Frequently asked questions

I am a chartered financial planner. Chartered status cements my professional standing and gives me parity with other professionals, such as accountants and solicitors. To be chartered, one must hold an advanced diploma and have five years of experience within the profession.

I am also a Fellow of the Personal Financial Society (FPFS). Fellowship, held by more than 5,000 working practitioners, is the highest level of qualification offered by the Personal Finance Society. Attainment is globally recognised as an indicator of expertise and experience.

I also have the CFA Institute Certificate in ESG Investing, which is supported by the UN PRI (Principles for Responsible Investing).

When it comes to choosing a financial adviser, values matter. The way we approach money — and life — needs to align. That’s why I want to be upfront about the principles that guide my work. Here’s how I think about planning and what you can expect when we work together:

A plan gives your money direction.
You wouldn’t board a train without knowing where it’s headed. In the same way, financial planning starts with clarity — about your values, your goals, and what a fulfilling life looks like to you. Once we know where you want to go, we can create a plan to help you get there — one that reflects your priorities and adapts as life evolves.

Life changes. Your plan should too.
Financial planning isn’t one-and-done. Life throws curveballs — job changes, health shifts, market ups and downs. That’s why we meet regularly to update your plan, so it always fits where you are now — not just where you were when we started.

Focus on what you can control.
We can’t predict the markets, but we can control how much we save, how we invest, how we prepare for risks, and how we respond when things get tough. These are the levers that move the needle — and where we focus our time and energy.

Plan for the unexpected. Invest in the future
Even the best investment strategy can fall apart without a safety net. That’s why we plan for the "what ifs" — illness, loss, disability — so that if life goes off-script, your finances don’t. With the right protection in place, we can invest with more confidence in all the things that can go right.

Good planning looks far ahead.
This isn’t just about short-term wins. It’s about building a relationship that lasts — and a plan that supports your goals over decades, not just years. I’m here for the long haul, walking alongside you through life’s milestones and transitions.

In short:planning isn’t just about money. It’s about living well — now and in the future and a sense of contentment is paramount. That’s the kind of work I believe in, and if that resonates with you, we might be a great fit.

When choosing a financial adviser, sharing a common set of principles and beliefs is critical to a successful relationship. As such, below are my firm’s investing principles.

We Align Your Investments with Your Time Horizon:
We believe that owning a diversified portfolio of long-term investments (equities) for your long-term objectives and short-term investments (cash, bonds) for short-term objectives will offer the highest probability of achieving your goals. This alignment of investments may seem simple, but it is critical to investing success in all market environments.

We Expect Volatility:
We should expect bear markets (markets going down), as they have historically occurred about once every 3–4 years. Despite these events, over the last 65 years, the stock market has grown upwards, consistently outperforming cash and bonds. The only thing that was required of investors to earn that return was simply to stay invested.

We Stay the Course:
Investing success is much more about time in the market than timing the market (i.e., the best portfolio in the world will not work if you can’t stick with it). As such, we do not chase performance or fads, nor do we react to the latest market catastrophe, as those actions invariably introduce new, unnecessary risks to your financial plan. If your portfolio is aligned with your goals, risk, and time horizon, there should be few causes for change, regardless of the news or fads of the moment.

We Prepare, We Don’t Predict:
Because we expect bear markets (we just don’t know the timing of them), we purposefully prepare both mentally and financially for whatever may come next through relevant ongoing communication and easy-to-understand financial strategies so you can feel comfortable standing by your plan during stressful times.

We Manage and Minimise Expenses:
We believe that a diversified portfolio of low-cost funds, where possible, will serve you best in the long run. This can be a bit more challenging with sustainable funds, but we maintain our focus on keeping costs as competitive as we can. Additionally, taxes can cause a drag on performance, so we seek to minimise these expenses wherever prudent and possible.

We hope that through our planning and principles-based investing philosophy, you will feel encouraged to tune out the media and enjoy life a little more.

I have a dedicated support team, including operations, admin, compliance, and planning functions. This helps me deliver a reliable and efficient service to my clients.

Having experienced admin staff and paraplanners as part of my team is very helpful, not just to help complete tasks or write complex reports but also as a sounding board. Within our team, we have complementary skill sets to offer an integrated and effective financial planning service.

Financial advice is regulated to ensure clients receive suitable advice and that products and services perform in the way they expect. Our regulator is the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA). A financial advice network principally deals with the regulator on my behalf and ensures that my business remains compliant with the ever-changing rules and regulations. The level of offering will differ between networks, but ultimately, they are there to support my business and clients.

Financial Solutions Group Limited (FSG, or Financial Solutions), put simply, is the support company for my business. They are a highly professional, experienced, and well-established financial planning team. They will provide the same regulatory oversight as a network as well as administrative support, which in turn gives me more time to spend with my clients.

If you become my client, it is important for you to become familiar with FSG, as you will see their logo and name on various documents that help me deliver the service you’ve become accustomed to. On occasion, you may even receive an email or letter from their support team (always at my request) or even speak to them, but your relationship will always be with me.