A well known Financial Planner who has reached a 30 year career milestone has his sights set firmly on the future and the opportunities offered by advancing technology.

Keith Churchouse CFPCM Chartered MCSI, who launched a new online Financial Planning service called SaidSo this year, started working in financial services in December 1985 after he was made redundant from an apprenticeship with an engineering company.

Mr Churchouse took up the suggestion of his father, who was a bank manager, to join a bank in 1985.

He recently told sister publication Financial Planner magazine how this panned out, saying: “I quickly realised I liked the interaction with the public, so I made the jump from the bank to financial advice, originally selling mortgages and related commission-based products, before moving into Financial Planning and eventually starting my own company.”

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Mr Churchouse, who has been chair of the IFP Surrey Branch up until the recent merger with the CISI, started his own company in October 2004, now called Chapters Financial, with his wife, Esther.

His firm mainly offers advice to SMEs and individual clients who tend to be around the age of retirement. It has about 200 active clients, and our turnover is approximately £420,000.

Chapters links up with SaidSo. A SaidSo customer provides information via the website and pays £299 for a report which will be prepared over a 10 day period by the Chapters team.

Speaking about his 30 years in the sector, Mr Churchouse said he is focused on the future. 

He said: “Changes in regulation and innovation in technology have seen the delivery of financial advice change with future opportunities just as exciting.

“We look forward to continuing to be at the forefront of FinTech developments. This last year has been one of the most dynamic I’ve seen in the UK financial advice market, which is why our multi-award-winning online advice service SaidSo, launched in January, has been so well received.”

Talking about what is in store for the advice sector, including automated and so called robo-advice services, he said: “Online automated services will have a role to play. This does not mean that they will replace face to face advice for many, however, until the algorithms behind the concept can cope with the multiple choices and requirements of human beings.

"I believe that sites like SaidSo.co.uk will fill the market between seeing an advisor and having an online automated decision made purely on factors, such as wealth levels, appetite for risk and age.”

Mr Churchouse has added Chartered Wealth Manager to his list of designations and has also become a CISI Fellow.

He said: “It's been an amazing journey, and such a privilege to share and help people by providing advice on all things money over the years.”

Simon Culhane, Chartered FCSI and chief executive at the CISI, said: “Many congratulations to Keith for achieving this significant professional milestone.”