I did have some contact with them, although ended up not needing them.
The first thing to remember is that they are a part of HSBC, which means that although they do give free advice, they are a business not a charity. However, if you need to purchase something like a immediate needs annuity, I'm not sure there are any other options (other than other financial advisors which you will also be paying for).
I must confess I found them a trifle pushy although they backed off pretty quickly after I pushed back, but every rep will be different.
I assume you're looking at an immediate needs annuity? I think it can be a sensible option but it is a bit like gambling - you're betting that your loved one will live long enough to reap the benefits while the provider is betting they won't. On the other hand, it does give you the option to protect capital.
One thing - I don't know how extensive you expect this first report to be. I didn't find that the first report was as extensive as I was hoping - it didn't give me, for example , how much we could expect to receive from such an annuity. Still that was a couple of years ago, so things might have changed.
