At the end of October 2023, I was told the firm I worked for had been sold and that I was no longer part of its future.
I could turn this into a rant, but the reality is simple: whatever the rights or wrongs of what happened, it turned out to be the best thing that could have happened to me. It set me on a genuine voyage of discovery.
In the months before Money Wise UK formally began, I met a wide range of people across the industry. Almost by accident, I started to find my niche. Not by telling advisers what they should do, but by sitting alongside senior managers, helping relieve pressure points, clarify thinking, and support better decision-making.
On 1 February 2024, I officially launched Money Wise UK.
There was no grand plan, no sales funnel, and no certainty about where it would lead.
The First 18 Months
People often talk about how amazing it is to work for yourself, and it is. But there’s another side to it too.
What do you charge?
When do you say no?
How do you build relationships when most of your time is spent serving existing clients?
When do you switch off?
These are all challenges I’ve faced, and, at times, struggled with. It’s only over the last few months that I feel I’ve truly found my voice and my place.
My Clients
I’ve been fortunate to work with a number of firms, three of whom have been with me since the very start of Money Wise UK.
That loyalty means a great deal to me. Through working closely with these firms, and others, I’ve been able to refine what I do, how I add value, and where Money Wise UK fits.
Why Money Wise UK Exists
Perhaps influenced by leaving my previous firm and spending more time observing the industry, particularly on LinkedIn, I developed a growing sense that something wasn’t quite right in financial services.
There is plenty of information.
But not much thinking.
Plenty of opinions.
But little reflection.
And increasingly, a lot of noise, driven by algorithms, certainty bias, and polarised views.
So I began using Money Wise UK as:
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a space to explore how people really think and feel about money
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a place where advisers could step back from “what do we sell?” and ask “what outcome are we actually trying to achieve?”
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and somewhere individuals could access clear, honest information without being pushed toward a product
Acting as a Bridge
Over time, it’s become clear that Money Wise UK acts as a bridge.
I work directly with regulated financial planning firms, supporting areas such as CIP, CRP, governance, Consumer Duty, and investment oversight — while also creating client-facing tools, blogs, books, podcasts, and exercises written in plain English.
Most advisers:
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understand the technical detail
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but struggle to explain it simply, emotionally, or consistently
Most consumer-facing commentators:
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communicate accessibly
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but lack depth, regulatory understanding, or real-world adviser constraints
Money Wise UK sits between those two extremes.
That is the bridge.
Looking Ahead
Money Wise UK is not just a bridge between advisers and clients.
It is increasingly a bridge between:
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accumulation and decumulation
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technical solutions and lived experience
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regulation and real life
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financial outcomes and emotional wellbeing
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industry thinking and public understanding
What I’ve discovered is that Money Wise UK was never meant to be a traditional consultancy.
Over the next phase, it will continue to grow as:
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a free information hub for individuals and advisers
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a place for better conversations about retirement, risk, and behaviour
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and a thinking partner for firms who want to raise standards, not just scale faster
I’m grateful to the firms, advisers, guests, and readers who’ve been part of the journey so far.
If the last two years have taught me anything, it’s this:
Progress in finance doesn’t come from shouting louder, it comes from thinking more clearly.
Here’s to the next chapter.
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