Financial Planner Life Podcast
Welcome to The Financial Planner Life Podcast. We cover an intimate and honest account of what it’s really like to work in the financial planning profession. Our guests share their stories of success, failures, and learnings, as well as what to expect from a career in the financial planning profession! We host guests at various stages in their careers, as well as multiple roles, to ensure that our audience has a variety each week. Financial planners, business owners, paraplanners, and back-office staff all have their own stories to share, and The Financial Planner Life podcast serves as a platform for...
How UK Planners Can Advise Clients With US Assets
Matthew Samuel, UK Chartered Financial Planner and SEC Regulated Financial Planner at Titan Wealth International, has built a career across both the UK and the international market, specialising in advising clients with US connections and US assets from his base in Dubai.
He holds his UK chartered status alongside the Series 65 qualification, which makes him a registered investment adviser under the SEC, the US regulator. That means he can advise American expats living anywhere in the world, UK pension holders based in the US, and anyone navigating assets across both jurisdictions. It is one of the most...
I Switched From Investment Managment to Financial Planning £0 - £40m AUM in 3 years!
What does it take to leave a secure career, become self-employed and build a financial planning business managing close to £40 million in just three years?
In this episode of the Financial Planner Life podcast, Sam Oakes speaks with Samantha Wood, founder of Wood Mitchell Financial Planning and a Partner at St. James’s Place.
Samantha’s career began in the British Army, where she progressed from soldier to officer and developed the discipline, leadership and adaptability that would later shape her career in financial services.
After leaving the military, Samantha moved into investment manag...
How the UK's Youngest Financial Adviser Built a £10 Million AUM Business Before 24 | Romany Youell
Romany Youell, Founder of The Finance Woman, qualified as the UK's youngest ever financial adviser at 18 after dropping out of college at 16. By 24 she had built a £10 million financial planning business. But the journey between those two moments nearly broke her.
In this episode of Financial Planner Life, Sam Oakes sits down with Romany to hear the full story. How she grew up going to client meetings with her dad from the age of 11. How she dropped out of college at 16 and qualified as a mortgage adviser before most of her peers had finished their A-levels. How Q...
Aycan Richards on Building and Exiting a Financial Planning Career in the Middle East | Titan Wealth
Aycan Richards, Chartered Financial Planner at Titan Wealth, spent 13 years building a financial planning career across Qatar and Dubai before making the decision to sell her business and hand her clients over to Titan Wealth.
In this episode of Financial Planner Life, Sam Oakes sits down with Aycan to find out what that journey actually looked like. How she moved to Qatar in 2013 with a seven-year-old daughter and no existing client base. How she built trust from scratch using a referral-first approach that eventually became the foundation of a business worth selling. What it meant to be...
How Financial Advisers Are Booking 3 to 5 Client Appointments a Week on LinkedIn | Louis Adkins
Most financial advisers already know they should be more active on LinkedIn. What they don't know is why what they're doing isn't working.
Free LinkedIn Webinar - book here - http://www.leadgenfs.co.uk/fpl
It's not the content. It's not the consistency. It's who they're connected to, what they're saying in messages, and whether they've ever stopped to define exactly who they're trying to reach. Get those three things wrong and LinkedIn produces nothing. Get them right and, as Louis Adkins puts it, consistent inputs get consistent outputs.
In...
LIBF Level 4 Qualification Deep Dive | John Somerville & David Tait
Why 30 to 39 Is the Best Age to Become a Financial Adviser
Is 30 too old to start a career in financial planning?
A lot of people would say yes. The reality is the opposite.
The 30 to 39 age group is the fastest growing cohort entering financial planning right now, up 13% according to fresh FCA data. And the average age of a financial adviser in the UK isn’t 56, like most people assume. It’s 48.
In this episode, Sam sits down with John Somerville, Director of Financial Services at the London Institute of Banking and F...
Mother and Daughter Financial Planners: Building a £100M AUM Partner Practice! Adele and Victoria Cable
What's the best age to become a financial planner?
Adele Cable changed career at 53, convinced she was nearly on the ‘scrapheap’. Victoria Cable started at 23, convinced nobody would trust someone her age with their finances. Together they've built a practice worth £2.8 million in three years, and Victoria's own business is already valued at £400,000 after just a year and a half.
This week on Financial Planner Life, Sam is joined by an extraordinary mother-and-daughter duo from Advanced Wealth Management at St James's Place to share exactly how they got here, what they've learned, and why the age qu...
