Your Financial Planning Maestro

In this week's episode we talk to Lara Gentles CFP™ a Vice President at Santander Private Banking.

Having recently passed her CISI L7 case study assessment and become a CERTIFIED FIANCNIAL PLANNER™, Lara shares her experience of the process as well as loads of tips along the way, including the things she wished that she had done beforehand, how she got ready for the assessment, her approach and the outcome. As we discuss in this interview, I always give lots of advice myself, but many people don't seem to follow it. Lara is one of the few that did, and, as you will hear, it made her journey much smoother.

Lara Gentles Bio:

Lara is currently a Vice President within Santander Private Banking in Scotland. As a designated Chartered Wealth Manager and Certified Financial Planner™ with 25 years’ experience, Lara advises a diverse group of High-Net-Worth Individuals, predominantly based in the UK, with both domestic and global investment requirements. Previously, she was an Associate Director with HSBC Private Banking and has held relationship management positions with Barclays and Bank of Scotland.

She holds qualifications from the Chartered Institute of Bankers in Scotland, Chartered Insurance Institute, CFA Society of the UK, and is a Chartered Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Securities and Investment.

Outside of work, she loves the great outdoors and spends most of her spare time walking or mountain biking in Scotland.

In this week's episode we talk to Dante De Gori CFP® the newly appointed CEO of Financial Planning Standards Board Ltd. (FPSB).

The FPSB is the global standards setting body for the international CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ Certification which is licensed in 27 territories around the world and boasts over 213,000 CFP Professionals worldwide.

In this episode we talk about the continued growth in numbers of CFP Professionals, what is driving this growth and what the plans are to support the existing community and embrace new territories as well.

We also talk in detail about Dante's plans for the profession, where FPSB can help individual territories, independent research studies and what we can all do to help the public benefit from financial planning advice rather than product sales.

Bio: Dante De Gori, CFP® , Chief Executive Officer, Financial Planning Standards Board Ltd.

Dante De Gori, CFP®, is the Chief Executive Officer of the Financial Planning Standards Board Ltd. (FPSB), the nonprofit standards-setting body for the global financial planning profession and owner of the CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER certification program outside the United States. 

Prior to this, De Gori served as Chief Executive Officer of the Financial Planning Association of Australia (FPA) – the financial planning professional body in Australia and sixth largest Affiliate within the FPSB Network. For six years, he led teams focused on standards, certification, education, events, advocacy and consumer awareness, and made exceptional contributions to the Australian financial planning profession through a period of tremendous reform to help raise education and professional standards.

A proud CFP professional, De Gori is passionate about advancing the profession of financial planning and supporting CFP professionals around the globe. He has served on several FPSB committees and working groups, including as chair of the Council and chair of the Chief Executives Committee (CEC) from 2018 to 2021. In early 2022, De Gori joined FPSB as Head of Stakeholder Engagement. 

De Gori has more than 20 years of experience in the financial planning profession. He’s worked in various senior roles within financial planning and compliance at ClearView Financial Management, Zurich Financial Services, Asteron Life and Suncorp Bank. He also spent six years as General Manager, Policy and Government Relations at FPA Australia before being named CEO. De Gori also served as Director of the Future2Foundation, the charity foundation of the financial planning profession in Australia, from 2016 to 2021.  

De Gori was recently awarded the Association Influencer of the Year 2022 by the Australasian Society of Association Executives (AuSAE). He holds a Bachelor of Commerce (finance and marketing), a graduate certificate in politics and policy, a diploma in financial planning, has completed the Australian Institute of Company Directors Course (2021), and is currently completing a Master of Laws at the Australian National University. 

De Gori is a proud husband and father who dedicates his life to the four F’s: family, food, football and financial planning.

In this week's episode we talk to Louise Oliver CFP™ co-founder of Piercefield Oliver, a very successful financial planning business.

We cover a wide range of subjects in this enlightening conversation, including:

* How you can set up and run a boutique financial planning business,

* How to attract more women into the profession and why more should be encouraged to become client facing advisers for the long-term benefit of clients.

* The good and bad things the Government are doing in the field of financial education and what they should be doing more and less of!

* What financial planners should be doing more of to help younger generations understand their finances better.

* What Louise thinks of the recent Government announcement on the reviews of PRIPS and KIIDs.

Louise's Bio:

Having a wealth of experience in the financial services sector amounting to over 30 years I am often a go-to expert for commentary for the National and local media. I particularly enjoy working with individuals and families to help them navigate through life’s changes such as divorce, bereavement, retirement, and inheritance. Having the benefit of supporting people through some challenging situations and out of the other side feeling empowered and happier gives me huge pleasure.

I have been fortunate to be recognised by my peers winning several awards including, Role Model of the Year in Financial Services and Female Financial Adviser of the Year.

As UK President of the British Association of Women Entrepreneurs, which is part of the largest international women’s entrepreneur network in the world, I am able to fulfil my passion for supporting women in business. 

This voluntary role enables me to provide guidance and connect businesses not only in the UK but all over the world. I enjoy guiding young women starting out in business and seeing their successes. More locally I enjoy connecting with local businesses, schools and Universities. I am a Visiting Professor at Aston University, a role I thoroughly enjoy.

I am a fellow of the Royal Society for Arts, Manufactures and commerce. My goal continues to be to break the mould in financial services and provide clear, accessible financial planning and advice to all age groups at whatever stage of their lives. I believe it is something we do very well here at Piercefield Oliver.

