Spotlight on… Bryn Richmond
Since joining Five Wealth in July 2023 as a trainee financial planning manager, Bryn Richmond has become an integral part of the paraplanning team, supporting advisers and administrators in delivering high quality, holistic financial planning. We caught up with Bryn to hear more about his journey so far, his unique career path, and what he enjoys most about life at Five Wealth.
Tell us a bit about you and your role
I’m a financial planning manager at Five Wealth, having joined in 2023. My role is all about bringing together the various strands of financial planning – whether that’s analysing investment strategies, reviewing pension plans, or considering any changes in a client’s circumstances – and pulling it all together into a clear, actionable plan.
A big part of what I do involves liaising between advisers and the administration team, supporting advisers like Phil, Amy, Rick, and Liz across a wide range of clients with very different needs. While investments form one part of that, it’s very much about holistic financial planning as a whole. It’s about seeing the full picture and helping make recommendations that genuinely work for each individual.
What led you to financial planning?
My career path is quite varied and unconventional! After graduating from Oxford, I worked in the music department of a school – a bit chaotic, but full of character. I then spent some time travelling in New Zealand (and visited all of the Lord of the Rings locations) and later ended up working in an orchestra library in Manchester. It was a very niche role, but I loved getting to know the musicians.
Eventually I joined AJ Bell, working in a role focused on death benefits – figuring out who should receive pension and ISA benefits after someone’s passed away. It was there that I first came into contact with financial advisers, and I became interested in how financial planning can really make a difference to people’s lives. That led me to pursue this path more seriously.
What drew you to join Five Wealth?
It was the opportunity to do more report writing and be involved in real client work. The clients here have more diverse circumstances, which makes the work more interesting and rewarding. There’s a strong focus on really getting to know clients and helping shape their financial future. That kind of connection isn’t always possible at larger firms.
How has your role evolved since you joined?
At the start, I didn’t have much experience with report writing, but over time I’ve been trusted with more responsibility and given more autonomy. I’m now much more involved in building out recommendations, communicating with advisers and offering ideas. It’s been great to feel that my knowledge is growing and that I’m playing a bigger part in the team.
What’s been the best part of working at Five Wealth so far?
Definitely the people. There’s no hierarchy here, it’s very cohesive and collaborative. Everyone listens and supports each other, and there’s a real team spirit when it comes to problem solving. Whether it’s something work related or just having a chat over coffee, everyone’s approachable and friendly.
I also really enjoyed the social side of working at Five Wealth – our walks in the Lake District, Christmas parties, and the cooking class at Food Sorcery where we cooked a festive biryani, have all been memorable highlights.
What are you looking forward to in the future?
I’m excited to keep developing and working toward my Chartered status. I’ve nearly completed my advanced diploma, and I am looking forward to taking on more challenges. Learning on the job is really important to me; there’s always something new to understand or a different client situation to get stuck into.
What hobbies do you enjoy when you’re not working?
I play violin with the Stockport Symphony Orchestra. We rehearse quite intensively – five or six times in the weeks leading up to each concert, and we usually put on around eight concerts a year. It’s a real team effort, with 50 to 60 of us all working together to create something special.
There’s nothing quite like the exhilaration of performing after weeks of rehearsals and hearing the applause at the end. I even treated myself to a new violin recently.