Are you looking for a mortgage or life insurance adviser near Stourbridge? Do you need specialist financial advice from a professional you can rely on?
There are lots of reasons why people need advice from a financial adviser and Meriden Financial Planning in Stourbridge is here to help. Based in the West Midlands, our local independent financial advisers are fully qualified and experienced in financial planning services.
We offer financial planning advice for Residential Mortgages, Buy to Let Mortgages, Equity Release, Protection and Insurance; Pensions, Retirement Planning, Inheritance Tax Planning and Business Financial Planning.
Meriden Financial Planning Ltd is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority FCA 815307. Our Independent Financial Advisers currently cover the following areas, but are not limited to: Birmingham, Bromsgrove, Coventry, Dudley, Evesham, Halesowen, Kidderminster, Redditch, Sandwell, Solihull, Stoke-on-Trent, Stourbridge, Stourport, Walsall, West Bromwich, West Midlands, Wolverhampton, Worcester and Worcestershire.
Duncan has been in financial services for over 13 years, with the foundations of his training beginning with HSBC Bank. Within the bank, he progressed from being a mortgage adviser to developing his knowledge and becoming a financial adviser. In August 2012, regulation changes forced him to leave the bank, so he became a self-employed Independent Financial Adviser. Following professional development, experience and knowledge, Duncan decided to make the next step in his career to set up his own Independent Financial Adviser firm, Meriden Financial Planning.
Throughout his time as an Independent Financial Adviser, Duncan has continued to study and pass many examinations. These qualifications mean that he is able to advise in all areas of financial planning including Pensions, Investments, Mortgages and Insurance. To develop his knowledge further, he has also qualified in further study, which include AF3 Advanced Pension Planning, AF4 Investment Planning, ER1 Equity Release and LF1 Long Term Care.
When Duncan isn’t working, he enjoys spending time with his wife Kerry and daughter Aria. He also enjoys many sports including; rugby, football and going to the gym with friends. Duncan has also cycled from John O’Groats to Lands end over 9 days, raising £12,000 for charity.
Richard has been working in financial services over the last 30 years. He has gained invaluable experience working at some of the country’s leading life and pension providers and at one of the country’s largest leading accounting firms. Richard began advising clients after joining a local Independent Financial Advisers in 2013. After acquiring further experience and knowledge, Richard help set up Meriden Financial Planning in 2019. Throughout his career, Richard has passed a number of industry examinations & specialises in investment and pension planning, equity release and long-term care.
Whilst not working, Richard is a keen golfer as a member at Enville Golf Club and loves walking his Labrador Lenny. He also supports Birmingham City, but he likes to keep that quiet…
After 28 years man and boy at Midland Bank / HSBC Richard thought he had seen and done most things. From on the tills counting money, off the tills lending it as a bank manager, then through to investing it for HSBC’s Premier clients. In 2013 as financial planning rules changed, he joined Prosperity Wealth to head up and create their workplace pension proposition and became a successful corporate and private client’s adviser. In 2019 he joined Duncan as part of setting up Meriden.
Richard is all about professionalism and competency, so it is no surprise that he is an advanced level independent financial adviser, as a Chartered Financial Planner, and recently became a Fellow of the Personal Finance Society. Less than ten per cent of advisers in the UK are decorated to this level. An honest, trustworthy professional, and a good listener rather than a fast talker.
It’s not all about work though, on the outside he and his partner Ann are always travelling the world anywhere but the same place twice, watching just about any form of live sport, or trying somewhere new to eat or drink. In fact, they used to “mystery dine” pubs and restaurants and get paid for doing it. Not quite enough to do it full time sadly!
Eleanor began her career in accounting, achieving her Level 4 qualification with the Association of Accounting Technicians (AAT) before transitioning into financial services. She has since earned her Chartered in Financial Advice, including her Pension Transfer Specialist (PTS) qualifications and a high-level mortgage diploma, equipping her with a comprehensive understanding of the financial landscape.
From October 2024, Eleanor will take on the role of Director at Meriden Financial Planning, a position that reflects her commitment to client success and her leadership capabilities. In this new role, she aims to further enhance the firm’s services and foster a client-centric approach that prioritises individual needs and long-term goals.