I truly love the great outdoors and in my spare time, you will find me paddle boarding, sailing and travelling around the country in my beloved motor home, Tilly. As a proud Sheffield girl, I also love going home to catch up with family and long-standing friends. In contrast, I enjoy trips to London to meet with clients and enjoy the buzz of the City. I have set myself goals to raise funds for charities close to my heart and recently completed a cycle ride from Milan to Venice in 3 days for women’s cancer charities.

Quirky fact about myself? I hate wooden lolly sticks!!

In this week's episode we talk to Dr. Moira Somers, a neuropsychologist, family wealth consultant, author and executive coach. 

Moira specialises in behavioural economics and the psychology of money. 

We talk to Moira about the practical things financial planners can do to improve the questions that they ask clients in order to gain a deeper understanding of their clients' needs.

Moira's bio:

In her work, Dr. Somers addresses matters that range from the highly personal concerns of business-owning individuals and families all the way up to broader service, design and structural issues affecting financial follow-through and equitable access to capital. 

Although Canada is her home, her client base is international.

Dr. Somers is a faculty member at the Ultra High Net Worth Institute and at the Financial Transitionist® Institute. She leads the Financial Psychology Special Interest Group for the American Psychological Association.  She is a featured guest and writer for many financial advising / family office podcasts and publications. 

Her book, Advice that Sticks: How to Give Financial Advice that People Will Follow, tackles the problem of unimplemented financial advice. It has been adopted as an authoritative guidebook by such diverse groups as advisor training institutions, private firms specialising in Ultra Hight Net Worth clients, and credit counselling agencies.

To learn more about her services, check out the following: www.moneymindandmeaning.com

In this week's episode we talk to Robert Lockie CFP™, branch principal at Bloomsbury Wealth, about a phrase that I see written quite a bit in financial plans for clients; I am going to err on the side of caution.

Robert is one of the most well respected Certified Financial Planner professionals in the UK.  He has been a long-standing CFP professional and has a reputation for his knowledge and expertise for all things technically related in the financial planning sphere.  

There's not much this chap doesn't know about assumptions.  As you will hear in this episode, as the king of assumptions in the UK, we talk through the impact of this approach on the various financial planning assumptions and the pitfalls of taking various courses of action on the back of that. 

We also talk about why you should get to know how to change the financial planning assumptions in the cashflow tools that you are using and why you should be revisiting the reasons for and numbers being used firm-wide on a regular basis.

This episode is a must listen for both those going through their CISI level 7 financial plan assessment and all those using financial planning cashflow tools to give advice to clients.

Robert's Bio: 

Robert Lockie CFP™ Chartered Fellow (Financial Planning) FCSI, Investment Manager and Branch Principal at Bloomsbury Wealth.

Robert Lockie has been an investment manager and branch principal at City-based Bloomsbury Wealth since 2005.  

The firm works with a relatively small number of private client families and provides a financial planning-led wealth management service.  It is a member of the Global Association of Independent Advisors, an international best practice grouping of like-minded fiduciary firms and Robert is an ambassador for the Transparency Task Force, which aims to improve the standards of transparency in financial services.

In the first episode of the fifth series of this podcast we talk to Jennifer Kay CFP™ who is a financial planner at Arlene Addison.

Jennifer shares her journey to become a Certified Financial Planner professional, her views on why there aren't enough female financial planning role models and what benefits becoming a CFP professional has bought her both professionally and personally.

Jennifer has a hidden super power! Listen to the podcast to find out what that is and how that has helped her improve her confidence, credibility and kudos in the financial planning profession.

Jennifer's Bio:

Jennifer is a Chartered & Certified Financial Planner ™ and Mortgage Adviser. She joined Arlene Addison, a Senior Partner Practice of St. James’s Place in 2014 and qualified as an adviser in the summer of 2019.

With a university degree in French & German, her path has taken quite a turn from translating at her kitchen table to a career in financial advice. A planner by nature, she loves hearing her clients talk about their plans, goals and dreams for the future and designing a plan to help make those dreams a reality. Fortunately, she also loves spreadsheets. 

She is passionate about greater female representation in financial services and galvanising young women to take control of their financial lives early on. She sees her professional purpose as doing everything in her power to help narrow the gender wealth gap, and particularly the pension gap.

In her spare time, she enjoys yoga, running and reading and is also working on her language skills as they’ve grown a little rusty in recent years.

In the final episode of this series of podcasts we talk to Charlotte Phillips-Lynn, Senior Operations Analyst at Seccl.

There are so many small changes that we can all make to make our workplaces more comfortable for our team members from the LGBTQA+ community.  

Some of your team might not be 'out' as part of that community.  They might fear backlash or to be treated differently to others.  What can you do help make everyone more comfortable in the workplace?  Many things that you can do cost nothing more than a little of your time.

Charlotte's Bio:

I am currently a Senior Operations Analyst at Seccl, specialising in the dividends and corporate actions sector. 

My career started working in a contact centre for a life and pensions provider - after always saying I would never work in an office or on the phone, this has been a current theme in my career. As I moved up within the company and onto the next one, my role centred around system migration projects and diving deeper into more technical roles within the industry.

I'm a big advocate for the LGBTQIA+ community, and enjoy various roles/accolades that I have within that space. These include: Top 100 Gamechanger with LGBT Great, Project 1000 Role Model with LGBT Great, Volunteer Regional Ambassador for It Gets Better UK, Country Ambassador and mentor for myGwork. 

