In our third interview looking at the journey consumers take from becoming aware of a financial adviser/planner to taking action, we spoke to Alan a client of Duncan Orr at Swindells Financial Planning.

Why did Alan need financial advice?

Alan was looking for advice about his pension.

How did Alan find Duncan?

After being referred by a friend who was already a client of Swindells.

Did Alan consider any other advisers/planners?

Alan told us he considered several local firms then narrowed his search down to two.

He said that while he considered the charges of each planner, he wanted to work with someone who was thorough, and he could trust. Alan said that knowing several people who had been clients of Duncan’s for many years gave him a “great deal of confidence”.

Alan was also said that Duncan’s approach, producing a financial plan, set him apart from other advisers.

Did Alan search for Duncan online before getting in touch?

Yes.

Alan said that although he didn’t want to find an adviser online, once recommended to Duncan he did do “one quick search online” and visited the Swindells website.

How did Alan get in touch with Duncan?

Email.

What can we learn from Alan’s journey?

Alan’s journey reminds us of the power of both recommendations and financial planning.

Like many similar journey’s it started with a recommendation from an existing client. Even then, Alan still searched online for Duncan and Swindells before getting in touch.

It’s clear that by producing a financial plan Duncan set himself apart from other advisers. For those of us who spend time in the financial planning world that might not seem particularly remarkable. However, it’s a useful reminder that financial planning still isn’t mainstream. It might be something you do every day, but many consumers still aren’t aware it exists, let alone understand the benefits.

Can you help us?

We’ve got several further interviews lined up, but we need more. Ideally, we’d like 12 in the first series.

If you’ve enjoyed our blogs and content over the years, please email phil@theyardstickagency.co.uk if you would be happy for us to interview a client you’ve recently taken on.

We’d be very grateful for your help.