Depledge Strategic Wealth Management aims to get more people to be wise with money
A wealth management consultancy is offering people free money advice as part of ‘Financial Planning Week 2026’ (Jan 26 to Feb 1), starting today (Mon).
Depledge Strategic Wealth Management, based in Manchester, is offering 15 free consultations for FP Week – a nationwide CISI (Chartered Institute for Securities & Investment) initiative urging UK financial planners to give an hour of their time for free to help people not yet in the know.
Andrew Day, director of financial planning at Depledge, which also has offices in London, said the aim is to demystify the topic of financial planning, make it accessible and encourage more people to do it.
Less than 9% of the UK population receives financial advice – FCA
Only 8.6% of the UK population received advice on investments, pensions or retirement planning in the past year, according to a 2025 Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) survey.
Andrew said: “Less than 9% of the UK population get financial advice, but so many more people could benefit from it.
“While Financial Planning Week is just one week, financial planning is for every week. People go years and years saying: ‘I must get a financial plan together’ but don’t do it because life is busy.
“When people eventually do get a financial plan in place they’re always glad because they then have a clear route for the future. It’s like decluttering the back room. When you finally do it, you feel so much better. That’s the human psyche.”
‘After a lifetime of hard work, it’s now time to play hard’ – Kim Law
Kim Law, a grateful Depledge customer, said: “Depledge has overseen my SIPP (self-invested personal pension) and my other investments since 2007, and I am sure that without Andrew Day’s advice, I wouldn’t be in the strong position I am in today as I move towards retirement. After a lifetime of hard work, it’s now time to play hard.”
Depledge said it encounters two main audiences: Those who have taken financial advice but don’t know what to do, and secondly, those who say financial planning is not for them because they haven’t yet accumulated much wealth.
‘Setting goals then piecing together steps to achieve them’
Financial planning involves setting personal goals for your life and then working out a plan to achieve them, Depledge said, echoing FP Week’s slogan “Live your today. Plan for tomorrow.”
Andrew added: “It doesn’t matter how young you are, or how little wealth you may have accumulated compared to someone else, financial planning is 100% for you.
“Setting goals for your life then piecing together clear steps to achieve those goals – from pension contributions and paying down unsecured debts through to regular investing stocks and shares.
“Despite the mystique around this topic, none of this is all that complicated when you get into it – and it could absolutely change your life for the better by giving you a practical plan to achieve financial security in future.”