I have also delivered Keynote speeches virtually and in person surrounding LGBTQIA+ people in finance.

Useful Links:

It Gets Better UK - https://www.itgetsbetter.org.uk/

 Stonewall – https://www.stonewall.org.uk/

 Mermaids - https://mermaidsuk.org.uk/

 LGBT Switchboard - https://switchboard.lgbt/

 In addition Charlotte shares lots of information on LinkedIn and on her Instagram account @yourglutenfreegaybestfriend

In this week's podcast we are back to talking all things CFP certificate related with Carmen Bacaoanu, Head of Paraplanning at Wealth Matters.

We talk about her journey in the financial advice industry, how she was treated, how she found people to support her and how she became a career paraplanner.

Carmen also shares why it was important for her to gain her CFP certification and why she believes that it's a qualification for all, not just for client facing planners.  Along the way we discuss various tips and pitfalls of working on the CISI L7 case study financial plan assessment and the do's and don'ts to pass.

This is a great episode if you are a paraplanner interested to know whether it is worth embarking on the CFP and employers who want to better support their teams.

Carmen's Bio:

I started my career in Financial Planning in 2018 as a trainee paraplanner and prior to this I worked in retail banking for 8 years.  I came into the Financial Planning industry with very little experience, however, within four years I have completed my industry exams and qualified as a Certified Financial Planner, accredited by the Chartered Institute for Securities and Investment.

My current role is Head of Paraplanning and I manage a team of four Paraplanners. We have recently started training graduates in the role, who often have little or no financial services experience. My focus is on my team and using my skills and experience to help them thrive professionally and personally by helping them blend work commitments with family life.

I also interact with clients, dealing directly with them and presenting in meetings to reassure them about their portfolios. Although I’m a Paraplanner by trade, a lot of my role involves relationship management, and I pride myself on my people skills.

When I am not spending time helping our clients, I am with my daughter and our pets. I also enjoy painting and am very proud to have many of my artworks present in my friends’ homes.

In this week's podcast episode we talk to Michael Yuille CFP™, Founder of Northern Cross Wealth Management about all things Certified Financial Planner.  Michael shares his journey to CFP certification and talks about how mentoring helped him gain his certification and to look at things a little differently.

We also talk about the difference that that experience has made to him personally and also professionally and how it gives his clients more confidence in him.  He also lets us into a little secret and he tells us why you can do great financial planning anywhere!

Michael Yuille Bio:

During his University years studying for his Bachelor’s degree in Pharmaceutical Science, Michael quickly realised that the laboratory environment was not for him, so he decided to move into a more client-facing role. His progression from the Pharmaceutical field to the Financial world was to utilise his skills in assisting clients in planning for their future. Having spent the last 10 years in Africa, Michael decided to set-up his own company in his adopted home, Cape Town.

Since returning to Cape Town having worked in West Africa for 2 years, Michael has completed both his RE1 (Key Individual) and RE5 (Representatives) regulatory exams in South Africa, and has obtained his U.K. Level 4 Investment Advice Diploma, as well as his U.K. Level 6 Certificate in Pension Transfers & Planning Advice, through the Chartered Institute for Securities and Investments.

Michael has recently earned his U.K. CFP™ (CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™) qualification and will be sitting the (U.S.) Series-65 exam which will allow him to understand the needs of U.S. citizens and assist with their financial planning.

Michael now lives in France with his wife Renee and two beautiful daughters, and in his spare time, he is currently learning French and working towards achieving his Private Pilot’s Licence (PPL).

In this week's episode we talk to Michelle Hoskin, founder and director of Standards International, about the work she is doing in the field of financial abuse.

During the hard hitting interview we left no stone unturned and we talked about:

✔︎ How to spot clients who could potentially be being abused.

✔︎ How to identify those who are being financially abused.

✔︎ How to approach the conversations with both parties involved.

✔︎ What to say to offer guidance and support for those being abused.

✔︎ Why we shouldn't ignore this growing issue.

✔︎ How financial planners are key in identifying these situations and, crucially, doing something about it.

If you don't think financial abuse is widespread, think again!

If you think that as a financial planner, it is none of your business to spot it or do anything about it, think again!

Listen now to find out why.

Michelle's Bio:

Michelle Hoskin is an international speaker, author and regular contributor to the professional press and media, with more than 20 years’ experience working alongside some of the world’s most successful financial services organisations. She is also the Founder and Director of Standards International a leading dedicated certification body in the UK for BS 8577, BS 8453, ISO 22222 and The Paraplanner Standard™ certification. Michelle has also earned the title of the leading expert in professional standards of operational best practice.

In this week's podcast episode we talk to Andy Booth, Senior Partner at Nine Wealth.

Andy recently gained his CFP certification and talks through his journey to get there as well as offering lots of advice and tips along the way.

Andy is using his CFP certification to great effect attracting by changing the way he asks client questions and how he thinks through their options when faced with meeting their objectives.  He also talks through how his recent experiences are helping him attract better quality clients.

If you are interested in completing the CFP certification and want to grow your business, this is a must listen episode.

Andy Booth bio:

He has over 25 years experience in the insurance and financial services industries and has been a Partner at St. James's Place for the last eight. Andy focuses primarily on the SME/Business owner market and successful high net worth individuals, including sports professionals. Andy, as a business owner himself, understands and appreciates the challenges of running a business and the need for security whilst striving to maximise the end goal. Andy offers bespoke wealth management advice helping clients achieve their financial goals and long-term security through cash flow modelling.

