James Tilley Financial Planning

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James Tilley Financial Planning

Helping individuals, families and business owners across Wiltshire and Bath bring structure and long-term confidence to their finances.

Pensions | Investments | Inheritance Planning | Tax Efficiency

- The Times Top Rated Adviser -

18/06/2026

One of the commonly missed, but highly valuable benefits of working with a trusted adviser isn’t always the advice itself.

It’s their network.

Knowing the right people at the right time can be life changing.

Over the years, I’ve built relationships with accountants, solicitors, mortgage specialists, business owners, and other professionals who genuinely care about helping people, and it’s not a ‘one size fits all’ scenario.

Why does that matter?

People come to me as they need financial advice, but that conversation could lead to questions about Wills, a mortgage, inheritance planning, tax planning or your business, and I help connect the dots.

Having access to trusted professionals means you can often get pointed in the right direction quickly to someone you can trust, rather than spending hours searching for someone yourself.

That’s one of the reasons I enjoy going to events like the LAF (Legal, Accounting and Finance) Lunch that I attended at The Ivy in Bath last week.

It wasn’t about selling services or exchanging business cards.

It was about building relationships, sharing knowledge, and strengthening a network that can ultimately help the people we work with (While also enjoy some very good food and a cider!).

A strong network is a powerful thing, so lean into it.

Thank you to Ian at Milsted Langdon for the invitation, and to SWBF and Mogers Drewett LLP for hosting such a great event.

07/05/2026

A little look back to when I accidentally gave the room an existential crisis…

Just before tax year end I had the pleasure of presenting to a room full of brilliant, hard-working business owners from the group in Bath.

My mission was simple - To talk about the importance of proper financial planning without getting lost in numbers and jargon.

I love these sessions because I can take what can feel sometimes quite dry or overwhelming and bring it to life to click with people.

We covered why you’re investing in the first place, how we manage risk and what risk actually means when it comes to saving and investing.

The clear takeaways? The cost of doing nothing can be substantial, and giving your money a purpose brings clarity, confidence and direction (I like to call it the ‘purpose of your pots’).

What I see again and again with business owners:

- The business takes over your life so opportunities are easily missed.
- Time is tight so the cost of inaction quietly builds (That’s a silent killer).
- Slowly the future relies solely on the business.

The dream = Sell the business one day, ride off into the sunset, and everything will be fine.

The reality = Maybe it will be, and if so, great (that opens a whole other financial conversation). But maybe it won’t. Markets change, industries shift, buyers don’t always appear on cue, and things can change so unexpectedly.

I wasn’t there to scare anyone, but from experience I know a little healthy fear today beats a very big problem tomorrow.

So the importance of proper financial planning? It isn’t about one exit, one moment, or one roll of the dice. It’s about having a plan that works as hard as you do, and one that can give you peace of mind.

01/05/2026

Today is the day… The day the Renters’ Rights Act came into force (1st May 2026), and it’s been a common topic adding weight to conversations with clients, especially those who are landlords, or are expecting to become one.

I recently went to a landlords breakfast hosted by which gave me a much greater insight into the depth of these changes and the real impact they are having on landlords across the country - A valuable event guys, so thank you!

Whether you own a rental property as part of your wider financial plan, or have inherited one along the way, these changes are having a direct impact on returns, risk, and overall future planning.

What concerns me most from a financial planning perspective, is the increasing challenges for landlords:

- Eviction processes that could leave you waiting months.

- Unexpected legal costs that weren’t part of your original numbers.

- Rental income that is harder to predict and plan around.

- Reduced flexibility over when and how you can exit or restructure a property.

When you add this on top of an already challenging tax environment for landlords, and now the Making Tax Digital requirements, the question I am increasingly having with clients is “is it really worth it?” and “are there better alternatives?”

These conversations range from people with one additional property owned personally, to those with property portfolios held within a company, so there are a lot of variables and considerations that will shape the right conclusion for each person.

But what I do know is that these conversations and the professional support for planning are becoming increasingly more valuable.

* This post is for information purposes only and does not constitute financial or legal advice. Your individual circumstances will determine what is right for you.

13/04/2026

Monday morning at the museum, featuring croissants and coffee.

Thank you to Jack and Luke from for putting on a really insightful landlords’ breakfast, and for the guest speakers from Thrings Solicitors.

Some key takeaways highlighting the changes with the Renters’ Rights Act, along with some property market updates for Bath.

It’s a thriving city, so it’s interesting to see the various challenges and feedback of landlords operating in the area.

As a wealth manager and financial planner, property always sparks interesting conversation, because it’s quite common to be a part of someone’s overall investment portfolio, and It gets people thinking more about risk management and diversifying their options

This coupled with a little tour of the and follow-up meetings in some local coffee spots, was a great way to start the week.

22/03/2026

As we approach the end of the UK tax year, there are a few simple financial planning opportunities that are often overlooked.

Not necessarily because they’re complicated, but because life gets busy.

From your ISA allowance to pension contributions, and from capital gains tax to gifting for inheritance.

Small decisions made before April the 5th can make a meaningful difference over time.

This isn’t about doing everything, or even doing anything excessive, it’s about not missing the opportunities that are already available.

How many have you ticked off for the 25/26 tax year?

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This post is for financial education purposes only and does not constitute financial advice. The value of investments can go down as well as up. Tax treatment depends on individual circumstances and may change. Before making any financial decisions, I recommend seeking financial advice.

16/03/2026

Let me introduce myself…

I’m James, a financial planner based in Wiltshire and I’m helping people answer the questions such as; “Will I be okay’”, “Am I doing the right things”, and “Will it be enough” when it comes to their finances.

For many people, talking about this can feel a little overwhelming, daunting, and some times complex, so starting a conversation can feel difficult.

That’s why I’ve created this page. To share clear and practical insights around:

• Savings and investing
• Pensions and retirement planning
• Tax efficiency
• Inheritance & protecting family wealth

My aim is to help people feel more informed when making financial decisions, and more confident in having these conversations.

If that sounds useful to you, feel free to follow along and if there are any topics you’d like to hear more about, let me know in the comments or send me a message.

Address

Devizes

Website

https://www.frizzellwm.co.uk/, https://www.vouchedfor.co.uk/financial-advisor-ifa/henley-on-thames/070943-james-tilley,

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