A Helping Hand from Stocks Financial Management

This month we’re meeting James Smith, a long-term admirer of Rutland who has finally relocated to the county and established a brand new independent financial practice designed to reflect and adapt to the needs of his clients

We’re all good at something. Take James Smith for example. Countless clients have told him how much they appreciate his insight and advice on matters from savings and investments to pensions and mortgages.

Moreover, they like the idea of an independent financial adviser with whole-market access and a desire to build long-term relationships with clients to best understand their needs and plan financial strategies that will yield long-term security.

Having said that, he’s not the best at other things… like DIY! Currently renovating his offices on Uppingham’s High Street East, James admits to becoming frustrated with an iffy lock and with the painting. 

He’s decided to defer the work to professional trades because, he says, it’s important to look after an old building, to do things right and to invest the same amount of effort into the longevity of the building as he does in his working relationship with clients.

“I’ve been to Rutland often and I have family here, so I always dreamed of settling in the county as it’s so friendly. I’ve been working in Hertfordshire so to relocate here was one of my goals in life, the other major ambition being to establish my own practice where I can offer clients face-to-face advice and work with them at every stage of their lives.”

James’ firm, Stocks Financial Management, may be new to the area, but he’s certainly not new to the industry. Since studying finance at Hertfordshire University, he joined a respected independent advisory company where he stayed for eleven years. He became a mortgage adviser, then progressed through his regulated financial planning qualifications, ultimately achieving chartered status. As a self-employed adviser operating under a larger firm’s systems, he found there was limited room to shape the experience in the way he felt clients deserved. 

The desire to take a more independent direction coincided with a long held pull towards Rutland, a place he had visited for years and describes as a revelation compared with the constant pace of the South.

“I’ve been really delighted and amused with the rural landscape, the views on the daily drive, the food markets and the friendliness of the area. The other week I drove to the office and came face-to-face with one of the prize cows at Uppingham Fatstock rather than my usual car parking space! I love it, it made me smile, and I’m getting on really well with the other business owners on Uppingham’s High Street. I love the fact that there are so many independent business in the town.”

James believes the industry lost something valuable during the years when remote meetings became the norm. Financial planning, in his view, is not a transactional service but an ongoing relationship built on understanding and trust. 

People talk most openly when they feel comfortable, and often the most revealing part of a meeting is the informal conversation that surrounds the formal documentation. 

It is in those surrounding moments that advisers gain the insight that shapes good decisions. Over time, these relationships can become multi-generational. James has worked with clients from young adulthood into their retirement and now advises the children of those original clients. He hopes to see the same in Rutland.

James feels strongly that regulation, while essential for protecting consumers, has had the unintended consequence of shutting some people out of advice. With commissions removed from pensions and investment work, we want to ensure that we can work with all clients based on their unique needs. 

James is determined to build a practice that can support a wider range of people. The aim is efficiency without compromise, ensuring the advisory process remains robust while allowing the firm to help individuals who may not have substantial assets but still need guidance.

His philosophy is shaped by long experience. There is no such thing as a typical client, he says, because every person has different priorities, different goals and different financial milestones. The role of an adviser, he says, is to understand where someone is on their financial journey and then adapt the advice as life changes. Accumulation leads to preservation, and preservation leads to income, each requiring a different strategy.

At the first meeting, the focus is never on filling in forms but on conversation. James wants to understand an individual’s background, what they hope to achieve, how they feel about risk, and what stage of life they are in. Only by hearing their story can he begin to shape a plan that is truly tailored. 

From there, he produces a recommendation designed to take the client from their present position to their desired future, checking in formally at least once a year as regulations require, but informally whenever clients feel they need a sounding board. 

He encourages people to pick up the telephone even with small questions. Financial plans, he reminds clients, may shift dramatically when life events occur, and it is far better to ask early than to worry.

Looking ahead to the coming year, he expects to see considerable focus on inheritance tax planning, particularly as pensions become part of the estate for tax purposes from 2027.

He stresses that planning early makes a substantial difference, whether through gifting, trusts or other methods to ensure wealth passes efficiently to the next generation. 

He also highlights the importance of using annual allowances while they remain attractive, given recent changes to cash ISAs and salary exchange contributions. 

For many people, he says, the most valuable step they can take is simply to begin a conversation well before retirement age. 

The sooner someone engages with planning, the greater the opportunity to shape the future they want.

As the renovation of the new premises continues and the firm begins to take shape, James’ focus is on creating a space where people feel confident to walk in and ask for help. Rutland has already made him feel at home. Now he hopes to do the same for those who entrust him with their financial future.

James Smith specialises in fund management, investment planning, retirement planning, taxes, trusts, mortgages, equity release and planning protection. James is independent, with whole- market access. He has established Stocks Financial Management at number 35 on Uppingham’s High Street East. For more information call 07791 121621 or see www.stocksfm.co.uk.