Andy was educated at Swansea and Cambridge Universities, playing in the 1989 and 1990 Varsity Match at Twickenham. He was a professional rugby player with Cardiff and Swansea and represented Wales at all levels including Wales at the 1991 World Cup. He also had the honour of playing for Crawshays, Scottish Co-optimists and The Barbarians on many occasions. Andy is an Ambassador for local charity Velindre Cancer Centre and on the Board of The Cardiff Blues Former Players Foundation, as well as the St. James's Place Charitable Foundation for the Cardiff area.

A keen sportsman, Andy continues his passion by playing golf and also attends the gym regularly to keep himself fit. At home, Andy relaxes with his new interest in cooking and also enjoys spending time with his wife and three daughters.

In this episode we talk to Katherine Pautard CFP™ about her journey to become a Certified Financial Planner Professional.

Katherine started out her career wanting to be a midwife, but when she found that it wasn't her passion after all, she put her empathy, drive and ambition to use to become a great financial planner.

She shares her journey to find her true vocation in life as well as her passion to help clients.  This year she has gained her CFP certification and won Professional Advisers Rising Star of the Year award to boot.

Katherine shares some special tips for those embarking on their CISI L7 case study financial plan assessment as well as her views on diversity and inclusion and how the financial planning profession is changing in front of our eyes!

Katherine's Bio:

I joined Wealth Matters in 2019 as a paraplanner, having been in the financial services industry for 8 years. Prior to starting at Wealth Matters I worked for a financial advisory firm and a major pensions company, dealing in corporate pensions. This is where I gained the necessary foundation knowledge, however, it is since being at Wealth Matters that I have completed my industry exams and qualified as a Certified Financial Planner. In May 2022, as well as achieving CFP™ status, I was also recognised as Professional Advisers Rising Star of Year.

I am excited to continue to develop my career in the industry and provide valuable advice to my clients for years to come. I’m also working to empower women and younger people to engage with finance.

When I am not talking to my clients about their bucket lists and aspirations, I am with my friends and family, making memories and ticking things off my own list. This usually includes travel, good food and even better wine!

In this week's podcast episode we are back talking to Meg and James at the Verve Group and catching up on what they have learned since we lat talked to them.

We had a really interesting discussion about the weight of expectations that they put on themselves when studying for exams.  We share their ups and downs and talk openly about how we all fail; some just don't want to admit it!

If you are an employer who has recently taken on new members of your team, this is a must listen episode.

In the first of the series, we talk to Gareth Tregidon CFP™, CEO and Head of Financial Planning at Nugenis Financial Planning Ltd.

Gareth was a CFP assessor for the Institute of Financial Planning L6 and Chartered Institute for Securities and Investment L7 financial plan case study assessor for many years and has assessed 600 financial plan assessments!

We talk all things assessment related including:

• How to approach your plan creation.
• Do's and don'ts when it comes to assumptions.
• Common mistakes, how they happen and what to do about them.
• His approach as an assessor; what he was looking for and why. 
• Why the retirement planning section is so tricky and how to approach it to maximise your chances of passing this section.

If you are writing up your financial plan at the moment or thinking about obtaining your CISI L7 case study in August, this is a must listen episode.

Gareth's Bio:

Gareth Tregidon is a Certified Financial Planner and Chartered Fellow (Financial Planning), and currently CEO of Nugenis Financial Planning in Cardiff.

Gareth has been involved in the financial services sector for over 35 years, including periods as an Independent Financial Adviser (IFA) and Financial Planner, as well as working in management for both insurance companies and financial services firms.  He was also Branch Chairman for the Institute of Financial Planning (IFP) between 2006-2011, and Branch Chairman of the Year in 2010.

From 2007 until 2021 Gareth was a Senior Assessor for the CFP licence, in addition to which he has undertaken various work for the IFP and, since 2015, CISI.  This has involved writing case studies and educational material, technical and exam-related work, as well as running courses aimed at helping ‘advisers’ become ‘planners’. 

In the final episode of this series, we talk to Andy Bounds, one of the best communicators I know!

We waste many hours each week cc'ing people into needless emails, covering your backside and preparing to blame your manager when they don't instantly recall said email and swoop in to fix mistakes.

We are swamped with so many emails that we miss the critical ones, we can't make decisions quickly.

Andy shows us how to stop all that today by thinking about the 'afters' - what will be better after they've read your email.  We talk about how you can improve your website content, how to structure newsletters (I'm looking at mine right now) and how to tackle the email mountain to make better business decisions and help clients find you faster.

We are ending the series with a bang!!

Andy's bio:

Awarded the title Britain’s Sales Trainer of the Year, and described by AstraZeneca’s Global Communication Director as “a genius, whose advice can’t be ignored”, Andy’s insights and passion stem from the fact his Mother is blind. This has given him a lifetime’s experience of communicating from someone else’s point of view… a critical skill to master when persuading others!

Andy’s three books are all international best-sellers. The first was only kept off Amazon's #1 spot by Harry Potter!

Andy has worked in 40+ countries, with some of the world's largest and most famous companies, as well as for Governments, professional bodies and business experts. He's presented alongside experts from business (like Michael Gerber and Drayton Bird) and sport (like Manchester United's Assistant Manager Mike Phelan).

His core belief is “AFTERs drive everything. It's not what you say that counts. It’s what people do differently AFTER you’ve said it.”

