General:

In addition to working with clients as their independent Chartered Financial Planner, Paul is a Director of Investment & Retirement Solutions Ltd with specific responsibility for ensuring all aspects of our business comply with both the spirit and the letter of all relevant regulations and laws.

Widely recognised as an expert, Paul also ‘moonlights’ as an award-winning university lecturer and as an adviser to The Pensions Ombudsman on complex pension disputes. Although exceptionally well qualified, Paul maintains that his greatest satisfaction comes from helping “regular folk”.

We understand that in October 2024 Paul will become a published academic author, having been contracted to co-author eight chapters of the latest edition of the leading undergraduate text book; “You & Your Money”, a core reader in several economics and business degree modules

Having been an examiner for the London Institute of Banking & Finance’s level three financial capability academic qualifications, and level four vocational financial advice qualifications, Paul has served as a tutor on the level six pension transfer specialist regulatory qualification paper. He is the Qualification Moderator for the level six (degree level) investment management and pension transfer papers, with the specific responsibility of ensuring the coursework and examinations test from across the whole syllabus and are framed to be technically challenging at a suitably high level to satisfy vigorous regulatory requirements. 

Paul is particularly recognised for his expertise in pension matters and although not a lawyer, many years ago he was nominated for membership of the Solicitors Family Law Association (Resolution) in recognition of his work in the financial aspects of divorce and in particular pension sharing orders.

Claims to fame: Paul regularly spends time in prison! However, he explains that he holds both standard and enhanced security clearance to provide 1:1 undergraduate tuition in a number of Midlands prisons.

Somewhat addicted to work and unable to not help others, we’re proud that Paul has managed to abstain from strategic consulting work for almost five years, the longest he has stayed on the wagon, but we know the risk remains that one day he’ll succumb to his addiction and starting disappearing to London again to consult on regulatory business design, fintech (financial technology) or edtech (education technology). Luckily we know how quickly he gets bored and frustrated with the inevitable travelling.

As he has such a broad portfolio of responsibilities, Paul isn’t very good at relaxing, but we have it on good authority that he is slowly discovering the ‘art of pottering in the garden’, and we know he enjoys quality time with his children. Paul is suspected of regularly going AWOL for a few hours, particularly when the sun is shining, during which we believe he can be found scaring the squirrels whilst lycra-clad on his bike in Sherwood Forest. Paul’s guilty pleasure is a 50-year old+ rag-top (quite literally) classic British sports car.

Did you know: Paul is an elected Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts in recognition of his wide-ranging work in financial education?

Authorisation:

This member of staff IS  authorised to provide regulated independent financial advice