Cardiff-based Chartered Financial Planner Richard Watkins is the latest professional to join the UK-wide Continuum team.
Richard has over 25 years experience in financial services and gained his CFP in 2000. Since then, his achievements have been recognised across theindustry, having won awards at the Financial Planner of the Year twice and with articles published in the Daily Telegraph, Times, Investors Chronicle and other journals.
“Everything I wrote about concerned achievement and maintenance of a desired, happy life. That is really the focus of everything I do for my clients,” he explains. “after all, we all want a happy life, do we not?”
Richard works to provide a broad range of advice, covering most financial needs from multi-generational succession planning and pensions to investment. This approach pays dividends for clients – but he feels that individual happiness is really the focus of his work.
“My principal driving force is helping my clients have the best life they can with the resources available to them. In an industry that is driven by productsales this has often brought me into conflict with employers who resolutely refused to accept that clients really valued advice that helped them get to where they wanted to be. The products we provide are just the vehicles that puts that advice to work for them.
Coming to Continuum, where the approach is to put the client and their interests first is the ideal step for me – because it will mean I can provide better answers for my clients.
With Continuum, I have a large and capable organisation working to support me – not against me. That means I can do more for my clients.”
Richard explains how he works with clients.
“I start by identifying and articulating their purposes. They may have short-term issues that need addressing – but I want to go further and help them construct their life plan in order to achieve the life they want, to keep the life they want or to enhance the life they have. My services are focused on themand to help them make good decisions about money and wealth.”
“I want my clients to have the best life they can with the resources available to them.”
The key to success is ensuring the financial wellbeing of clients, as he explains. “Wellbeing has become a core service proposition. This has been driven by Lockdown and is also being emphasised and becoming a focus of the Regulator. I believe it is the focus of all good financial planning.”
Managing Partner Martin Brown is particularly pleased to welcome Richard on to the growing Continuum team. “Having Richard working with us allowsus to strengthen our Adviser team. We believe in working with the best people, and Richard with his commitment to building financial wellbeing for clients is so very closely aligned to our own approach.”
Richard is also pleased to be joining Continuum. “Continuum is a highly professional organisation, and I believe that one of the reasons for its success is the simple fact that they expect advisers to put clients’ needs first. That is good for my clients and for me – because it lets me work to provide the financial wellbeing they want.”
If you live or work in Cardiff or the Vale of Glamorgan, and if you are ready to find the answers you need for your pension, tax planning, inheritance tax, and estate planning, please contact Richard for a free initial consultation and see what his holistic approach could mean to you.