In this week's episode we talk to Brett Davidson, FP Advance, about how to attract and communicate with clients.

When trying to attract new clients, it's tempting to try to appeal to a wide audience, but that's not how things work when it comes to attracting clients.

Growth doesn't come from comfortably blending in and in this episode we take a deep dive into:

- Focus on what makes you unique

- Own your point of view and get it out into the world

- Get comfortable that 50% of people will love you and 50% will think you're a goose 😱

Brett's Bio:

Brett is the Founder of FP Advance and the Uncover Your Business Potential programme. He helps great financial planners become great business people, so they can stay in love with their business and fulfil their potential. 

You can follow Brett online and via social media:

Website: www.fpadvance.com 

Twitter: https://twitter.com/brettdavidson 

LinkedIn: http://www.linkedin.com/in/davidsonbrett

In this week's episode we talk to Ian McKenna, Director of the Financial Technology Research Centre about all things technology in the financial planning profession.

Find out what new tools are coming on to the market and where you can achieve more efficiencies in your business.

We also talk about how the FCA is changing the face of tech and what are the likely changes on the horizon for advisers in our profession.

This episode is packed with up-to-date information to help keep your business running smoothly.

Ian's bio:

Ian McKenna is an industry veteran with a long history of providing added value services to advisers. Having started his career with an insurer he quickly moved to being an adviser by the age of 18 and set up his first advice firm at the age of 22. Having been involved with a number of advice firms throughout the 80s and 90s in 1995 he founded Finance Technology Research Centre (FTRC) nearly two decades before "FinTech" became part of the industry lexicon. 

He has been columnist with various trade publication since the late 80s and continues to write for Money Marketing and Corporate Adviser. Over the past decade Ian has focused on the evolution of technology, spending time in the US and other countries to understand the advances being achieved in digital financial advice around the world.

More recently Ian has launched a range of technical information services for advisers including Benefits Guru, AdviserSoftware.com and Protection Guru.

Links to the event we talk about in this episode: 

Empowering Advice Through Technology event on 26th May www.advisersoftware.com/eatt-2022 for details of the event, the agenda and how to register to attend. 

In this week's episode we talk to Jonathan Gibson CFP™ about how his journey to build his own financial planning firm and how he's so passionate about attracting new talent, that he's doing things differently.

We talk about the biggest influencers in his life, the successes and failures along the way and what he's doing to attract new talent to the profession.

Jonathan's firm has the Lockie Consultants 'Your Financial Planning Symphony' Training and Development scheme too which gives structure and content to support his vision to build a more vibrant financial planning profession.

A fascinating discussion about the ups and downs of running your own business, sharing a vision and developing a core team to take on the thriving business in the years to come.

Jonathan bio:

Jonathan Gibson CFPTM, Chartered FCSI, Managing Director of Wells Gibson Limited & Author of Purposeful Wealth

Prior to establishing Wells Gibson, Jonathan was a co-founder and director of Verus Wealth, Dundee (est. 2005) and AAB Wealth, Aberdeen (est. 2011), two successful and national award winning businesses, which were established in conjunction with two leading firms of accountants.

Jonathan is a Chartered Fellow of Chartered Institute for Securities & Investment and his qualifications include:

•         Chartered Financial Planner

•         CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ Professional

•         Chartered Wealth Manager

 Jonathan has 25+ years experience as an advisor for private clients and 15+ years as a business owner.

Jonathan is married to Claire and has 3 daughters, Christina, Hannah and Katie.  A member of St. Peter’s Free Church, Dundee, Jonathan also enjoys playing golf and going to the gym when time allows.

  

About Wells Gibson:

Wells Gibson is a CISI Accredited Financial Planning Firm ™ and boutique, family owned business, founded in 2016 by Jonathan Gibson, Managing Director.

In 1988, Jonathan was introduced to the banking sector by his late grandfather, James Wells Gibson and in 1991, was introduced to the financial advisory sector by his late father, Terry Wells Gibson.

We believe real wealth is about much more than money and possessions and our vision is to see lives change, one client, one family at a time, by bringing clarity, contentment and certainty to the financial lives of those we serve and advise.  We deliver lifetime wealth planning, incorporating investment consulting, advanced financial planning, and an ongoing relationship-driven service.  

In January 2021, Jonathan published his book, Purposeful Wealth which introduces Jonathan’s principles for living a fulfilled and purposeful life.  Available via Amazon, Purposeful Wealth guides you through the concepts of a fulfilled life and authentic investing before sharing wise financial strategies and advice on how to implement each in your life, including how to find a financial planner and what attributes to look for.  Following the successful launch of the book, the Purposeful Wealth podcast was launched to promote proper financial planning and sensible investing. 

In this week's episode we talk to Katie Braden, CFP® at Innovating Advice, about all things marketing.

Why are so many financial planning business websites the same?  Why do so many feel static and (dare I say it) boring?  How can you stand out from the crowd of financial planning businesses?

There's that age-old saying that only 20% of your marketing is effective, but no one knows which 20% it is!  In this conversation we delve much deeper into all these issues, including common misconceptions that marketing has to project a corporate image and video recordings professionally edited.

In order to reach clients of the future, we need to change the way we market ourselves - let Katie challenge you to do just that.

She also kindly offers a BIG discount on her community group content too - listen to find out the code.

I took onboard a lot of what Katie teaches and it really works.  Why don't you try it?  It might just work for you too.

