Wealth Management Consultant
Karl Baker
Taking the time to understand what is important to you, our clients, both now and in the future, is the cornerstone of building strong relationships and providing quality advice.
“The best conversations happen when there’s no hidden agendas, just honesty.”
Outside of my work at Mattioli Woods, I have previously been involved in running a small retail shop that my wife and I bootstrapped from scratch – the staffing headaches, the cash-flow juggling, the relentless to-do list that never quite empties. It means that when a self-employed client or business owner tells me about the pressures they’re carrying, I’m not just nodding politely. I genuinely get it.
That real-world grounding shapes everything about how I work. I joined Mattioli Woods and built my practice around one principle: a meeting should feel like a conversation, not a performance. A client I saw recently put it better than I could – he said, “This isn’t a meeting, it’s a chat”. That’s exactly what I’m aiming for.
Finance can feel intimidating, and the last thing anyone needs is an adviser making it more so. Whether you’ve seen a financial adviser before or you’re coming in for the first time, I want the experience to feel relaxed, open, and genuinely useful.
One client I have worked with for several years was a head teacher at a challenging school when we met. She loved her job but was burning out, and she couldn’t see a way to retire without staying too long and losing the pride she’d built in a lifetime of work.
Over a number of years, we put the pieces in place – her Individual Savings Accounts (ISA), her private pension, the Teachers’ Pension Scheme, the State Pension – and when the moment came, she was ready. She moved to the coast and now spends her time doing the things she previously struggled to accommodate like swimming and socialising with friends. She’s living the life she’d earned. That’s what this work is really about.
Where I add the most value is in retirement planning – helping clients understand where their money is coming from, how it lines up with their tax position, and how to draw on the right sources at the right time. I also work increasingly with clients on Inheritance Tax (IHT) planning, an area that’s become far more relevant for many people in recent years, especially with changes to pension rules on the horizon.
I believe I’m reasonably difficult to offend. I like a good question, and I’d much rather hear your thoughts than listen to my own voice for an hour!. Outside of work, I’m kept busy by two young boys, a busy household, and plenty of time with our friends.
Whether you’re approaching retirement now, thinking about the future, a business owner or simply want to begin putting some plans in place, I’d love to have that conversation.
