"What would I do if it was my money?": Glen Neagle's approach to financial planning

When Glen Neagle first entered the world of financial services, it wasn’t part of a grand plan. In fact, he openly admits it was more by accident than design. “I was an apprentice electrician, and I hated every second of it,” Glen recalls. “In the winter, I was out doing street lighting in the freezing cold; in the summer I was cooking alive rewiring lofts. And this was 1980s Britain – every week you were wondering if you’d be made redundant.”

His breakthrough came thanks to an unlikely source – the Job Centre. “My dad spotted an advert for a trainee financial adviser. The idea of wearing a suit and dealing with money sounded a lot better than what I was doing at the time. So, I jumped at it.”

That was in 1988. What followed was a journey from knocking on doors to collect premiums for home-service insurance, to becoming a director at Amber River SFIA, one of the UK’s leading specialists in school fees and wider financial planning.

Glen’s career may have started with a job ad, but he quickly found his true calling. “I loved listening to people’s stories and helping them achieve their objectives. Watching people build wealth, it was a natural fit for me. ”

In those early days at Refuge Assurance, Glen soaked up the wisdom of older colleagues. “They taught me people skills, listening skills, understanding – all the things I try to pass on to younger advisers today.” These ‘old school’ principles are still at the heart of his work.

Glen’s clients today are as varied as their financial needs. From young professionals starting out, to grandparents keen to support a grandchild’s education, to retirees looking for peace of mind. “I work with a wide range of clients,” he explains. “Some are very financially sophisticated. Others are not. But that’s the beauty of the job.”

Much of Glen’s work comes through Amber River SFIA’s unique niche – school fees planning. “We’re the leading specialists in the UK. That often opens the door to wider advice: retirement, estate planning, investments. About 20% of our work is school fees, but it grows from there. It’s about building trust.”

A typical case? Glen describes grandparents setting up trusts to pay for school or university fees, or parents wanting to bridge the gap when state schooling isn’t working for their child. “It’s about creating options, giving people the means to make the choices that matter to them.”

When asked what sets him apart, Glen keeps it simple. “It’s something my old branch manager Willie McGee taught me: How can I make this better? What advice would I give if it was my family? What would I do if it was my money?”

That philosophy has helped clients manage everything from early retirement due to ill health, to the financial demands of caring for vulnerable family members. He recalls helping a client with scoliosis plan an early retirement. “We modelled his costs, his medical needs, his home adaptations. We showed him he could afford to stop work and have the security he needed. That’s what this job is about.”

Glen is clear that part of his role is to be the calm voice in a crisis. “When there’s bad news – Covid, energy crisis, market crash – I know which of my clients will be nervous. I get on the phone, reassure them, remind them of the plan. Selling up and running for cash is almost always the wrong move.”

He sees generational differences too. “My younger clients, they need more handholding in volatile markets. My older clients have seen it all before, they know markets bounce back.”

What Glen enjoys most is seeing the human impact of his work. “We don’t make anything, we don’t build anything – the satisfaction is cerebral. Seeing a first-time buyer pick up their keys, or a client achieve early retirement – that’s the reward.”

One moment that stands out? “A family I helped when their autistic son’s landlord wanted to sell. Moving would have been hugely traumatic for him. We found a way for them to buy the property. Seeing the relief in his mother’s eyes, that’s why I do what I do.”

Outside of work, Glen is rarely standing still. He’s a keen motorcyclist, snowboarder and scuba diver. “One of my best memories was playing fetch with a baby harbour seal off the Faroe Islands. I love an adventure.”

The world of financial advice has changed since Glen first started, but his ethos remains the same. “Regulations are tighter. Clients are more financially sophisticated. But at the end of the day, it’s still about making people’s lives better.”

Face-to-face advice, time to listen, a personal connection – that’s what Glen believes makes an independent adviser stand out. And after nearly four decades in the business, it’s clear that Glen Neagle hasn’t lost his passion for helping people plan their futures.