Katie Braden Bio:

After 16 years in the profession, Katie Braden, CFP® has combined her passions and expertise to focus on helping financial advisors leverage video to grow their businesses. She obtained a degree in photography from RMIT University in Melbourne, Australia before returning to the U.S. and joining her mother's RIA. She left in 2013 to start one of the first completely virtual, subscription-model financial planning business and then pivoted to working, speaking and consulting with financial planners in 35 countries, encouraging them to innovate in all areas. Katie is also a Private Pilot and loves the freedom of the skies, whether flying herself or traveling around the world with her husband. 

In this week's episode we talk to George Kinder CFP about why he became a CFP professional and why that wasn't enough for his clients. George gives practical tips on how to improve your client discussions which lead to a deeper understanding of what they want to achieve with their wealth.  He also shares some rare insights into some of his own failures and regrets and shares how they spurred him on to do better for his clients. We also discuss the rise of financial coaching offerings for financial planners and explore how these might benefit both planners and their clients. George Kinder Bio: Internationally recognized as the father of the Life Planning movement, Harvard-educated George Kinder revolutionized financial advice for over 30 years by training thousands of professionals globally in the field of financial life planning. After 30 years as a practicing tax adviser and financial planner, he founded Kinder Institute of Life Planning in 2003, delivering experiential training programs for professionals that help clients identify their most profound dreams of freedom, and then use financial skills to deliver them. You can find Registered Life Planners through the company's Life Planner Search. George is the author of seven books, including three books on money, The Seven Stages of Money Maturity, Lighting the Torch, and Life Planning for You; a book on mindfulness, Transforming Suffering into Wisdom; his recently acclaimed, A Golden Civilization & The Map of Mindfulness; and two books of poetry and photography, including his latest project, Reflections on Spectacle Pond.

There are so many different terms surrounding ESG that understanding them all and thinking through how they impact the type of service you offer your financial planning clients can be tricky.

I saw three fund manager presentations recently, each fund manager said only one aspect E, S or G was the most important.  Funnily though, they each said something different to the others!

In this week's episode we talk to Sam Adams, CEO and Co-Founder of Vert Asset Management and we delve deep into the practical aspects that need to be considered when making changes to your financial planning business offering to clients.  We talk through the practical differences of ESG, Socially Responsible and Impact investing and what you need to do to overlay these any of these areas in your investment advice process for clients.

We look at the technical aspects and, for those firms who offer evidence-based investment solutions, we discuss how you can incorporate these areas too.

Crucially, we discuss how to set your firms ESG agenda and how to discuss that with clients.

If you are struggling with setting out your business proposition on ESG and want practical help in doing so, this is a must listen episode.

Sam Adams Bio:

Sam is CEO and co-founder of Vert Asset Management.  He also chairs the Investment Research Group. Sam leads the development of new products to help make sustainable investing easier for investors. He has been a featured speaker on sustainable investing at financial advisor conferences in the US, UK, Europe, and Australia.

Sam is the author, with Larry Swedroe, of ‘Your Essential Guide to Sustainable Investing’.  He is an instructor for the College of Financial Planning’s Chartered SRI Counselor Program, and is member of the Plan Sponsor Council of America’s Investment Committee.

Prior to launching Vert, Sam spent 20 years at Dimensional Fund Advisors where he led the European Advisor business and launched the Global Sustainability Core Fund.  

Sam has a BA in Philosophy from the University of Colorado, Boulder and an MBA in Finance from the University of California, Davis. 

In this week's interview we talk to Noel Maye, CEO of the Financial Planning Standards Board, about the global financial planning profession and what it means to be a CFP professional in the UK and across the world.

We talk in detail about the key areas that CFP professionals are changing to support more clients both during the pandemic and beyond.

We also look at how the global numbers of CFP professionals is growing, why that might be as well as future projects for financial planners and the professional bodies that support them.

Sometimes it is good to step back and look at the global picture and consider the role we all play in helping more people receive good quality financial planning advice.

Noel Maye's Bio:

Noel Maye is Chief Executive Officer of the Financial Planning Standards Board (FPSB). Before joining the organization, Maye was Senior Vice President of Certified Financial Planner Board of Standards, Inc. (CFP Board) in the United States, where he oversaw the international, legal, consumer and public affairs, and communications departments, and served as corporate spokesperson.

Prior to CFP Board, he was an associate with Ogilvy, Adams & Rinehart, a New York-based public relations firm, where he specialized in working with financial services clients.

Maye holds the Certified Association Executive (CAE) credential, completed the National Association of Corporate Directors’ director training program, and qualified as a lead auditor for certification bodies through the American National Standards Institute. Born and raised in Ireland, he holds an undergraduate degree in electronic engineering from Trinity College Dublin, an MBA in business administration from the University of Colorado and INSEAD’s Executive Certificate in Global Management.

In the first in our series of business planning podcast episodes, we talk to Marlene Outrim CFP™ at Uniq Family Wealth.

Marlene shares her approach to clients, how she explains what financial planning is and how she identifies and deals with conflict between couples. We also talk about how those insights gave her drive to write several books including her most recent, Cascading Your Wealth.

A fascinating and thought provoking episode to challenge the way you deal with clients.