The Care Conversation Financial Planners Are Missing with Stephanie Leung of KareHero
Care costs up to £100,000 a year. 1 in 4 people in the UK sell their home to pay for it. And most financial planners are having the conversation far too late.
Click here for the KareHero Website
In this episode, Sam sits down with Stephanie Leung, founder and CEO of KareHero, a UK-based service helping families navigate the care system and access funding they did not know existed. Stephanie has been a carer since the age of 14. She left a C-suite career at Uber managing 20 countries across Europe, and built KareHero after her father became se...
International Career Advice from a Number 1 Financial Planner at Titan Wealth
Should UK financial planners be looking at the international advice market? Andreas Hollas has spent 13 years in Dubai building expertise that has no textbook, and the career it's given him is unlike anything available in the UK.
In this episode of Financial Planner Life, Sam sits down with Andreas Hollas, chartered financial planner and technical advice director at Titan Wealth International, to explore what international financial planning actually looks like, the clients, the cases, the complexity, and the career opportunity most UK advisers don't even know exists.
Andreas came straight out of university into financial...
39% of people don't trust financial planners, take 'Adviser Advantage' test for free! | Chris Larkin, BigRock
Take the Adviser Advantage test here! 👈
Only 39% of UK adults trust financial services.
For a profession built entirely on trust, that number should be a wake-up call.
In this episode of Financial Planner Life, Sam sits down with Chris Larkin, founder and MD of Big Rock, a consultancy that has spent 22 years helping advisory firms across the UK build better client relationships, drive organic growth, and create the kind of experiences that make clients stay, refer, and trust you with everything they have.
Chri...
Training to Become a Financial Planner - Exams, Client Meetings & Building in Public
Hannah Wooldridge isn't only the person keeping Financial Planner Life running behind the scenes. She's also training to become a financial planner, and sharing every step of the journey in real time.
In this episode, Sam sits down with Hannah for the second update in an ongoing series following her path from a complete beginner to a qualified financial planner. She's one exam down, five to go, and already doing things most trainees don't think about until they're qualified.
They dig into what it actually felt like to sit her R01 after 11 years away from...
How Tim Brienza Built a £50M Client Base Through Financial Planning
For most financial planners, the point of entry into the industry is either from an adjacent field or by working up from admin through paraplanning roles.
But not Tim. His route stands out as unconventional, but it's far from hindering his professional success.
Law school. A year in Swansea chasing training contracts that never materialised. A sales recruitment firm. And then, a client engagement role at a financial planning firm in Cheltenham, a job he recruited for without really knowing the industry.
On day one, his main question was: What exactly is financial pl...
Financial Planners Will Lose Millions, this £10 Tech can solve the Wealth Transfer Problem!
75% of financial advisers lose their AUM when a client passes away.
Not because of bad performance. Not because of high fees. Simply because nobody built a relationship with the next generation.
Ben Mason from Kinvault did something about that.
In this episode of Financial Planner Life, Sam sits down with Ben Mason, the founder of Kinvault, to discuss the technology he built to address one of the most overlooked risks in financial planning: intergenerational wealth transfer. Ben explains why AUM walks out the door on death, why families are being failed at...
How Financial Planners and Investment Managers Serve Wealthy Families
Most financial planning firms have both a financial planner and an investment manager. Far fewer have a team that operates as a single unit, with a shared philosophy, clearly defined roles, and a consistent client experience regardless of who's in the room or where the client happens to be.
In this episode of Financial Planner Life, Sam sits down with George Davey (Financial Planner) and Matt Beddall (Regional Managing Partner) from Titan Private Wealth, to discuss what that kind of partnership looks like in practice and why it makes such a difference for t...
I left St James's Place for an IFA and Instantly Regretted it!
Should technical professionals go freelance immediately or start as employed advisers? Alwyn Van Staden's journey offers a fresh perspective on entering financial planning from a technical background.
In this episode of Financial Planner Life, we chat to Alwyn about his strategic career path from investment management to financial advice. Despite having deep technical knowledge and years of experience at major firms, Alwyn made a choice to join St. James's Place as an employed adviser instead of going independent immediately.
The result? He's now managing over £150 million in client assets as an independent adviser w...
Are these the Best Paid Jobs and Benefits in Financial Planning? Frazer James, The best should be paid more!!!!
Frazer James aren't looking for every candidate. They're looking for A++ people.
Check out the jobs and book a meeting with James Mackay today!!
And if that's you, or if you’re also interested in attracting some of the industry’s best talent, then this episode was made for you.
