I wasn’t always a financial advisor…

I'm a Chartered Accountant by training and spent almost two decades working at KPMG and Barclays Bank in London and Singapore. 

I’ve actively invested my own money for 15+ years across tracker funds, share trading, buy-to-let properties and direct business investment.  I’m constantly reading books and blogs on investing and personal finance, but more importantly how to design my life and lifestyle and align my finances to that plan.

In 2016 I started to coach other expats so they could make the most of their money and avoid the high-fees that are commonly charged by Asia-based financial advisors. My aim was to educate clients on how to build a life plan, how the stock market works, how financial advisers get paid and how to keep the majority of your returns for yourself.

I began to seek out the world’s best financial advisors to improve my own skills and knowledge but also help my clients who wanted professional help rather than 'Doing-It-Yourself'.

I met and interviewed lots of other financial advisors and soon learned that I am more passionate and enthused about financial planning than most financial advisors! I was also saddened to learn just how many financial advisers in Asia were in reality financial salespeople earning commissions from products. This simply means less money for the client. I really struggled to find anyone that I was happy to refer my clients to.

It became clear that there was a gap in the market in Singapore for an ethical fee-only advisor, with a strong focus on goals-based planning. I became regulated so that I could really make a difference to peoples lives.

This website is my attempt to share some of the knowledge and wisdom I have accumulated, based on these core principles:

  • I believe true life and financial planning can improve and change your life

  • I believe you need a financial plan before you invest anything. The investing element should just be the tools and tactics to achieve a grander plan

  • If you have $2m-$20m SGD to invest and intend to use a Private Bank you need to fully understand the pros and cons of such an approach.

  • If you have $2m-20m SGD to invest it is essential to have a solid foundation before exploring more exotic options

  • I believe you need a financial support team to help you make rational decisions about your money

Why Did I Become a Financial Advisor?

 
 

My Investing Philosophy

The assets that I manage on your behalf is more than an investment portfolio. That money represents the savings, sacrifice, and dreams that you have entrusted to me. I take that responsibility seriously.

There are thousands of ways you can invest your money, so how do you know which one is best? No one can predict the stock market direction (if they say they can they are lying!), so I choose the approach that gives us the highest confidence of being successful.

We use the most academically pure and evidence-based approach on the planet. Our investment recommendations are based on working directly with a strategic partner that is driven by Nobel Prize winning economists.

We aim to capture the market, not outguess it. We are guided by deep convictions about the power of the stock markets. By employing a systematic and evidence-based investment approach, we seek to capture what the market can offer across all of its dimensions.

I believe in separating planning from investing to ensure my advice remains conflict-free. I don’t believe in taking commissions on products, like many Asia-based financial advisers. So I am one of the few fee-only advisers in Singapore. My focus is on what is right for you by using best of breed solutions in a very cost-efficient manner.

My Other Passions

I don’t just spend my time obsessing and reading about personal finance - I do have other passions in my life!

I live in Singapore with my wife, Laura and we have been here since 2011. We both love to travel and have taken several ‘mini-retirements’ over the last decade all over Asia, Europe and Australia. We have a house in Ibiza and spend as much time as we can there. The mini-retirements and the house in Ibiza are both the product of thoughtful lifestyle financial planning.

I try my best to keep fit and active, having completed several triathlons and competitive races. I’m also interested in all aspects of work productivity and entrepreneurship. I spend my free time playing golf, reading non-fiction books, listening to podcasts or at the gym.

I also love some of the finer things in life including wine and champagne but I’m equally just as happy with a pizza and beer.

If you’d like a pizza and beer with me (or a glass of champagne if you’d prefer) to chat about how to accelerate your life goals through amazing financial decision making then send me a message.

Connect With Me

You can find me on LinkedIn or you can email me at any time with any questions that you may have about your personal finances.