I was looking for an adviser because I was going through a divorce. I met Paul and got on with him really well; his approach just felt right, and I felt that I could trust him.
What I really needed was someone to talk to regarding my pension and investments across the board because they were spread across different places. I also had a fair amount of money in a Building Society account. This of course was fine when the interest rates were good, but when they took a nosedive, I knew it could be working harder, but I wasn’t sure how.
I’m actually an accountant, so in many ways I thought “I don’t need a financial adviser!” but when I started chatting with Paul, I realised I didn’t want to be going home from work thinking about figures. I needed to be able to leave it to someone who would know how to weigh up all the options and make it work better for me.
Paul’s advice makes me feel comfortable – I don’t need to worry about markets falling and I know how much I can afford to spend without it having tax implications. He explained that I should enjoy my wealth, so I’ve finally changed my car!
He put me at the centre of everything – for example he could have encouraged me to move all my savings to him, but instead he suggested I leave some in the Building Society account for a rainy day, and I’m really pleased with how that’s done.
Paul is also great at reminding you about things you should do. He’s put me in touch with a solicitor so I can arrange to have my Will written, for example. Having the backing of St. James’s Place means he has access to a network of professionals he can recommend.
It’s difficult going through something like a divorce, but Paul always takes the right tone and knows how to deal with situations. I happened to meet him one day after my dog had had an accident and burst into tears! He was so understanding and comforting.
There are also opportunities for ongoing advice, which is helpful because things can change. For example, I changed jobs recently and we chatted about whether I should go back into full-time employment again. This is where his pension advice was really helpful because I thought it wouldn’t be worth joining my company pension, but he advised that I’d be silly not to, even though it might be a small amount.
What I like about Paul is that he’s friendly, easy to talk to and doesn’t try and sell me things.
He’s always given me good advice, and my investments have grown since they’ve been with him.
Past performance is not indicative of future performance. The value of an investment with St. James's Place will be directly linked to the performance of the funds you select and the value can therefore go down as well as up. You may get back less than you invested.
The writing of a Will involves the referral to a service that is separate and distinct to those offered by St. James's Place. Wills are not regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority.