In this week’s episode of Financial Planner Life, Sam Oakes is joined by James Mackay, co-founder of Frazer James, to find out what a firm that's serious about attracting exceptional talent actually looks...
The Truth About Selling an International Financial Planning Business
What actually determines whether a financial advice firm can be successfully sold?
In this episode of Financial Planner Life, we sit down with Dan Dickinson to explore the reality behind selling a business and why most advisers are thinking about exit in the wrong way.
From the outside, exit often looks like a financial event.
Valuations, deal structures, and timing.
But as Dan shares, the real pressure points sit elsewhere: in culture, in structure, and in whether a business can truly operate without its founder.
He talks through his...
Are These AI Agents for Financial Planners the best in 2026?
What if financial advisers could spend 70%… or even 100% of their time with clients?
Book a demo - here
In this episode of Financial Planner Life, we sit down with Alan Gurung, founder of AdvisoryAI, to explore how AI is reshaping the way advice firms operate.
From disconnected tech stacks and time-heavy admin, to compliance bottlenecks and the growing advice gap, this conversation gets to the core of what’s really holding advisers back.
Alan shares how AI agents like Colin, Evie and Atlas are already helping firms reduc...
Inside Titan Wealth: James Kaberry & Andrew Fearon on Consolidation, Private Equity and the Future of Financial Advice
Consolidation is rapidly reshaping the financial planning profession.
But what’s really driving it? And what does it actually mean for advisers, firm owners, and the future of advice businesses?
In this episode of Financial Planner Life, Sam Oakes sits down with James Kaberry and Andrew Fearon, co-founders of Titan Wealth, to unpack the reality behind consolidation, private equity, and the structural changes happening across the industry.
Drawing on their experience building one of the UK’s fastest-scaling advice businesses, James and Andrew share an inside perspective on what it really takes to grow...
Building a Financial Planning Career in Public: Lessons, Risks & Opportunities
What happens when you realise your relationship with money needs to change, and it ends up changing your entire life?
In this episode of Financial Planner Life, Sam Oakes speaks with Hannah Wooldridge about her journey from living with £10,000 of debt without concern to becoming debt-free and pursuing a career in financial planning.
Hannah shares the moment that shifted her perspective, how she paid off her debt within a year, and why that experience sparked a deeper curiosity about saving, investing, and financial independence.
She also opens up about leaving a job that n...
From Rugby Player to Financial Adviser: How Titan Wealth’s Sports Academy Supports Career Change
What happens when a professional athlete’s career comes to an end… and what comes next?
In this episode of Financial Planner Life, Sam Oakes sits down with Ethan Waller, a former professional rugby player turned financial planner at Titan Wealth, to explore the reality of transitioning out of sport and into a new career.
Ethan shares his personal journey from a 14-year rugby career into financial planning, opening up about the emotional challenges that come with losing identity, structure and purpose, even when you think you’re prepared.
He breaks...
Employed Financial Planner Academy - The Openwork & Redmill Advance Partnership
In this episode of the Financial Planner Life Podcast, Sam Oakes is joined by Helen Longland from Openwork and David Tait from Redmill Advance to explore how advisers are really being developed in today’s profession and what it takes to build an academy that works at scale without losing quality.
Helen and David bring a long-standing working relationship into the conversation. Having partnered on previous academies, they share how that experience shaped the decision for Openwork to work with Redmill again when launching its new Academy. This episode gives a clear view of how that partnership op...
A Financial Adviser Built AI That Replaced His Job for £149 a Month
How can financial advisers use AI to grow their business without hiring more staff?
Book Free Demo of Wealth Space - Here
In this episode of Financial Planner Life, Sam Oakes sits down with Max Anderson, former financial planner and founder of Wealth Space, to explore how artificial intelligence is transforming the day-to-day reality of running an advice firm.
Max built Wealth Space after experiencing the same challenge most advisers face today: capacity.
Advice firms are not...
Investment Banker to Self Employed IFA - Caroline Laudren
In this episode of the Financial Planner Life Podcast, Sam Oakes speaks with Caroline Laudren-Quillet, who transitioned from investment banking at Deutsche Bank to becoming a self-employed IFA and financial planner.
Just two years into her financial planning career, Caroline has built £14 million assets under management, while balancing family life and designing a career with genuine flexibility.
Caroline shares her full journey from investment banking to financial planning, including how she qualified, why she chose the self-employed IFA route, and how she evaluated different firms b...
