dfb_wealth, Rochester (2026)

17/07/2025

“Should I start saving for my child now, or focus on building my own financial future first?”

It’s one of the most common questions I hear from the families I serve.

You want to give your children the best possible start in life, but you also know there’s no point funding their future if you haven’t secured your own.

Here’s how I think about saving and investing for children in the UK:

Gifts
- You need to consider where funds are coming from.
- In most examples, there will be a gift of some kind.
- The tax implication of a gift depends on where and who it is from.

1. Cash Accounts
- Bank accounts may be set up to hold cash gifts.
- Parents act as signatory and are responsible for managing

2. Junior ISA (JISA)
- A stocks & shares ISA can be opened & managed on behalf of child.
- Up to £9,000 per child, per tax year, tax-free growth and withdrawals.
- Money is locked until age 18 (at which point the child takes full control)
- Anyone can gift funds into the JISA.

3. Designated Investment Account
- Investment set up in the name of parent or grandparent.
- Earmarked for child. Maximum flexibility. Full control.
- No gift made, tax liability on the owner, not the child.

4. Junior SIPP
- Parents & Grandparents can contribute up to £2,880 net each tax year.
- Higher if the child has earned income.
- Locked away until 55 (soon 57). Could be 60+ by the time they get there.
- Tax free growth. Gifts to SIPP could be taxable for parent or grandparent.

5. Trusts.
- Bare or Discretionary.
- More complex with different taxation.
- Speak with your financial planner if you have maxed the simpler options.

Our family’s “just right” approach?

We split contributions:
- 50% into a Stocks & Shares JISA for long-term, hands-off growth.
- 50% into a general investment account in our name, flexible and earmarked for future opportunities.

We revisit this annually. Your values may shift. So should your strategy.

What’s your view? Are you saving for your kids or still trying to make sense of your own plan first?

Drop a comment or message me if you’d like a second pair of eyes on your current approach.

10/07/2025

Struggling with debt and not sure where to start?

Here’s the truth: the right repayment method isn’t the one that looks best on paper, it’s the one you’ll stick to.

Two main approaches to consider:

- Debt Avalanche: Pay off highest interest first. Rational, mathematically sound.

- Debt Snowball: Pay off smallest balances first. Quick wins build momentum.

Each has merit. But neither will work without discipline and intentionality.

Pick the one that gets you moving. Build confidence. Build habits.

Then switch to Avalanche for the most efficient results.

Your debt doesn’t define you, but your plan for tackling it will shape your financial future.

07/07/2025

I don’t manage my client's investments. But if I did, here’s how I’d do it:

- Serve successful and ambitious professionals and families aged 30 to 60
- Help them transition to and through early retirement
- Focus on an efficient withdrawal strategy, gifting, spending and tax

Every new relationship would start with my 3-month intensive planning process. £4,900, fixed fee. Same thorough service for all clients.

Then?

- Ongoing financial planning: £6,000 a year
- Optional investment management: £3,000 a year
- Paid quarterly. Clean. Simple flat fees. No % of your wealth.

We’d meet three times a year (March, June, November), with extra calls when needed.

I’m not adding investment management to my offering. But designing the ideal model is a good reminder:

- You can build a business around your values.
- You can charge fairly and transparently.
- You don’t need to follow the herd.

It’s Monday. Worth thinking about?

20/06/2025

The top 20 mistakes DIY investors I have found they often make with their financial plans on their path to retirement:

1. They own too many accounts, including old (badly invested) workplace pensions, shares given to them 25 years ago and current and savings accounts without clear purposes.

2. They have accessed their pensions too early! On average, investors on the path to retirement should wait until retirement or other low income years to access their pensions tax efficiently.

3. They falsely assume you don't need a will or powers of attorney unless you have kids, or are old, or that these remain valid after marriage or divorce.

4. They don't take advantage of employee benefits, including maxing out their employer pension contributions, health care or financial help.

5. Business owners are sitting on too much cash fearing tax or other levies, when a simple calculation could free up investment or higher income.

6. They assume their bitcoin holding will last 30+ years rather than diversifying long-term.

7. They invest too conservatively while working, too much cash, too little equity, until it's too late.

8. They don't take advantage of ISA allowances or utilise tax thresholds and tax free amounts.

9. They place too much emphasis on chasing high interest savings rates rather than investing for long term growth.

10. They give cash to charity but have not claimed gift aid.

11. They forget that income funds do not reinvest dividends, resulting in cash building up on the sidelines.

12. They are focused on making the best returns rather than stability and diversification.

13. They neglect ISAs by keeping too much taxable investments within their "free to trade" platform rather than in the tax free accounts.