Bio: Marlene J Outrim MSc.Econ

Author of: 

Cascading Your Wealth: December 2021 (How to create a family wealth plan for the next generation)

Boomers: Redefining Retirement January 2018

My first career was as a Probation Officer and have 13 years’ experience in counselling & therapeutic skills. In 1991 I established a Financial Planning practice, aiming to provide a personal but professional service. Such was its success, in 2007 I sold the company. I continued as a Planner for that company until 2012. However, I saw a need for a more family focussed approach and set up UNIQ Family Wealth in 2013. I only want to work with those who are committed to achieving their lifetime goals and objectives.

Qualifications

• Certified Financial PlannerTM Professional

• Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Securities and Investments (FCSI)  

• Chartered Wealth Manager

• Chartered Financial Planner

• STEP Advanced Certificate in Enterprise Family Advising 

• Certificate in Professional Consulting

Awards

2018

Winner of “Best Use of a Tax Efficient Investment” Tax Efficiency Awards 

Moneyfacts Commended for Retirement Adviser of the Year

CISI Finalist Certified Financial Planner

Professional Adviser Awards - Best Client Engagement in UK

2016 Professional Adviser Awards - Best Client Engagement in UK

2016 Professional Adviser Awards - Best UK Adviser in Wales

2014 Retirement Planner, for excellence in advice on Retirement. Retirement Planner magazine & sponsored by Scottish Widows.

2009 Financial Planner of the Year in the New Breed Adviser awards (supported by High Net Worth magazine)

2009 New Model Adviser for Wales 

2008 Retirement Planner of the Year New Breed Adviser Awards

Areas of Expertise

I founded UNIQ Family Wealth a Financial Planning practice to helps families, individuals & Family Businesses lead more fulfilling & financially secure lives by making the most of their assets, and to cascade wealth seamlessly from one generation to another.  Whatever life throws at you. We will be on hand to guide you with your own personal Financial Plan. As a past President of the IFP (2010-12), I am passionate about Financial Planning and voice this regularly in the media.

Personal Interests

A mercurial go-getter who loves her grandchildren, art, music, entertaining, fine wine, skiing & dance.

In this week's episode we talk to Matthew Walne CFP™, Santorini Financial Planning.

Matthew became interested in obtaining his CFP certification quite a few years ago and had a tough journey to get there.

Matthew is one of the nicest financial planners that you will ever meet in the profession.  But underneath that Mr Nice Guy, there is a man with a dogged determination to continue his own personal development of knowledge and skills.  In doing so, he has proven to himself what many of us already knew, that he's a great financial planner.

He is happier (understatement of the year) and his clients are already feeling the benefits of gaining his CFP certification.

Matthew's bio:

Matthew Walne CFP™ is a Certified Financial Planner™, Chartered Wealth Manager and Registered Life Planner and the owner and founder of Santorini Financial Planning Ltd since 2011. 

Santorini Financial Planning is a boutique lifestyle financial planning business based in Loughborough, Leicestershire serving small business owners and senior executives looking to plan their retirement and beyond.

Many financial planning firms 'give away' the financial plan as part of an investment management service or as a loss leader because they are paid a percentage of assets under management.  This puts the emphasis on gaining more assets for the business rather than providing financial plans for clients.  Numerous surveys show a reluctance for the public to pay for advice they seek - this is partly because they do not see the value in what you offer. 

In this week's episode we talk to Warren Shute CFP™, Lexington Wealth about why he built is financial planning business on the premise that all client should have a financial plan.  

We talk about why he believes this is critical to his clients' success and why it is important to make it the centrepiece of your client service proposition.

We also talk about how you can get on TV and why is is important to help educate as many people as possible, whether they become clients or not.

Warren's bio:

Warren Shute MSc. CFP is a fellow of the Chartered Institute for Securities and Investment, and a multi-award winning Certified Financial Planner at Lexington Wealth. Where they practise true financial planning linked to the clients lifestyle; the firms motto “to help clients live life by design, and not default”. 

Warren is passionate about financial education and has for many years taught in schools, educated the public and businesses on the benefits of financial planning. 

 He has an Amazon bestselling personal finance book; The Money Plan, a podcast by the same name and a Sunday Mirror column called Money Talk.  He’s appeared on BBC and ITV and national and local radio all to raise awareness of financial planning in the UK. 

 He says financial planning is ‘the best profession in the world’.

In this episode we talk to Susie Bewell CFP™, Branch Principal, Raymond James Hitchin, about why she decided to become a CFP professional, her journey to get there and the way she has moved her more traditional wealth management business to offer a comprehensive financial planning service to her clients.

Many investment/wealth managers tell me that they don't think they need to think about financial planning, but as both the wealth management market shrinks due to technological advances and the financial planning market grows as more advisers embrace financial planning, Susie explains why and how her firms now offers a better service even to those clients who receive investment only advice.

Susie’s Bio.

Susie is a Chartered Wealth Manager and Branch Principal of Raymond James Hitchin which she founded in March 2002 with her father Robert.

As well as becoming a CFP Professional in 2021 Susie holds investment and financial planning qualifications with both the CII and CISI and is an enthusiastic networker and member of several local business networks.

With her business partner Faye Silver they won the Women In Business Services Best Business in Financial Services Award in 2019 and Susie was a Finalist at the Investment Week Women In Investment Awards in November 2021.

Their business is open to clients of all sizes as accessibility of advice is a key driver to their success. They have a focus on empowering women (and all individuals) at all stages in life to understand what their finances can bring them and maximising their potential.

