When I first heard someone wanted to change the “boring” perception of financial advice, I assumed they meant revitalizing that annual 30-minute conversation advisers have with clients. You know the one—where they go over a compliance checklist, review investment performance they didn’t influence, and try to justify their £6,000 fee. I hoped we were going to see a shift toward real client-centered discussions, ones where financial advisers listen to what clients actually want, help solve their problems, and work toward their goals. But no, it wasn’t that at all.
Instead, we’re treated to the tale of two suited chaps, inheritors of an old-school financial advice firm. In an era where the very concept of “trusting the suits” has all but vanished, these two are doubling down. They’re rolling out their version of financial “planning” by gobbling up more assets under management—taking the firm's pot from £200 million to an ambitious £500 million. And the kicker? They’re still calling it financial planning while mainly focusing on product sales.
The brothers proudly position themselves as pillars of the local community, staking their claim in a “quirky” high street office and attracting walk-ins like an old-fashioned butcher’s shop. But is it really about community? Or is it just about being conveniently placed to scoop up more business from unsuspecting locals? They spend client fees on wild swimming trips and football matches—not exactly the vision of grassroots community engagement, but it sounds like they’re having a grand old time.
They want to create a fun work environment, they say. But how do they attract new blood? They hire young advisers, not to innovate or shake things up, but to carry the legacy of golf-club afternoons with a twist. Swimming instead of golfing. Football instead of cricket. How very avant-garde. But wait, the story of innovation doesn’t end there. Their advice for new entrants? Become an “asset” so you can maybe inherit a client base once the current crop of advisers hangs up their suits.
Oh, and if you’re looking for a real shake-up in financial advice—something that puts client interests front and center—you might want to look elsewhere. It’s not enough to dust off the old playbook and swap polo for wild swimming. Maybe, just maybe, true innovation in financial advice means breaking free from the cycle of product sales, fees tied to assets, and the occasional swim in the local lake.
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