling the public and also guilty of misrepresentation.

5. Holborn Assets like to slate all the competition saying they are the most professional, qualified, etc, etc, etc. They even contact clients of other brokers with misleading scare tactics, trying to disturb people to switch to them - this is hardly exemplary of the kind of "strong Christian ethic" they claim is at the foundation of their principles.

6. On the message from the CEO on their website, it clearly states that they are regulated in all the countries they do business in. This is again a total fallacy - they do not even have a license in the UAE where their head office is!

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2 comments
#1004850

an Adviser who works with Holborn I sometimes read these comments and think there is no point in answering them because we all know who posts them. However, I simply cannot listen to this tripe any longer..

So, I shall answer your points in order one by one and then hopefully you; and the people you point towards this terrible site, will understand more clearly.

1.

Qualified or not:

Of all the advisers within Holborn Assets ‘Most” (probably 95%) are qualified to give advice on UK investments, products etc. Those that are not qualified would not be allowed to advise you. They are most likely trainees or working within practices. They will have taken an entrance style qualification to get them on their way to full qualification such as FAIQ or a basic CISI paper.

If your initial contact is with one of these trainee or practice advisers then that would be purely for information gathering and they might advise you on elements of financial services that they are qualified for. Any other advice would be given to you personally by a fully qualified adviser. Also, that adviser would put that advice in writing and put their name at the foot of that advice with their own signature.

2.

Independent or not:

This is wildly inaccurate – Yes RL360 are one of the companies Holborn represent and yes, we have a white label product with RL360. Firstly, this is because RL360 value Holborn Assets and understand that we have a commitment to giving the best advice available. Ask yourself, why would a company like RL360 tie their global reputation to Holborn if they were not completely satisfied with the levels of advice, competency and compliance? The HARP product is very successful but it makes up only a percentage of the other products recommended by Holborn.

Whether Holborn Assets gets paid more than another company on any product or services is debatable. All IFA’s will claim to have exclusive arrangements with at least one of the product providers. Some with Generalli, some with FPI and others with Zurich or OMI etc. It’s more down to the product providers than the IFA’s.

Any increase in remuneration to the company would be from the providers own margins or profits and would not increase the standard charges to the client at all. We have our own small fund range and we encourage its use however there are hundreds of other funds being recommended every year by Holborn Advisers. It is understandable that we may incentivise our funds use, just as any other company would with any other product they create. The point you are missing here is that if the fund is not suitable for a client, it will not be advised to the client.

Compliance would see to that in a heartbeat. Secondly, Holborn Assets also represents, Generalli, Zurich, Friends Provident Momentum, Brooklands and OMI; among a host of others, where they and we hold a license to do so. There is an almost equal spread across the board on the products advised from Holborn Assets. 3.

Unsolicited contact or not: Cold calling is illegal in the UAE and marketing of financial services products is always a tricky one for IFA’s globally. I cant answer where your details may have come from but I can tell you this, I personally have many clients that have praised the fact that a particular problem or challenge was brought to their attention and that we were able to satisfy that need for them. For every one that is happy there will be another that is not; clearly where you fall. However I would rather help one family by providing life assurance or other crucial products than have missed them altogether.

If you have everything in order – and I seriously doubt it – then carry on and ignore us. 4. Misrepresentation: See all the other replies I have made. 5.

Business and / or Christian ethics: Stating that we believe we are the most professional, most ethical company in the market place is not “slating the competition”, it is simply stating what we believe to be a fact. Just like any company in any industry we have a belief that we are darn good at what we do. Apple never became one of the richest companies on the planet by saying “we probably make fairly good computers”. They have belief in themselves just as we do.

And, if stating to a client that they are literally paying two or three times what they need to on a certain product or service is going against business principles (never mind Christian ones), then there is something very wrong with your view of business, financial services or just the world in general. 6. Licensed and Regulated: This one is my favourite – You obviously know where our office is so why don’t you pop over and ask to see our licenses (plural) for the UAE. Whilst you are at it, you could ask to see the UK FCA license, the Dublin European License, the South African license etal.

Finally, I highly suspect that these comments were written; like all on this site, by upset and disgruntled ex-advisers of Holborn Assets. It’s plain to see that there is at least a shallow understanding of the market place in your tone and the language used in your review. It takes a lot to fail at Holborn Assets, there is support both emotionally, professionally and where required financially. There are training programs, we pay for the exams that you claim nobody qualifies in, and there are splendid offices around the world and lots of other support programs.

If you failed with Holborn its most likely because you could not sell what you wanted to sell such as unregulated funds or high commission paying funds, you were unethical or you just hate being professional. Or maybe, you could not keep up with the examinations and qualifications required to maintain your position at the company. It is also possible that you interviewed with Holborn and were rejected and now you are facing stiff competition for your services. Either way, I think any potential client should meet with an adviser, visit their offices and even ask to see the license or the adviser’s qualifications and they can make their own minds up.

That goes for any financial advisory firm anywhere in the world, not just Holborn.

We have nothing to hide.

#955081

i cannot agree more with this post. Everything this shell looks to be they are not.

They are the worst and most dishonest in the world. I lost everything by trusting this Christian ethic and they won't even respond to my complaints.

They are liars plain and simple and the crooks that run it are set to disappear into the sunset. Never ever deal with these liars or trust them.

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Far better than the rest

My account was previously managed by another financial adviser from another company and, with all due respect, I didn’t cross the line of 3% interest, max. Since Holborn took charge of my investments, I have seen the number climb sometimes to more than 8% and I’m not complaining about it :) Obviously, it’s a long term investment and it’s funds investment, which means there’s risks. However, for the time you managed my account you proved to me I can trust your decisions. And God knows I don’t trust easily when it’s about money and the future of my family. When I come to your office, I don’t feel I’m sitting in front of an advisor who puts in priority his commissions and forgets the well being of my investments. I feel I’m having a chat with a good friend who cares about me and my money.
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Testimonial

Holborn Assets is a paying client of Opinion Corp and utilizes its services to proactively identify and correct customer service issues.
ID
#724162 Review #724162 is a subjective opinion of poster.
Reason of review
Good customer service