Craig Parkinson

What I enjoy most about being a financial adviser is being able to make a real difference to people’s lives. Money can be a source of stress and uncertainty, so I enjoy helping clients understand their options, feel more in control and make decisions with confidence.

For me, it is not just about pensions, investments or mortgages. It is about getting to know people, understanding what they want from life and helping them put a plan in place to achieve it. I particularly enjoy building long-term relationships with clients and being someone they know they can speak to honestly when their circumstances change or they need guidance.

I work with a wide range of clients, from people buying their first home to those approaching retirement and wanting to make sure they have everything properly planned.

A lot of my clients come to me because their finances have become more complicated over time. They may have several pensions, investments or protection policies and want someone to help bring everything together and explain it in plain English.

I also look after families rather than just individuals. This often means helping different generations of the same family, making sure partners and children are properly protected and helping clients plan for how their money may eventually pass to their loved ones.

I work with business owners and people going through changes in their circumstances, such as moving home, retiring or receiving an inheritance. I particularly enjoy building long-term relationships and becoming someone the whole family knows they can turn to for advice as their lives and needs change.

The most rewarding part of my role is knowing that the advice I give can genuinely change people’s lives. That might mean helping someone buy their first home, retire earlier than they thought possible or simply feel less worried about money and more confident about the future.

I also really value becoming a trusted point of contact for my clients and their families. I want them to feel that they can pick up the phone and speak to me whenever something changes or they need some guidance, rather than feeling as though they have to work everything out by themselves.

Finance can sometimes feel complicated, daunting and, if we are honest, a little dull. I enjoy making it easier to understand, bringing it to life and even making it a bit more fun. Seeing someone go from feeling overwhelmed to feeling excited about their plans is incredibly rewarding.

I chose to join Continuum because the company’s values fitted closely with my own. The focus has always been on putting clients first, taking the time to understand what really matters to them and building long-term relationships rather than simply providing one-off advice.

Continuum has also been incredibly supportive of me personally. I have been given the freedom to develop my own approach while still having the backing, knowledge and experience of a wider team around me. That support has helped me grow in confidence, progress my career and become a better adviser.

For me, it felt like the right place to build a long-term future while continuing to provide the personal service and quality of advice that I want my clients to receive.

The one piece of financial advice I think everyone should know is not to put things off. You do not need to have everything worked out straight away, but taking small steps early can make a huge difference over time.

Whether it is starting a pension, saving regularly, reviewing your protection or simply understanding where your money goes, doing something is nearly always better than doing nothing. Finance can feel overwhelming, but it becomes much easier once you start talking about it and put a clear plan in place.

Outside of work, I am a big sports fan. I follow Crystal Palace, enjoy Formula 1 and will happily watch most sports when I get the chance.

Most of my spare time is spent with my family. I love watching my two boys play football, although I am generally less successful when I take them on at video games! We also enjoy getting out paddleboarding together, usually with our Australian Shepherd, Sam, joining us.

When things are a little quieter, I am equally happy pottering around the house or garden and then deciding that the best course of action is to go to the pub with my fiancé Jodie.

People might be surprised to learn that I never really knew what I wanted to do as a career. At different points, I thought I might join the Army or the police, before eventually doing some work experience in financial services.

I must have enjoyed it, because I never left! I have now built my whole career in the profession, although some people would probably say I am still on work experience.