14. They acknowledge inflation in retirement but not on the path to retirement, misunderstanding how the 4% "rule" could work for them.

15. They place too much emphasis on the State Pension when calculating their retirement income. It's a bonus, not to be relied upon to remain as it is.

16. They don't go beyond the "advice" from celebrities in the Sunday papers.

17. They assume the NHS will care for them in later life - when it may make sense to be proactive in planning for long term care.

18. They sit on inappropriate life insurance polices, providing the wrong cover.

19. They don't review their car / house / pet insurance regularly and could be paying more than they need..

20. They invest in their financial health but neglect their physical and mental wellness alongside.

19/06/2025

There are 7 steps in the financial planning process:

1. Understand your situation
2. Identify values and desired outcomes
3. Analyse current/alternative courses of action
4. Develop recommendations
5. Present recommendations
6. Implement recommendations
7. Monitor progress

Don't trust or hire anyone who jumps straight to 5-6.

We shouldn't let the product lead the plan.

18/06/2025

How financial advice firms charge for financial advice in the UK has long been a central question in our profession. Many firms still rely on AUM (Assets Under Management) compensation methods, reflecting a sales-driven approach, however financial advice in the UK has evolved with technological advancements and a greater focus on financial planning.

Modern financial planners are expanding their services beyond traditional asset gathering into more personalised financial planning, the very definition of "financial advice" continues to evolve and advice-only planning is just one of the many newer, different services our potential clients can benefit from.

17/06/2025

When I set up my advice-only financial planning business in 2022, I wasn’t sure how many people in the UK were ready for advice without the sales pitch for products and investment funds.

Turns out… quite a few were desperate for it.

Since then, here’s what I’ve learned:

- Most advisers still sell. Few actually plan.

- Good planning isn’t the next hot stock. It’s about your priorities.

- Working with a financial planner should leave you empowered, not intimidated or even worse....bored!

- You don’t need to buy financial products to reach your goals.

- Flat fees are fair. They work.

If you're ever wondering, “Is there a better way?” — there is.

12/06/2025

Financial freedom isn't about hitting a number. It's about linking your money and your life.

Too many high earning professionals are trapped on the hamster wheel, chasing a better salary, promotions, upgrades and shiny distractions, when what they really want is time.

I work with clients who’ve done “well” by every external measure, but feel financially foggy and unsure of the future.

Why?

The wealthy buy time. The busy buy distractions.

And the shift begins when you've already asked “How much is enough?” and start to ask “What do I want this money to do for me?”

I help professionals earning £100k plus get clear and aligned so they can retire on their terms, not their employer’s. Advice-only, no ongoing investment management.

Message me if you’re stuck in the high-income, low-freedom trap and I'll send you my free financial clarity one pager.

14/04/2025

Three years ago I made a big decision, to leave behind the world of regulated financial advice.

Not because I’d lost faith in it. But because I knew I could do more for people outside the traditional model.

Financial planning doesn’t have to come with a product pitch.
It doesn’t have to be tied to a portfolio or a percentage.

Sometimes, people just need someone to listen, guide, and help them figure it all out.

No selling. No strings. Just real planning for real people.
And that’s exactly what I do now.

03/04/2025

The Professional's dilemma: More Money or More Time?

You can always earn more money. But you’ll never get back lost time.

So why are so many high achievers still:

⏳ Googling their finances?
⏳ Ignoring smart wealth-building strategies?
⏳ Pushing financial decisions to “later”?

💡 You delegate in your business. Why not in your financial life?

Successful people don’t try to do it all, they surround themselves with the right experts.

What’s more valuable to you right now: More money or more time?

*This is a photo of me and Kim on a more blustery day in Folkestone.

01/04/2025

🔥 The ‘Success Trap’ no one talks about 🔥

Ever feel like no matter how much you earn, it’s never quite enough?

🏡 A bigger house.
🎓 Higher education fees.
🚀 Just need a few more '000s to retire with.

Where does it end?

Here’s the truth: More income doesn’t always mean more freedom. Without a plan, the finish line keeps moving, and financial success feels like an endless treadmill.

💡 Do you know your ‘freedom number’—the amount that lets you stop chasing and start living?

dfb_wealth

17/07/2025

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07/07/2025

20/06/2025

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