Eleanor is dedicated to forging strong relationships with her clients, taking the time to understand their unique needs and aspirations. Her expertise spans a variety of financial topics, including investment planning, retirement planning, and tax planning. One of her greatest passions is educating clients on how to maximize their financial resources.
Outside of her professional life, Eleanor is an avid CrossFit enthusiast, enjoying the challenge of Olympic lifts, gymnastics, and high-intensity cardio. She loves taking long walks with her whippet, Murphy, who can often be seen energetically chasing squirrels. Eleanor also enjoys exploring new dining experiences, particularly Italian and Indian cuisine, and loves to travel whenever she can.
Daryl has been in financial services for over 34 years, starting out with Britannic Assurance. He then advanced his career by moving to The Financial Advisory Bureau (FAB) working as an Independent Financial Advisor. Following this, Daryl became an area manager for Pearl Assurance until 1999.
He then decided to make a leap to becoming a self-employed Independent Financial Adviser through a local company, where he spent the next 19 years. In 2015, as the regulation changed, he decided to specialise in Mortgage, Protection and Equity release advice. For all other areas of financial advice Daryl worked alongside his son, Duncan, who is qualified to do so. In January 2019, Daryl decided to join his son’s Independent Financial Adviser firm, Meriden Financial Planning.
When not working, Daryl enjoys many sports, playing golf as a member at Enville Golf Club, and he is an armchair Aston Villa supporter. His three grandchildren also demand a lot of his time.
Jack has been working in financial services since 2013 after graduating from University with a first-class honours degree in International Business.
His previous experience has seen him working in a fast-paced New Build environment working alongside some of the major UK house builders. He is currently working towards his diploma in regulated financial planning and joins Meriden as a Mortgage and Protection Adviser.
Outside of work Jack enjoys spending time outdoors with his lockdown dog Bruce and currently spends much of his time honing in on his DIY skills (lack of) on his recently purchased new home.
Grainger has been advising clients in the Financial Services Industry for over 20 years. His previous employment includes working for a life assurance company, a high street bank and latterly working as an independent financial adviser.
Grainger specialises in wealth management, retirement planning, and inheritance tax mitigation, together with personal and business protection.
He aims in his work, “to make complicated financial planning matters easy to understand and to assist clients in achieving their goals.”
Grainger lives with his wife and daughter in Cleobury Mortimer in the county of Shropshire. In his spare time he enjoys supporting Cleobury Mortimer Rugby club, playing golf and walking the Shropshire countryside.
Roger entered the financial services industry in 1977, training with Sun Alliance and Legal & General. He then moved to the NFU Mutual where he spent 16 years as a Financial Consultant. In 1999, Roger became an Independent Financial Adviser and a Director of English Mutual, within its head office based in Worcester. Since 2014 Roger has not been advising clients but has concentrated on client relationships and business development.
Roger moved to Meriden Financial Planning in 2019, where he continues in the same role. Roger has successfully maintained client relationships over several decades, which is testament to the quality of service he has given.
Roger is an avid supporter of Worcester Warriors Rugby Club.
Mandy is married with one daughter. She has worked in the financial industry for 20 years as a Client Support Administrator and now as Office Manager with Meriden Financial Planning.
In her spare time, Mandy likes to socialise with family and friends, loves eating out and listening to live music. Mandy also enjoys cooking at home whilst keeping fit and healthy doing yoga and going for long walks. Another of Mandy’s pastimes is visiting Formula 1 Races with her husband, they have been lucky enough to visit several countries so far.
After his studies at Bromsgrove School Will decided to go Oxford Brookes University where he studied for a year. After finishing the first year with a 2:1 Will decided to leave and start work. He started work at Meriden Financial Planning in 2019 where he is a Client Support Specialist. He is currently working his way towards his RO1 Qualification. Will has a keen enthusiasm for the investments side of industry particularly the risk and reward of the stock market.
In his spare time Will is a keen sports fan of which is plays Rugby, Golf and goes to the Gym most nights. Will enjoys socialising with his friends whenever he gets the opportunity at his local pubs.
