How did you learn to be a good financial planner, helping people plan well for the future?
You learn from other people. Within a year of starting my career, I moved from Bath to London, which had a much faster pace. I sat alongside planners with very different personalities and approaches, attended client meetings with them, and absorbed as much as I could.
Becoming a Chartered Financial Planner and Fellow took seven years. During that time, I was constantly learning. The technical knowledge came through exams and professional study, but the real education came from observing experienced advisers and understanding how they built relationships with clients.
For the first five years or so, you're a sponge. You're soaking up technical expertise, but you're also learning how to listen, ask the right questions, and adapt your approach to different people and situations. Financial planning is about much more than understanding tax rules, investments, or pensions. Clients need to feel heard and understood. The technical knowledge gives you the answers, but it's the human side that helps you understand the questions. A good financial planner needs both.
What’s the biggest challenge your clients face when trying to invest well?
Most of my clients are approaching retirement, already retired, or have recently sold a business. In many cases, they've done a good job of providing for themselves and have enough to live comfortably, both now and in the future.
Increasingly, however, the focus isn't on their own finances but on their children and grandchildren. Many clients look at rising living costs, higher taxes and challenges such as private school fees, and ask how they can help the next generation without compromising their own security.
As a result, the conversation often shifts from "Do I have enough?" to "How do I help the people I love have enough?" We're frequently helping clients balance priorities across multiple generations.
We also spend a great deal of time discussing the benefits of passing on wealth during their lifetime. For many clients, there's real satisfaction in seeing the difference that support can make. That might mean helping with education costs or a house deposit, or creating family experiences that stay with you, rather than waiting until they're gone to leave an inheritance.
What does living well mean to you personally?
These days, a lot of my life revolves around my daughter and her sport. She represents the county in cricket and hockey, so weekends are often spent on the sidelines. Over time, I've found that her friendship group has become mine too, because we're all sharing the same experiences week after week. There's a real sense of community in it, and I love seeing her enjoy sport in the same way I did when I was growing up.
I've always loved making things, whether from wood, metal, or clay. During a period of gardening leave, I spent one day a week at a local pottery studio. There's something incredibly satisfying about creating something tangible and a little imperfect with your own hands. I found it a welcome contrast to the analytical nature of my day job. It's a hobby I'd love to return to when life becomes a little less busy.
Beyond that, we love to ski, and before my daughter was born, I spent many years scuba diving. Living well, for me, is about creating memories with the people I love. I've been lucky enough to dive in some incredible places around the world, including the Red Sea, the Maldives, and the Seychelles, and I can't wait to share those experiences with my daughter as she gets older. The opportunity to travel together, see new places, and experience different parts of the world is something I value far more than any material possession.
How do you help your daughter think about how money can help her live well?
One conversation we've had for a while is not to start by asking, "What do you want to be when you grow up?" but instead, "What kind of life do you want to lead?" The two are linked. If you want the freedom to travel, pursue hobbies, raise a family, or enjoy certain experiences, it's worth thinking about the career choices that can help you achieve those things.
My daughter has a fascination with true crime and is interested in careers such as criminal psychology or law. We've talked about what those paths involve, the opportunities they can create, and how they might support the life she wants to build. For me, it's about helping her understand the connection between her ambitions, her choices, and her future financial independence.
I'll always support her education, but beyond that, I want her to find her own path. I can share my experiences and offer guidance, but ultimately, she needs to build her own life and make her own decisions.
We're also trying to develop good habits early. She has a JISA (Junior ISA) and a savings account linked to mine, so we often talk about spending decisions and whether something is a want or a need. Those small conversations help build an understanding that money is a tool, and that the habits you develop when you're young often stay with you for life.
When you’re helping clients plan well to live well, what advice do you find yourself giving time after time?
Start planning as early as possible. If you get to 64 and realise you haven't saved enough for retirement at 65, there's very little room to manoeuvre. But if you're having those conversations at 50, or younger still, you have time. Time to make adjustments, pursue different goals, retire earlier if you choose, or simply gain confidence that you're on the right track.
Alongside that, I always encourage clients to enjoy life along the way. It's important not to become so focused on the future that you forget to live in the present. Whether that's helping your children financially, taking a special family holiday, or spending money on something that's genuinely meaningful to you, we can always look at the numbers together and understand the impact.
Ultimately, financial planning and investing well isn't about accumulating wealth for its own sake. It's about giving yourself choices. And, for me, living well is about balancing tomorrow's security with today's opportunities, making memories with the people you’re close to, and having the confidence to enjoy the life you've worked hard to build. Because in the end, the best returns in life aren't always measured in pounds and pence.