Building An International Financial Advice Powerhouse - Titan Wealth International
The Evolution of International Financial Planning | Titan Wealth International | Dubai Careers and Global Financial Advice Opportunities
International Financial Planning is evolving and Titan Wealth International is helping shape what comes next.
In this episode of Financial Planner Life, Sam Oakes sits down with Tyla Phillips and William Burrows, now part of the senior leadership team at Titan Wealth International, to explore their journey from starting at the bottom in Dubai to becoming leaders within one of the fastest-growing global financial planning businesses.
Both Tyla and Will share the harsh early realities...
How A Paraplanner Became A Financial Planner At Titan Wealth
Thinking about a career change into financial planning?
How do you become a financial adviser if you’re changing careers?
In this episode of The Financial Planner Life Podcast with Titan Wealth, Azela explains the fastest practical route into the profession after moving from engineering into financial advice.
Should you start as a paraplanner before becoming a financial adviser?
Azela breaks down why paraplanning builds technical knowledge, client meeting experience, and confidence — making it one of the strongest entry points into a trai...
Redmill Advance: Raising Standards in Financial Planning Education & Qualifications
In this special episode of the Financial Planner Life podcast, Sam Oakes welcomes David Tate, Managing Director and Founder of Redmill Advance, our official training and development sponsor for 2026.
David shares the inspiring growth journey of Redmill Advance and how they are transforming training and development in the financial planning profession through accessible qualifications, CPD, and behavioural support. From self-study learners to large-scale corporate academies, David explains how their tech-first, learner-centric approach is improving pass rates and raising industry standards.
We explore learning styles, neurodiversity, and how financial planning firms can deliver consistent...
42-Year Legacy, Startup Energy: Reinventing a Family Advice Firm
This week on the Financial Planner Life podcast, I’m joined by Sean Standerwick, co-owner of MLP Wealth Management, a financial planning firm based on the high street in Surrey with a powerful story: a 42-year legacy that's now being run with the mindset and energy of a startup.
Sean and his brother have taken the reins from their father, infusing the business with a culture built on innovation, career development, and deep local community ties. From installing a defibrillator on their office wall to hosting pitch meetings where team members create service id...
How A Career Pivot At 45 Built A Purpose-Led Financial Planning Practice
In this episode of Financial Planner Life, Sam Oakes speaks with Heather Hiley, founder of Heather Hiley Financial Planning and a Partner Practice with St. James’s Place. Heather shares her inspiring transition from retail and e-commerce into financial planning via the St James's Place Financial Adviser Academy at the age of 45, showing what’s possible with courage, curiosity, and commitment.
🔥 Key Takeaways:
A Non-Traditional Start: Heather began her career in retail and ran a furniture business for over 10 years. Despite a long period without contributing to her...From 17 Clients to £500M+ AUM: How Marc Norris Built a Thriving Financial Planning Firm
Title: From 17 Clients to £500M AUM: How Marc Norris Built a Thriving Financial Planning Firm
In this episode of Financial Planner Life, Sam Oakes is joined by Marc Norris, founder of Twelve Wealth Management, to explore how he went from estate agency to building a financial advice business with over £500 million under management.
Marc shares his journey from day one of the St. James’s Place Academy, through the early years of client acquisition, to leading a team of 38 advisers and staff, with big plans to t...
How A 20% Pay Cut Became A Career Breakthrough In Wealth Management
In this episode of Financial Planner Life, Sam Oakes talks with Neil Whiteside, a financial planner at First Equitable, about his winding, risk‑reward career journey from starting as a cashier in banking to embracing financial planning, taking a pay cut for growth as a trainee Financial Planner, and ultimately choosing a role that lets him help build a business rather than just sustain one.
Neil shares:
How his early roles in banking taught him core skills (customer service, fact‑finding, relationship building).The tough choice to leave a secure management path to p...Life as a Hyper Local Female Financial Planner in Bishop’s Stortford
In this episode of Financial Planner Life, Sam Oakes speaks with Tammy Salmon and Emma Layton of Salmon Financial Planning, a partner practice of St. James’s Place in Bishop’s Stortford.
We hear how Emma transitioned from redundancy to a qualified financial planner through the St. James’s Place Financial Adviser Academy, supported by Tammy’s mentorship. Tammy shares her 20-year journey in financial services and why creating a flexible, values-led business was essential for her success and her team’s.
Together...
How to Build a Referral-Driven Financial Planning Business with Rosie Hooper
This week on the Financial Planner Life podcast, Sam Oakes sits down with Rosie Hooper, Chartered Fellow and Financial Planner at Quilter Cheviot. Rosie shares her inspiring 26-year journey from her early days in bank management, through corporate employee benefits, to becoming a highly respected private client planner.