Hayley has previously worked in Accountancy and has worked in Financial Services for the past 5 years as a Paraplanner. In 2020 she completed her Level 4 Diploma Qualification in Financial Advice with London Institute of Banking and Finance (LIBF). Hayley enjoys the research and analytics that come with being a Paraplanner and every single day is different! Working alongside the advisers, she helps to create and recommend a financial plan to meet clients’ needs and objectives. Hayley is also a team leader at Meriden Financial Planning, heading the Administration Support team. In her spare time, Hayley likes to spend time with her family including her son, George and Dachshund Sydney. She enjoys beach holidays, especially in Portugal, whilst sampling the local wine! She also enjoys going to CrossFit and Barbell Club as much as possible.
Further to studying at King Edward VI College, Lucas went on to become an IT Apprentice with a local solicitors. He realised that he wanted to go straight into work rather than studying at university.
As an IT apprentice he gained a vast amount of knowledge within this area but realised it wasn't the route he was looking to go down. He started work at Meriden Financial Planning in January 2021 where he became an administrator. He is currently working his way towards his R01 Qualification and is enjoying learning about all aspects of the financial services industry.
In his free time, Lucas enjoys socialising with friends and family and goes to the gym as much as he can.
Alicia is an experienced administrator who joined Meriden in September 2024 after working in the insurance industry. With a passion for expanding knowledge and progressing in her career, she is dedicated to honing her skills and taking on new challenges in her professional journey.
Outside of work, Alicia enjoys travelling, attending concerts and spending time with her 2 cats Cody and Cosmo.
Further to working in retail at Marks and Spencer’s for 3 years and becoming confident with her knowledge of the M&S Bank products and services, Shannon decided she wanted to challenge herself and move into the world of banking - which is exactly what she did back at the beginning of 2019.
Shannon now wishes to explore a different side to the finance industry, recently starting her role here at Meriden Financial Planning in February 2022 as IFA Support Administrator.
In her spare time, Shannon likes to go to the gym, travel as much as she can and go out with friends (Aperol Spritz in hand!). Admittedly, she is also a bit of a home bird and loves staying in, cooking and spending time with her kitten, Bertie.
Following her studies at King Edward VI College, Elisha went straight into working at an Independent Financial Advisers in 2019.In her previous workplace, Elisha’s role was split between IFA Support Administrator and Trainee Paraplanner. She recently started her role here at Meriden Financial Planning with over 4 years of experience within the industry and is looking forward to further expanding her knowledge of financial services.
In her spare time, Elisha likes going to the gym on weekdays and going to gigs and the pub with her friends on weekends. She also enjoys travelling to as many cities as possible when she can.
Duncan has been in financial services for over 13 years, with the foundations of his training beginning with HSBC Bank. Within the bank, he progressed from being a mortgage adviser to developing his knowledge and becoming a financial adviser. In August 2012, regulation changes forced him to leave the bank, so he became a self-employed Independent Financial Adviser. Following professional development, experience and knowledge, Duncan decided to make the next step in his career to set up his own Independent Financial Adviser firm, Meriden Financial Planning.
Throughout his time as an Independent Financial Adviser, Duncan has continued to study and pass many examinations. These qualifications mean that he is able to advise in all areas of financial planning including Pensions, Investments, Mortgages and Insurance. To develop his knowledge further, he has also qualified in further study, which include AF3 Advanced Pension Planning, AF4 Investment Planning, ER1 Equity Release and LF1 Long Term Care.
When Duncan isn’t working, he enjoys spending time with his wife Kerry and daughter Aria. He also enjoys many sports including; rugby, football and going to the gym with friends. Duncan has also cycled from John O’Groats to Lands end over 9 days, raising £12,000 for charity.
Richard has been working in financial services over the last 30 years. He has gained invaluable experience working at some of the country’s leading life and pension providers and at one of the country’s largest leading accounting firms. Richard began advising clients after joining a local Independent Financial Advisers in 2013. After acquiring further experience and knowledge, Richard help set up Meriden Financial Planning in 2019. Throughout his career, Richard has passed a number of industry examinations & specialises in investment and pension planning, equity release and long-term care.
