Why your financial planner needs more than just a certificate
I had a bit of a proud moment when I found out that I had been included in the VouchedFor 2026 Guide to Top Rated Financial Advisers.
As someone who spends most of his time helping clients move countries and make sense of cross-border planning, this recognition genuinely means a lot. It is a privilege to be listed alongside so many top-quality advisers.
But it also got me thinking about how people actually choose a financial planner in the first place, and what you should really be looking for.
The driving licence of finance
In financial services, we talk a lot about qualifications. I wrote recently about the importance of the CFP® status. It is the global gold standard, and you absolutely should look for those letters when choosing a professional Certified Financial Planner®.
But a qualification is essentially like a driving licence.
It proves that you know the rules of the road, you understand the mechanics, and you can operate the vehicle safely. It guarantees a baseline of technical competence. However, a driving licence does not necessarily mean you are the person someone wants to sit next to for a long, complicated, cross-country road trip.
The gap between theory and reality
There is a massive gap between understanding the theory of finance and actually applying it to real human lives.
The textbooks will teach you the tax rules of the UK, the US, France, and South Africa. But what they don’t teach you is what it feels like for a family to pack up their entire life and move across the world. They do not account for the emotional weight of retiring, or the stress of realising your pensions are scattered across three different countries.
Theory is clean and predictable. Real life is messy, emotional, and constantly changing.
When you are looking for a financial professional, you need someone who is highly qualified to handle the technical side. But more importantly, you need someone who has successfully navigated the messy reality hundreds of times before.
Proof in the pudding
This is why you should always look for an adviser who is highly recommended and who can evidence their good work.
You would not choose a surgeon or a builder based purely on the fact that they passed their exams; you want to know that their previous patients and clients are happy with the results.
That is exactly why the VouchedFor recognition means so much to me. It is not an exam board marking a theoretical paper. It is based on real reviews from my clients around the world. It is real people taking the time to say that the team and I actually helped them make sense of the chaos.
International financial planning can feel incredibly complicated. But with the right mix of technical knowledge and practical experience, it really does not have to be.
If you need help navigating your own cross-border move, feel free to get in touch.
