Busy entrepreneur

Soon after Ross Snape was appointed MD of a privately owned company in 2004, a colleague introduced him to Stephen Willis, an independent financial adviser. Ross was considering setting up a Self Invested Personal Pension (SIPP) – a DIY form of pension that allows you to make your own investments in a personal pension pot.

Ross and Stephen hit it off immediately. ‘I could see Stephen was there to help me, not himself,’ says Ross. ‘I felt at ease with him straight away – I was able to talk with him about all sorts of things and felt I could trust him.’

Stephen started looking at investments on Ross’s behalf. However, before Ross had got his knees fully under his desk at work, the business was sold and Ross left the business. ‘Part of the package was a lump sum and Stephen helped me invest it,’ says Ross. ‘That’s when we started planning my finances in more detail.

‘In 2007, I used some of that money to start a business, which has done very well. Now, my pension is sorted but my investment priorities have changed. I don’t want to make radical changes but I want to do something with the surplus I’m taking out of the business. I’m 46, and I’m not thinking of retiring yet. Very soon, he and I are going to sit down and talk about my long-term plans and life goals. I see my professional relationship with Stephen as long-term; there’s been continuity through all the changes I’ve been through.

‘How would I describe Stephen? Very professional, honest and honourable. I think those are very important qualities when someone else is handling your money,’ Ross concludes.