Whilst not working, Richard is a keen golfer as a member at Enville Golf Club and loves walking his Labrador Lenny. He also supports Birmingham City, but he likes to keep that quiet…
After 28 years man and boy at Midland Bank / HSBC Richard thought he had seen and done most things. From on the tills counting money, off the tills lending it as a bank manager, then through to investing it for HSBC’s Premier clients. In 2013 as financial planning rules changed, he joined Prosperity Wealth to head up and create their workplace pension proposition and became a successful corporate and private client’s adviser. In 2019 he joined Duncan as part of setting up Meriden.
Richard is all about professionalism and competency, so it is no surprise that he is an advanced level independent financial adviser, as a Chartered Financial Planner, and recently became a Fellow of the Personal Finance Society. Less than ten per cent of advisers in the UK are decorated to this level. An honest, trustworthy professional, and a good listener rather than a fast talker.
It’s not all about work though, on the outside he and his partner Ann are always travelling the world anywhere but the same place twice, watching just about any form of live sport, or trying somewhere new to eat or drink. In fact, they used to “mystery dine” pubs and restaurants and get paid for doing it. Not quite enough to do it full time sadly!
Eleanor began her career in accounting, achieving her Level 4 qualification with the Association of Accounting Technicians (AAT) before transitioning into financial services. She has since earned her Chartered in Financial Advice, including her Pension Transfer Specialist (PTS) qualifications and a high-level mortgage diploma, equipping her with a comprehensive understanding of the financial landscape.
From October 2024, Eleanor will take on the role of Director at Meriden Financial Planning, a position that reflects her commitment to client success and her leadership capabilities. In this new role, she aims to further enhance the firm’s services and foster a client-centric approach that prioritises individual needs and long-term goals.
Eleanor is dedicated to forging strong relationships with her clients, taking the time to understand their unique needs and aspirations. Her expertise spans a variety of financial topics, including investment planning, retirement planning, and tax planning. One of her greatest passions is educating clients on how to maximize their financial resources.
Outside of her professional life, Eleanor is an avid CrossFit enthusiast, enjoying the challenge of Olympic lifts, gymnastics, and high-intensity cardio. She loves taking long walks with her whippet, Murphy, who can often be seen energetically chasing squirrels. Eleanor also enjoys exploring new dining experiences, particularly Italian and Indian cuisine, and loves to travel whenever she can.
Daryl has been in financial services for over 34 years, starting out with Britannic Assurance. He then advanced his career by moving to The Financial Advisory Bureau (FAB) working as an Independent Financial Advisor. Following this, Daryl became an area manager for Pearl Assurance until 1999.
He then decided to make a leap to becoming a self-employed Independent Financial Adviser through a local company, where he spent the next 19 years. In 2015, as the regulation changed, he decided to specialise in Mortgage, Protection and Equity release advice. For all other areas of financial advice Daryl worked alongside his son, Duncan, who is qualified to do so. In January 2019, Daryl decided to join his son’s Independent Financial Adviser firm, Meriden Financial Planning.
When not working, Daryl enjoys many sports, playing golf as a member at Enville Golf Club, and he is an armchair Aston Villa supporter. His three grandchildren also demand a lot of his time.
Jack has been working in financial services since 2013 after graduating from University with a first-class honours degree in International Business.
His previous experience has seen him working in a fast-paced New Build environment working alongside some of the major UK house builders. He is currently working towards his diploma in regulated financial planning and joins Meriden as a Mortgage and Protection Adviser.
Outside of work Jack enjoys spending time outdoors with his lockdown dog Bruce and currently spends much of his time honing in on his DIY skills (lack of) on his recently purchased new home.
Grainger has been advising clients in the Financial Services Industry for over 20 years. His previous employment includes working for a life assurance company, a high street bank and latterly working as an independent financial adviser.
Grainger specialises in wealth management, retirement planning, and inheritance tax mitigation, together with personal and business protection.
He aims in his work, “to make complicated financial planning matters easy to understand and to assist clients in achieving their goals.”
Grainger lives with his wife and daughter in Cleobury Mortimer in the county of Shropshire. In his spare time he enjoys supporting Cleobury Mortimer Rugby club, playing golf and walking the Shropshire countryside.