Rosie talks candidly about how growing up in a household where money was tight shaped her relationship with finances and fuelled her passion for planning. She opens up about the emotional depth of her client work, why she proudly calls herself a "financial planner" rather than an...
He Built 40 Clients in a Library. Now He Manages £58M AUM
This week on the Financial Planner Life podcast, Sam Oakes speaks with James Westpfel, a financial planner at Foster Denovo, who shares his career journey from self-employed to employed and how going hyper-local helped him build a thriving client base from scratch.
After 22 years working in a building society, James made the leap into self-employment. With no client book and no lead funnel, he turned to his local community for opportunity. His strategy? Show up in person, build trust and offer financial guidance where people needed it most.
By setting up a weekly financial advice...
From the Trading Floor To Financial Planner with £70 Million AUM
In this episode of the Financial Planner Life podcast, Kanishk Swarup shares his incredible journey from high-stakes equity derivatives trading at JP Morgan and Credit Suisse to launching his own financial planning practice through the St. James’s Place Academy.
We explore what it’s really like to work on a trading floor, the burnout behind big bonuses, and the unexpected truth: even successful finance professionals often have no financial plan.
Kanishk opens up about growing up in a small town in India, landing a scholarship at LSE, navigating culture shock in t...
Active vs Passive investing: A Pointless Debate for Financial Planners?
In this episode of Financial Planner Life, host Sam Oakes sits down with Andrew Spence, Co-Founder of Aspen, to challenge the industry’s most controversial questions - what we call the Marmite topics of financial planning.
Aspen was born out of something deeper than disruption. After a personal health crisis led Andrew to reflect on the impact of his work, he decided to build a model portfolio service that put purpose, clarity & client outcomes first.
Now, he’s leading the charge on topics that divide financial services professionals daily.
From JP Morgan to £150M AUM: - Building a Referral-Only Financial Advice Practice
Karen Berisford, Chartered Financial Planner and Fellow of the PFS, left a prestigious investment role at JP Morgan to build a client-first advice practice with St. James’s Place. She prioritised trust, time control, and service over scale-at-all-costs.
In this episode of the Financial Planner Life podcast, Karen shares how she grew to £150M AUM without relying on social media or paid marketing. Instead, she focused on referrals and long-term, values-led growth.
You’ll learn:
How to transition from investments to adviceThe fear and reward of becoming client-facingTurning one ex-colleague’s “yes” into a thriving ne...Can 105 Financial Advisers Be Wrong? Find Out!
Is This the Best IFA Network?
Sam Oakes Meets Sam Wallis – New Leaf Distribution Visit:
reach out to new leaf - click here
Welcome back to the Financial Planner Life Podcast, where we explore what it really takes to build a meaningful and rewarding career in financial planning.
This week, host Sam Oakes speaks with Sam Wallis, Managing Director of New Leaf Distribution, to unpack how this IFA network is giving self-employed advisers true branding freedom, community support, and the tools they need to thrive.
If you’re wondering “Is this t...
Working 3 Days a Week as a Financial Planner and Thriving!
In this episode of the Financial Planner Life podcast, Sam Oakes sits down with Hannah Witty, Chartered Financial Planner at Foster Denovo, to explore her inspiring journey into financial planning. From working on superyachts to becoming one of the earliest Chartered female planners in the UK, Hannah shares the personal and professional hurdles she faced as a woman, a mother, and a leader in a male-dominated industry.
We talk about her career beginnings, the impact of becoming a mother, navigating flexibility as an employed adviser, and the emotional realities of returning to work. Hannah also offers insight...
Career Tips From Successful Financial Planners Part 1 - Golf Day
🎥 Financial Planner Life Golf Day | Game 1: Vikash Kanani vs Paul Taylor
Real Golf. Real Financial Planners, Real Finanical Planning Career advice.
Watch this episode on YouTube or Spotify - here
Welcome to the first ever Financial Planner Life Golf Day, where the fairway becomes a forum for honest, unfiltered career advice in financial planning.
🏌️♂️ The Match:
It’s Vikash Kanani (MD, Chatsworth Wealth) vs Paul “The Power” Taylor (Chartered Planner & Coach) in a competitive 9-hole matchplay at Mappley Golf Course, Nottingham.
🎒 Caddies:
• Paul Bradley (Founder, Chiltern Hills FP)
• Jay Dhaliwal (Char...
