WILLIAMS BIRLEY AT BRIMSTAGE HALL – A HOME FOR HEALTH & WEALTH MANAGEMENT
Wirral Life met with Andy Birley , Senior Partner at Williams Birley Wealth Management to find out a little more about him and how he came to base his business at Brimstage Hall .
How long have you lived in the area ?
I grew up in Oxton and went to school here before leaving to study Economics at University . I spent most of my 20 ’ s living and working in Manchester . As with so many people , I returned to the Wirral with my wife Rachael to start a family . I loved growing up here and it ’ s the ideal place to bring up children . In fact , the majority of my team at Williams Birley grew up on the Wirral and have returned .
Why Brimstage Hall ?
The business was based in Chester for about 10 years , on Nicholas Street . This is a busy , bustling main road and we were next to accountants , solicitors and the racecourse . The reasons we moved there are also the reasons we left ! I had an image in my head of working from somewhere more rural , which would provide my team and I with a more peaceful work environment . Mental health is such a crucial consideration these days , as we can spend as much time at work as we do at home , so I was looking for space , greenery and calm . When I looked round the Hall it was an easy decision .
I save over an hour each day in commuting . Now I can drop my children off at school and still be in the office for 9 o ’ clock . Unless the cows are crossing Brimstage Road of course but what a great reason to be late for work !
How do you see the role of a Chartered Financial Planner ?
I feel that there are two key elements to our role : The first is to focus on providing investment planning advice .
The second , perhaps most crucial , is to sit down with people and put a plan in place with them about their future goals and lifestyle choices . This is the part that I particularly enjoy .
It is important early in a new client relationship to provide financial projections . It illustrates what their financial position may be at different points in the future , if they keep doing what they are doing .
If the outcome of this analysis looks as you hoped for , then that ’ s great . If not , then we need to create a plan together to close the gap .
It is hugely satisfying to put a 5 or 10-year plan in place with someone and then see that come to fruition . Having said that , I think retirement is when the hard work starts . The focus then shifts from accumulating wealth to providing a tax efficient income , that is sustainable for the rest of someone ’ s life .
What does a typical Williams Birley client look like ?
We really don ’ t have typical and I love that . Our oldest client is 102 and our youngest is Samuel , the son of Simon , one of our advisers , who has just turned one ! We provide wealth management and financial advice to individuals and businesses , to current and retired Directors of FTSE 250 companies , to those just starting out in their different careers and everyone in between .
Should people be doing anything different as a result of the current crisis ?
Being in the middle of a health crisis , people have become acutely aware of their own mortality and the need to protect those who rely on them , both financially and emotionally . I think we all need to consider , “ if I were no longer here or seriously ill , is my family and our financial plan protected ?”
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