Roger entered the financial services industry in 1977, training with Sun Alliance and Legal & General. He then moved to the NFU Mutual where he spent 16 years as a Financial Consultant. In 1999, Roger became an Independent Financial Adviser and a Director of English Mutual, within its head office based in Worcester. Since 2014 Roger has not been advising clients but has concentrated on client relationships and business development.
Roger moved to Meriden Financial Planning in 2019, where he continues in the same role. Roger has successfully maintained client relationships over several decades, which is testament to the quality of service he has given.
Roger is an avid supporter of Worcester Warriors Rugby Club.
Mandy is married with one daughter. She has worked in the financial industry for 20 years as a Client Support Administrator and now as Office Manager with Meriden Financial Planning.
In her spare time, Mandy likes to socialise with family and friends, loves eating out and listening to live music. Mandy also enjoys cooking at home whilst keeping fit and healthy doing yoga and going for long walks. Another of Mandy’s pastimes is visiting Formula 1 Races with her husband, they have been lucky enough to visit several countries so far.
After his studies at Bromsgrove School Will decided to go Oxford Brookes University where he studied for a year. After finishing the first year with a 2:1 Will decided to leave and start work. He started work at Meriden Financial Planning in 2019 where he is a Client Support Specialist. He is currently working his way towards his RO1 Qualification. Will has a keen enthusiasm for the investments side of industry particularly the risk and reward of the stock market.
In his spare time Will is a keen sports fan of which is plays Rugby, Golf and goes to the Gym most nights. Will enjoys socialising with his friends whenever he gets the opportunity at his local pubs.
Hayley has previously worked in Accountancy and has worked in Financial Services for the past 5 years as a Paraplanner. In 2020 she completed her Level 4 Diploma Qualification in Financial Advice with London Institute of Banking and Finance (LIBF). Hayley enjoys the research and analytics that come with being a Paraplanner and every single day is different! Working alongside the advisers, she helps to create and recommend a financial plan to meet clients’ needs and objectives. Hayley is also a team leader at Meriden Financial Planning, heading the Administration Support team. In her spare time, Hayley likes to spend time with her family including her son, George and Dachshund Sydney. She enjoys beach holidays, especially in Portugal, whilst sampling the local wine! She also enjoys going to CrossFit and Barbell Club as much as possible.
Further to studying at King Edward VI College, Lucas went on to become an IT Apprentice with a local solicitors. He realised that he wanted to go straight into work rather than studying at university.
As an IT apprentice he gained a vast amount of knowledge within this area but realised it wasn't the route he was looking to go down. He started work at Meriden Financial Planning in January 2021 where he became an administrator. He is currently working his way towards his R01 Qualification and is enjoying learning about all aspects of the financial services industry.
In his free time, Lucas enjoys socialising with friends and family and goes to the gym as much as he can.
Alicia is an experienced administrator who joined Meriden in September 2024 after working in the insurance industry. With a passion for expanding knowledge and progressing in her career, she is dedicated to honing her skills and taking on new challenges in her professional journey.
Outside of work, Alicia enjoys travelling, attending concerts and spending time with her 2 cats Cody and Cosmo.
Further to working in retail at Marks and Spencer’s for 3 years and becoming confident with her knowledge of the M&S Bank products and services, Shannon decided she wanted to challenge herself and move into the world of banking - which is exactly what she did back at the beginning of 2019.
Shannon now wishes to explore a different side to the finance industry, recently starting her role here at Meriden Financial Planning in February 2022 as IFA Support Administrator.
In her spare time, Shannon likes to go to the gym, travel as much as she can and go out with friends (Aperol Spritz in hand!). Admittedly, she is also a bit of a home bird and loves staying in, cooking and spending time with her kitten, Bertie.
Following her studies at King Edward VI College, Elisha went straight into working at an Independent Financial Advisers in 2019.In her previous workplace, Elisha’s role was split between IFA Support Administrator and Trainee Paraplanner. She recently started her role here at Meriden Financial Planning with over 4 years of experience within the industry and is looking forward to further expanding her knowledge of financial services.
In her spare time, Elisha likes going to the gym on weekdays and going to gigs and the pub with her friends on weekends. She also enjoys travelling to as many cities as possible when she can.
If you would like more information or wish to book an initial meeting, at our expense, please contact us and we will be happy to help.
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