John recently joined Pivotal Financial Planning, part of The ER Network, after working in the banking sector providing financial advice. We took 5 minutes to meet John and ask him about joining Pivotal Financial Planning.
- John, you recently joined Pivotal Financial Planning. How are you settling into life at Pivotal?
I’m settling in well. I’m enjoying being able to once again offer clients financial advice. I’m finding that it is much easier to meet client’s needs within my new role, which overall allows me to offer much better customer service.
- You worked in the banking sector providing advice before. What’s different about providing financial advice under Pivotal compared to the bank?
I worked with Bank of Scotland as a tied adviser meaning I was only able to offer clients products from one provider. In recent years I was only able to advise on protection products, which meant a large part of financial planning was not available to my clients. Unfortunately this meant that sometimes the products or services my clients required were not available, the result of which was they had to go elsewhere to get the product that they needed, or worse, I was not able to offer them any form of suitable advice.
- What have you found to be the benefits of being part of Pivotal Financial?
The first benefit is that I am able to offer a much more personalised financial plan, over a wider range of products. The scope of advice I am able to offer is extensive, not just personal protection but also business protection, savings/investments, pensions including auto-enrolment and estate planning. I am also able to be a lot more flexible in terms of arranging to meet with clients. I find it is much easier to find a time to suit when I can provide advice in their homes, rather than in an office which is only open between 9am and 5pm. Clients are also much more at ease in their own home than in a room in the bank.
What were the deciding factors which helped you decide to join Pivotal?
I wanted the opportunity to be able to work for myself but with the security of knowing that I am fully compliant and have training and support on hand if required. Working with Pivotal has allowed me to be much more flexible in how and when I work. I find this suits clients who have very busy schedules. I also get all the training that I need as well as the opportunity to work directly with the companies whose products I am recommending.
- Is there any advice you would give to a financial adviser who is considering joining from the banking sector?
If you are looking for an opportunity to be your own boss, helping customers with their financial planning needs – Pivotal offers this opportunity. You will be fully trained on the products and systems you will use, with as much help as you need. If you were successful and driven in the banking sector then it is very likely that you will have the transferrable skills to work as a financial adviser in this environment.
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