“You’ve worked hard for this money – now let it work for you.”
Before I ever gave a piece of financial advice, I was a travel agent. My job was simple: listen carefully, understand what someone wanted from their time away, and then help them get the most out of it. Helping people plan the journey for their best retirement isn’t so different and getting it right means really understanding the person sitting in front of you.
I’ve been in financial services for nearly 37 years – starting out as a pensions administrator at Norwich Union (now Aviva) when I was 19, not even knowing what a pension was. I came through every part of the industry: administration, compliance, IFA networks and eventually running my own client bank. That breadth of experience means I understand how everything fits together, and I’ve seen enough market cycles, legislative changes and life events to stay steady when things feel uncertain.
Growing up in Liverpool as a triplet in a household where ambition was simply the norm – my sister became an international marketing director, while my brother reached board level at NatWest – taught me early that you work hard and you make your own way. It also gave me a genuine belief that everyone deserves the same quality of advice, regardless of the size of their pension pot. Someone with £100,000 saved deserves exactly the same care and attention as someone with £5 million. That money means just as much to them.
One thing I come back to again and again is this: you’re a long time dead. I’ve had clients who lived very frugally, left significant estates and handed a large chunk to HMRC in Inheritance Tax that they’d never planned for. Once you’re past 75 or 80, the opportunities to really enjoy your money narrow quickly. My job isn’t just to build wealth – it’s to help you spend it with confidence, at the right time, in the right way.
What sets me apart, I think, is how I listen. I have a very specific kind of memory – I can’t always tell you what I watched on TV last week, but I can recall a conversation with a client from 12 months ago and pick up exactly where we left off. “How’s that back, John? I remember you mentioned it last time.” Clients notice that. Over time, they stop feeling like clients and start feeling like old friends – which, after 13 years with many of them, is exactly what they are.
I explain things in plain English. No jargon, no complexity for its own sake – just clear, honest conversations that help you make better decisions. Whether it’s pension planning, investment strategy or Inheritance Tax planning, my aim is the same as it always was back in those travel agent days: find out where you want to go and help you get there.
Outside of work, I’m a keen walker and National Trust member, a football fan (you’ll find me in London for a County playoff final rather than on the sofa), and an enthusiastic gardener. I also play snooker with my son – and I’ve recently discovered darts again, which I’m blaming entirely on the Darts World Championship. Like the best holidays, it’s the simple things that tend to matter most.
