I've
been an independent financial adviser since 2002. Before that
I worked for two big insurance companies and before that I was
studying things like business, marketing and finance at university.
My current role is
joint managing director of Informed
Choice. We are a family owned and managed firm of
Chartered Financial Planners working with individuals and small
businesses in Surrey and the surrounding counties.
Back in 2005 I decided
that I wanted to write a book about personal financial
planning. There was already plenty of competition but what I
wanted to write was a book that approached the subject in the same
way I did with my clients. This was not going to be another
dull and dry book about money!
My first book, The
Money Tree, was published in 2006 by the wonderful people at
Pearson Prentice Hall. It did really well and became WHSmith
Business Book of the Month. Clearly I had to write some more.
In 2007 I wrote two
more books. Brilliant Investing was published at the
end of 2007 and then How to Retire 10 Years Early appeared on
the shelves at the start of 2008.
Since leaving
university I've worked hard to obtain professional financial
planning qualifications. I became a Chartered Financial
Planner and Certified Financial PlannerCM certificant in
2007, which just about represents the pinnacle in this
profession.
Part
of my day job is writing personal finance columns for different
publications and acting as the press spokesman for my
business. This means that my comments are often published in
the national and trade press.
My media profile
resulted in me being named as one of the top 50 most influential
financial advisers in Britain in 2006, 2007 and 2008 by Professional
Adviser magazine.
I was Highly Commended
for the Financial Education Award at the Professional Adviser Awards
2007. The year before I was shortlisted as IFA Personality of
the Year, but someone with marginally more personality came in
first.
I'm currently the
Chairman of the Surrey branch of the Institute of Financial Planning
(IFP).
Outside of work I
enjoy spending time with my daughter, walking in the Surrey Hills
and, given the chance, scuba diving with sharks - without a cage.
