Mike Stirrup

“The best financial advice starts with a genuine curiosity about people.”

I began my career working behind the scenes. My first role after graduating from the University of Manchester with an economics degree was as an underwriter, assessing life insurance risk with no client contact whatsoever. While it was interesting work and useful in terms of the knowledge it gave me, I quickly realised I wanted to be on the other side of the table, talking directly with people. That decision to step out from the back office and into client-facing work has shaped everything I’ve done since.

With over two decades in financial services, I’ve worked with everyone from business owners building their first pension, to high-net-worth individuals navigating complex Inheritance Tax (IHT) planning. I always consider a client’s wider financial needs as a matter of course, but my advice in recent years has had more focus on retirement planning – helping people understand not just whether they can afford to retire, but how to structure their finances so they feel genuinely confident about the life ahead of them.

That moment when you can reassure a client who’s been quietly anxious about retirement that they’re actually in a strong position – and they leave with real peace of mind – is very satisfying I’ve learned over the years that good planning always begins with listening. It’s easy as an adviser to arrive at a meeting with a checklist of ideas – maximise the Individual Savings Account (ISA), put money into trust, restructure the pension – but unless you’ve taken the time to understand what someone actually wants, those ideas might not meet the client’s needs.. My job is to uncover what clients are really building towards, sometimes before they’ve even articulated it themselves, and then put a suitable long-term plan in place.

Gaining trust quickly, explaining complex ideas clearly, and staying curious about people – these are the things I’ve worked hard to develop across my career. My father instilled in me early on the value of investing and saving for the future; that foundation has given me a real empathy for clients at every stage of their financial journey, whether they’re just getting started or planning how to pass wealth on to the next generation. I believe the best financial decisions are built on honest conversations, not assumptions.

Outside of work, I’m based in Manchester and I’m passionate about keeping active – in earlier years that meant marathons and triathlons, these days it’s the gym and the golf course – although I have a love/hate relationship with the golf course!