Our 2023 year in review

12 December 2023

As 2023 draws to a close, we’re taking a moment to reflect on the year and cast our eyes towards what 2024 might hold.

The past four years have been challenging for many individuals around the UK, especially where finances are concerned. We’d like to thank our clients for your ongoing trust during these difficult times, and to reassure you that we’ll be here, as always, to help you manage your wealth no matter the circumstances.

As a firm, we’ve had another successful year – a true testament to the hard work of everyone at Depledge and the support of our brilliant clients. 

Let’s take a look at our highlights of 2023 and what you can expect from us next year.

Our firm was commended by several awarding bodies in 2023

In the world of financial advice, there are several “landmark” awards each year that showcase the best of the best in our profession. 

We’re delighted to have been highly commended and listed as finalists at several of these awards this year, and are thankful that our excellent standards and dedication have been recognised by these awarding bodies.

Investment Life & Pensions Moneyfacts Awards 2023

In September 2023, we were highly commended for two awards at the Investment Life & Pensions (ILP) Moneyfacts Awards:

• Investment Adviser of the Year
• Tax and Estate Planner of the Year

These national awards involve some of the largest institutions in financial services, so we were delighted to be recognised twice this year.

Money Marketing Awards 2023

You may know Money Marketing as a widely read financial publication. Not only this, but they host a set of prestigious awards each year that seek to highlight outstanding contributions to financial services.

This year, we were named as finalists for three major awards: 

These three categories are very close to our hearts at Depledge, so we were thrilled to be acknowledged as finalists in each of them.

Personal Finance Society Education Champion of the Year 2023

We were also named as finalists for the Personal Finance Society (PFS) Education Champion of the Year award.

The PFS is an organisation designed to promote top standards in the financial planning profession, with a view of helping individuals like our clients to achieve their wealth goals with full transparency and confidence.

Educating our clients on how they can manage their hard-earned money is a particular passion of ours, so this recognition meant a lot to us.

Every year since 2015, Citywire New Model Adviser has named its top 100 advice firms in the UK – and every year, Depledge has made the list.

This year was no different, and we plan to remain within the top 100 advice businesses in the country in the years to come.

We welcomed 2 new colleagues and waved goodbye to 2 others

This year, we welcomed two new colleagues to the fold, and said goodbye to two others who have moved on to pastures new.

Welcoming Chris and Andy Thorp into the Depledge family

These two brothers have both settled in brilliantly, and we’re excited to keep working with them in future! You can learn more about Chris and Andy in our meet the team segment. 

Wishing Colin and Adam the best for the future

Colleagues Colin and Adam said goodbye to our firm this year as they headed off to pursue new opportunities. We thank them for their hard work at Depledge and wish them every success in the future.

2 of our team members gained qualifications this year

Continued professional development is extremely important to us, and we consistently invest in our team to ensure we can deliver the outcomes our clients deserve.

This year, our associate financial planning director Ben Lancaster and financial planning consultant Dan Gordon both achieved new qualifications. 

Ben Lancaster becomes Society of Later Life Advisers accredited

Ben became accredited by the Society of Later Life Advisers (SOLLA), a non-profit organisation dedicated to helping financial planners provide second-to-none guidance to individuals entering later life. 

Accreditation from this organisation is highly regarded in our profession – another string in Ben’s bow that allows him to pass his wisdom on to our clients and colleagues. 

Dan Gordon achieves Certified Financial Planner accreditation from the Chartered Institute of Securities & Investment

Financial planning consultant Dan Gordon gained accreditation as a Certified Financial Planner (CFP) from the Chartered Institute of Securities & Investment (CISI) this year.

The CFP, also known as the Level 7 Diploma in Advanced Financial Planning, is the highest rung on the CISI’s ladder of financial planning qualifications. 

Congratulations to both Ben and Dan for your hard work in achieving these milestones.

Championing financial education in schools

Our principal financial planning director, Andrew Day, has visited several schools around the Greater Manchester area this year. 

His mission is to improve young people’s understanding of key financial elements that will affect their lives later on, including debt, taxation, and credit.

These visits are part of the PFS My Personal Finance Skills initiative, through which financial planners deliver pro bono workshops in educational settings.

A Depledge case study was featured in FTAdviser this year

At the end of the day, the core reason why financial planners love our jobs is because we can ensure that our clients are empowered to make informed, efficient, and effective financial choices. 

On the surface of things, our role is to look at the figures and form a financial plan. But before we even cast our eyes over the numbers, we first discuss our clients’ concerns about the future, as well as their dreams and aspirations.

This approach is clearly exemplified in a case study published by FTAdviser, based on our colleague Ben Lancaster’s client. 

This client, aged 75, had lost her husband and father in close succession, meaning she had inherited a large amount of money with little knowledge of how to manage it by herself.

In the case study, Ben says, “I gave her the opportunity to ask questions, reinforcing the point that she can ask anything she likes and that there are no silly questions. I wanted to create a safe space for her.”

We’re very pleased that this case was examined so closely by the publication, as it shows exactly how we approach all our clients and put your needs at the forefront of the conversation.

What to expect from Depledge in 2024

Looking ahead to 2024, we plan to continue striving for exemplary service and creating opportunities for our clients to manage and grow their wealth according to their wishes.

In the wider economic landscape, 2024 is bound to bring new opportunities and challenges, with the UK and US both likely to hold general elections next year. Falling inflation could improve portfolio performance (although things can always change). 

In line with Consumer Duty requirements, we’ll be communicating the new provisions from the 2023 Finance Act in our annual reviews, among other important pieces of legislation. 

Our focus next year will also be on embracing technological development in our sector, with a view of improving communication, cohesion within our team, and process efficiency.

Finally, 2024 will mark our firm’s 10th anniversary, which we plan to celebrate with events throughout the year.

Get in touch to learn how we can help you in 2024 and beyond

We’d like to wish you a very happy Christmas and a joyous new year. 

If you’d like to learn about how we can help you, not just in 2024 but over the long term, get in touch today. Email info@depledgeswm.com or call 0161 8080200.

Please note

This blog is for general information only and does not constitute advice. The information is aimed at retail clients only.