When most people hire a financial adviser, they imagine conversations about their goals, their family, and their future. They want someone who’ll listen, ask thoughtful questions, and guide them towards financial security and freedom.
But in reality, many advisers see the world very differently.
Take St. James’s Place (SJP), for example. On their website, they proudly explain how they scour the marketplace for products, manufacture their own funds, and curate investments. At first glance, that sounds like exactly what a financial adviser should do.
But here’s the problem: this focus on products tells you everything about the firm’s priorities.
SJP operates under a restricted advice model, meaning their recommendations are limited to a predefined range of investments, often their own. Their advisers’ success is tied directly to assets under management (AUM). The more of your money they manage, the more they earn.
That creates an invisible bias: every conversation is subtly steered towards gathering and holding your wealth.
By contrast, true financial planning is about people, not products. It starts with asking the right questions:
What does your ideal life look like in 10 years?
What worries keep you awake at night?
How do you want your wealth to support your family, both now and in the future?
These are questions no fund, however carefully selected, can answer.
At The Wealth Coach, we believe financial advice should be:
Independent and strategic, not tied to product sales.
Focused on financial wellness, understanding you before talking about investments.
Unlinked from AUM, so the advice serves you, not us.
For most families, the challenge isn’t finding the best product. It’s finding an adviser who’ll help them make the right decisions for their future.