As we dive headfirst into Balance: Wealth Planning’s 5th year of business, we would like to take a moment to reflect on our journey so far. We’re so pleased to be where we are today after making our debut in 2015 and a lot of that is thanks to the support we have received.

From our humble beginnings renting a small office space in West Bridgford with a couple of employees, we can now proudly call ourselves a multi-award winning Chartered financial planning company, with offices in Derby and Nottingham, as well as a brilliant team behind us. Our goals-based, holistic approach has remained at the core of what we do throughout our journey; helping clients establish what it is that they want to achieve now and throughout the rest of their life, addressing any concerns and priorities they might have.

Where it all began

“After years of experience in different firms and helping hundreds of clients, I had strong views on how financial planning should be delivered and what clients really wanted. I also had the confidence to challenge conventional practice and do things differently.

The perfect financial planning firm didn’t exist anywhere. So, I set about creating it, and very quickly Balance: Wealth Planning was born and started to grow.” – Rebecca Aldridge, Managing Director

Vision

“To build a holistic financial planning business based on the principles of being fair, doing what we promise, and continually challenging our thinking.”

This vision has remained the same throughout our growth over the past five years.

Being fair

Our belief in fair fees and our willingness to challenge the norm resulted in our all-inclusive, fixed-fee model. These charges are calculated based on the complexity of your situation and what you require. We do not charge a percentage of what may be invested.

Although that sounds simple, it’s vastly different and much more transparent than the way most firms work. We’ve never sought to be like anyone else, and are very comfortable standing out from the crowd for something we believe in.

Doing what we promise

Our promise to you is that we will:

• Say what we do and do what we say.
• Always act in your best interest. At all times. Without exception.
• Give you peace of mind and financial security.

Challenging our thinking

The members of our team are continually enhancing their professional growth and development, through a combination of exams, seminars, webinars, and reading everything there is to know about the financial planning industry.

We love our jobs because we can see how much it helps our clients. And so, we are committed to improving our skills and enhancing our industry knowledge to ensure we remain expertly placed to help you with your financial planning needs and goals.

Values

Our company values are at the heart of everything we do. We will always strive to:

• Provide stability – Giving reassurance and a consistent presence; to our clients and our team.
• Encourage growth – Encouraging everyone to reach aspirational goals and not hold back. To learn, develop and make an impact.
• Act considerately – Being kind to ourselves and others. Being open to ideas and generous with our time and knowledge. Showing humility, acceptance, and responsibility.
• Create fulfilment – Keeping things simple. Feeling happy and content. Making the most out of every day.

For our clients to experience these values, we believe that they must start within the company, so we ensure our team understands and experiences all of them working at Balance. This positive, flexible and supportive culture within the business is then reflected in our commitment to our clients.

Top 5 achievements

• CISI Building Excellence award – In 2018, Balance: Wealth Planning won the prestigious CISI Building Excellence award, presented annually to one financial planning business that has demonstrated excellence in their values, business strategy, and structure.
• Midlands Enterprise award for Best Financial Advisory Firm – In 2018, we also won the Midlands Enterprise award for Best Financial Advisory Firm, recognising innovations in business practice and outstanding overall performance of firms in the Midlands region.
• Top 100 Financial Planning firm in the UK – For the past two years, we have been selected as one of the New Model Adviser® Top 100 Financial Planning firms in the UK, celebrating ‘new model’ adviser firms, that are forward-thinking and innovative.
• Chartered Status – We have been granted Chartered status, the ‘gold standard’ in the financial planning industry. Chartered status demonstrates a significantly higher level of knowledge than the minimum required to become a financial planner as well as a commitment to professionalism and the highest ethical standards.
• Featured in VouchedFor’s 2019 and 2020 Guide to the UK’s Top-Rated Financial Advisers – Our Managing Director, Rebecca Aldridge, received a splendid endorsement from her clients and featured in VouchedFor’s 2019 and 2020 Guide to the UK’s Top-Rated Financial Advisers, as published in the Times.

A word from Rebecca

Where we’re heading

We’re hoping to continue to grow organically by consistently reviewing and improving our processes whilst expanding our team so that we can continue to provide service excellence without making any compromises on our personal touch.

Lastly, we would like to extend our gratitude to those of you who have worked or continue to work with us! We truly value your support and are proud of what Balance: Wealth Planning has become.