“If you can’t explain it simply, you don’t understand it well enough.” – Albert Einstein
I’ve known Simon since his early student days in Aberdeen. My family spent many Sunday afternoons with Simon. We would provide the food; Simon would bring the entertainment which was, invariably, himself. Simon has never lost his ability to entertain with his creative, insightful commentary on the world and his enthusiasm for challenging boardgames.
I still recall Simon’s response to the question, “How do they get stripes in toothpaste?” A short debate ensued, and Simon disappeared only to return with tubes of toothpaste. I’m sorry to say several tubes were damaged in pursuit of the truth*. But Simon needed to know.
Simon’s thirst for knowledge continued. His creative problem solving and grasp of technical detail serves as the wellspring of Stewardship Wealth’s specialist flair. He devotes significant time to continuous professional development recognising that planning needs change, and can become more complex, over time. Client advice will transition from asset growth, to managing income needs while protecting capital, and then passing it on to the right people, at the right time, in the best way. These are all stages that require detailed consideration, planning and guidance.
It is not surprising to me that Simon’s appetite for advancement continues. He invests heavily in equipping people. Developing talent is key to Stewardship Wealth’s growth and succession planning. When it comes to qualification and delivering excellence, leading from the front has always been Simon’s way. Whether it’s launching a podcast designed to help people build a better relationship with money, teaching a dance at a ceilidh, jumping off a waterfall when gorge walking, or talking the team through international bond taxation and trusts, he retains his enthusiasm and passion for learning. I doubt things will ever change.
Simon decided to undertake a technical study of the subject of estate planning and trusts with a global professional body known as the Society of Trust and Estate Practitioners (STEP). This group comprises of lawyers, accountants, trustees, and other practitioners that help families plan for their futures.
The results could not have been better, as you can see below.
The STEP mission statement is as follows. “Our mission is to inspire confidence in families planning their assets across generations by setting and upholding high professional standards, informing public policy, promoting education, and connecting practitioners globally to share knowledge and best practice.”
Knowing that our specialism is hard earned, is reassuring for clients. We believe it is a critical component in our plans to further elevating existing levels of advice and support.
Simon has now added another certificate to his collection. Therefore, when intergenerational financial planning, and the associated estate and trust advice is required, not forgetting ceilidh dances, board games and yes even the toothpaste challenge, Simon is officially very highly qualified to help.
If there are any friends and colleagues who you feel would value the opportunity to talk through the complex topic of estate and trust planning, Simon would be happy to help.
Contact us at hello@stewardshipwealth.uk
Notes:
*Here’s the answer to the toothpaste question:
The trick to the stripes lies in the top of the tube, whose sloping neck contains coloured gel. When the tube is squeezed, the white paste flows towards the open neck of the tube and on its way pushes up against the sloping part containing the coloured gel which coats the surface of the toothpaste.