In this week's episode we talk to Tina Weeks CFP™, Serenity Financial Planning, about how financial planners can become even better at helping clients achieve their goals.  We talk about how cashflow planning is only scratching the surface as far as giving comprehensive financial planning is concerned and why she decided to gain the CFP certification and how it has helped her in business and with her clients.

We have a frank discussion about her journey to CFP and the changes that she has made to her business since passing as well as the impact that FCA introduction of Vulnerable Clients Guidance has impacted the way she gives advice.  We even delved about in my favourite subject, assumptions, and discuss the changes that she has made to her business processes.

This episode is packed full of practical tips to help you improve your business position and service to clients.

Tina Weeks CFP™ bio:

I have been a financial adviser for over 24 years and during that time I have come to realise that so many people struggle so much with money. Regardless of how much they have. People’s relationship with money actually impacts their relationship with everything in their life and taking control of it brings an amazing positive impact.

I work with my clients over the long-term helping them build on and grow their financial plans so that they have enough money to do all the things that they want to do. I coach my clients to stop worrying about money and feel confident about their finances. As well as helping my clients change their mindset, I show them how to manage their money on a day to day basis and explain financial and tax concepts in a simple way.

I believe that financial planning is about so much more than money. I work best with people who are ready to get their finances and their investments in order and are willing to be coached to look at all aspects of their life so they can achieve the best possible outcomes.

I believe so strongly in the relationship-based approach to financial planning that I run training programmes that help other financial planners work in this way.

In this week's podcast episode we talk to Farida Hassanali Certified Financial PlannerTM, Senior Paraplanner, Paradigm Norton

We talk about why she decided to become a financial planner at such a young age, how she got her break in the profession, her experience of studying for here CFP certification in the UK and how she helps a particular group of clients achieve their goals.  Farida also shares her tips on how to approach your CISI L7 financial plan case study assessment and in particular things NOT to lose sight of along the way.

Farida has been in the financial planning profession since she graduated from Loughborough University in 2007 with a degree in Maths with Economics. She’s kept up a steady flow of qualifications since then to become and Chartered and Certified Financial PlannerTM and obtained the STEP for Financial Services and IMC qualifications to name a few along the way too.

She joined Paradigm Norton in 2019 and is a Senior Financial Planner as well as Deputy Chair of their Investment Committee. She is also an active member of the financial planning community as a member of the CISI Financial Planning Forum.

Outside of work, Farida enjoys keeping active and usually has a challenge or two planned to keep her motivated.

Our website: LockieConsultants.com

In this week’s podcast we are dropping in on two new entrants to the financial planning profession.  Meg and James are like a breath of fresh air.  We catch up with them to find out what attracted them to the profession and what their first few months have been like.

We will be catching up with both of them on a regular basis and following them on their journeys in the financial planning profession.  By doing this we hope to highlight the highs and lows of their experiences and help financial planning businesses plan better for new entrants in the future.  Thanks to The Verve for allowing us to share their journey with you.

Meg Wicks, Graduate Compliance Support, Apricity Compliance:

Meg entered the world of financial services in early 2021, taking on her role at Apricity Compliance.  Prior to that she studied French and History at Newcastle University, graduating in 2020.  Meg works closely with a team of consultants on Apricity, helping advisers on their route to competence.

James Winship, Graduate Paraplanner, Para-Sols:

James joined Para-Sols in early 2021, straight from university. Before embarking on his career as a paraplanner, he studied International Relations and Modern History at the University of East Anglia.  James spends his time conducting research into financial products, discussing cases with financial advisers and getting stuck into writing suitability reports for clients.

In this podcast we talk all things Certified Financial Planner Professional certification with Amyr. Amyr earned his CFP professional certification two years ago and during this interview he shares his story about his "Ah ha!" moment that so many financial planners have when undertaking the required assessments to become certified.

Amyr also shares some excellent tips and advice to those thinking of undertaking this journey. 

Amyr Rocha Lima, MSc FPFS CFP® is a financial planner who specialises in helping successful professionals with their retirement planning. He is a partner at Holland Hahn & Wills LLP, a financial planning and wealth management firm based in Kingston upon Thames. Amyr is a frequent commentator on financial planning and wealth management matters for both national and specialist media. A graduate of the Cass Business School (City, University of London), Amyr is also the chairman of the CISI Financial Planning Forum, working with over 6,670 members to champion the financial planning profession in the UK.

Noel Maye is Chief Executive Officer of the Financial Planning Standards Board (FPSB). Before joining the organization, Maye was Senior Vice President of Certified Financial Planner Board of Standards, Inc. (CFP Board) in the United States, where he oversaw the international, legal, consumer and public affairs, and communications departments, and served as corporate spokesperson.

Prior to CFP Board, he was an associate with Ogilvy, Adams & Rinehart, a New York-based public relations firm, where he specialized in working with financial services clients.

Maye holds the Certified Association Executive (CAE) credential, completed the National Association of Corporate Directors’ director training program, and qualified as a lead auditor for certification bodies through the American National Standards Institute. Born and raised in Ireland, he holds an undergraduate degree in electronic engineering from Trinity College Dublin, an MBA in business administration from the University of Colorado and INSEAD’s Executive Certificate in Global Management.

Here is the link to the FPSB event on 8 September 2021 that we talk about in this podcast:

https://financialplanet.fpsb.org/events/simple-registration?CalendarEventKey=f4ff0117-981f-46ef-bd1e-61585d2d178d&CommunityKey=76575fe1-115b-4302-80c4-4e460098bcb6&Home=%2fevents%2fnew-item2