MEET THE TEAM
Richard Higgs
Chartered Independent Financial Planner
richard@haroldstephens.co.uk
Richard is the founder of our firm and genuinely enjoys helping people in later life and this was his inspiration in setting up Harold Stephens, with the aim of offering friendly, old fashioned face to face advice in our comfortable, homely office.
He is particularly skilled at dealing with vulnerable clients and their families. Demonstrating his commitment to continued learning around these areas, Richard is a Dementia Friend, a supporter of Bristol Dementia Action Alliance (BDAA) and BRACE Dementia Research charity. A keen advocate for the local community, Richard also supports St Peter’s Hospice and is an active member of the Marmalade Trust companionship programme.
Richard is an Accredited member of SOLLA (Society of Later Life Advisers), an organisation dedicated to higher standards and accessibility to regulated financial advice for older people and their families. The Later Life Adviser Accreditation (LLAA) has become established as the Gold Standard those advising in the later life market.
Richard is also a STEP (Society of Trust and Estate Practitioners) Affiliate member.
As a Chartered Financial Planner and Fellow of the Personal Finance Society, Richard holds the highest possible accreditation within the finance industry. He has over 20 years' experience and he offers trusted independent advice to retirees in Bristol.
Richard has particular expertise in later life financial planning, including estate/inheritance tax planning, long-term care, investments and pensions.
He is extremely passionate about providing the best possible service and in focusing solely on later life advice, he has truly established a firm that sets itself apart with trusted specialist independent financial planning.
Outside of work, Richard enjoys spending time with his family and surfing!
James Kenward
Independent Financial Adviser
james@haroldstephens.co.uk
James is a fully Diploma qualified member of the CII and has worked in the finance sector for 18 years since graduating from Plymouth University with a degree in Economics and Law.
James is an Associate member of SOLLA (Society of Later Life Advisers) and is currently working towards becoming Accredited. He feels that SOLLA is the gold standard of accreditation for helping older clients and their families.
James loves meeting new clients and really getting to know them as part of a relaxed first meeting. He takes great pleasure in helping retired clients bring their goals to life, whether that involves advising on tax efficient gifting to children and grandchildren or planning that round the world trip they had always dreamed of.
One of the things James enjoys most is working with Richard and the rest of the team to ensure everything we recommend is absolutely the best option for our clients. His input in regular investment committee meetings and advice on due diligence performed ensures recommendations are of the highest quality.
James is dedicated to his ongoing improvement in all areas of financial planning but particularly those which impact clients in later life such as pensions, long-term care and estate & inheritance tax planning.
James is passionate about being able to spend time in the local community through initiatives like Welcome Wednesday, where he can often be found enjoying a coffee and a chat with anyone in the area who wants to make connections.
James is a Dementia Friend and has completed extended Dementia Awareness training. He is always keen to further his knowledge about dementia and is a supporter of BRACE Dementia Research – he completed a bungee jump to raise money for the charity and although wouldn’t repeat this, is looking for his next BRACE fundraising challenge!
James has an interest in finance generally and enjoys keeping a watchful eye on the financial markets and listening to investment podcasts. He also has a season ticket for the Bristol Bears Rugby Union team and looks forward attending their home fixtures.
Laura Brooks
Office Manager
office@haroldstephens.co.uk
Laura was attracted to Harold Stephens as it is a local, independent company that clearly has the best interests of its clients and the local community at heart.
Laura sits front and centre in the office and is responsible for booking your appointments, requesting information we may need and generally keeping everything running smoothly.
Laura will keep you updated on progress along the way. She works closely with James and Richard and is usually the best person to approach with any queries you may have if you’re not sure who else to ask!
At weekends Laura loves spending time with family, socialising with friends and working in her garden
Victoria Vyce
Compliance Manager
support@haroldstephens.co.uk
Victoria is a fully Diploma qualified member of the CII and brings with her a wealth of experience since graduating from Cardiff University with a degree in Psychology.
Since joining Harold Stephens, Victoria has assumed wide-ranging responsibilities in the office including ensuring the firm meets with its strict ethical and regulatory standards, the smooth and efficient processing of client business and general office management.
Victoria ensures everything we do is ‘by the book’. She is also the person responsible for administering the Personal Finance Portal so you can access your account to see a snapshot of your portfolio whenever you need to.
Away from the office, Victoria lives locally and her life revolves around her young family whilst she also finds time to socialise with friends.
Nadine Bentley
Paraplanner
paraplanning@haroldstephens.co.uk
Nadine is a fully Diploma qualified member of the CII. She has over 8 years of experience in the finance sector.
Since joining Harold Stephens, Nadine’s responsibilities have included administering client investments and general client dealings day to day. She is now our paraplanner and works closely with Richard and James to produce reports for our clients.
Nadine enjoys the outdoors and likes to keep active. Not originally from Bristol, she has found her home here and enjoys exploring all the local offerings.
Leanne Thomas
Financial Administrator
technical@haroldstephens.co.uk
Leanne is a Business Management graduate from the University of the West of England. She is responsible for administering clients’ investments and dealing with the day to day client queries.
Leanne was attracted to Harold Stephens because of the warm community feeling and the supportive culture.
Since studying, Leanne has become very interested in the finance industry. She loves keeping an eye on the financial markets and learning something new every day.
In her spare time she enjoys baking, watching movies and spending time with her friends.
Amy Wood
Community Engagement Manager
community@haroldstephens.co.uk
Amy is passionate about the local community, having grown up in BS9 and lives close to the office. She is responsible for our local community engagement and the relationships we have built with the local charities and organisations we support.
If you need any help or support and you’re not sure where to start, Amy is very happy to help over the phone or a cup of tea - don’t hesitate to get in touch!
Amy is a keen member of Canford Bowls Club, Stoke Bishop Cricket Club and helps organise the Later Life Summer Fair. She enjoys fundraising for local charities close to her heart.
In her spare time, Amy enjoys spending quality time with family and friends, walking her dogs and trying new crafts.