Matthew Shaw

I joined the financial services sector in 1985 and have spent over 40 years advising families, individuals, and companies on the careful management of their financial assets. My career began when I spotted a job advertisement that mentioned working with computers – at the time, a genuine novelty – and from that first step, I have never looked back.

As well as being a Chartered Financial Planner and a Chartered Insurance Practitioner, I specialise in pensions and investment advice, including small self-administered schemes (SSAS) and self-invested personal pensions (SIPP). My technical knowledge of pensions law and taxation has been built over four decades and I actively support the wider Mattioli Woods team on complex pensions questions – work I thoroughly enjoy.

Alongside my pensions expertise, I have detailed knowledge of cash-flow modelling, which I see as an indispensable part of holistic financial planning. One of the questions clients ask most often is whether they can afford to retire – and I believe it is impossible to answer that question properly without a well-constructed cash-flow plan.

My approach is built on careful listening and attention to detail. I advise both individual and corporate clients, and many of those relationships have developed over 20 years or more. I want every client to feel that I am knowledgeable and they can trust me.

Outside of work, my great passion is sport. I enjoy watching football, cycling, Formula 1 and darts. In my younger years, I was a competitive road cyclist and rode several of the famous Tour de France mountain climbs in the French Alps. These days, I am just as happy cheering from the sofa, and my ideal weekend involves good sport, good food and good company with friends and family.