Aarron Crossman, Junior Partner
I believe good financial advice should give every client the chance to make their life – and the lives of those they love – better.
My late Nan is the reason I got into this profession – she used to squirrel away money under the bed sheets and really struggled to trust people in suits (her words). So I wanted to prove that financial advisors can be calm and trustworthy. Also, a good friend of mine suffered a stroke on the operating table, which made me want to help families when the world isn’t kind to them.
I’ve been practising as a financial planner since November 2022 and I work with families primarily – wherever and whoever they work for. I help with the intergenerational transfer from grandparents to the parents who are professionals, and with their children who are learning their way in the world.
They’ve all wanted a trusted sounding board to help navigate changes in their life and I might not have lived every situation , but I pride myself on having an empathic ear to what they’re going through . Balancing the responsibilities of raising two children and navigating a career transition, while supporting my spouse who is a pioneer in her field, gives me a strong foundation.
Clients describe me as approachable, trustworthy, supportive and kind. They say I listen to them and really take the time to understand their situation.
Talking to people comes easily to me and I take pride in decoding financial jargon and into simple, manageable words. In fact, I’m generally recommended to people who’ve had conversations with other financial advisors who use ‘big words and jargon to demonstrate how clever they are’. My philosophy us that if my Nan couldn’t understand my choice of words, then I haven’t done my job.
I want to create a level of trust in our profession, so I always explain the “why” behind every recommendation and am always there when clients need me. Performance and statements are reassuring when life is going well – but I prove my worth when life throws a curveball.
My work covers several areas
- Core financial planning – retirement planning, pension planning and drawdown advice, financial planning for high earners and sport professionals, and wealth preservation strategies.
- Tax planning includes inheritance tax planning, business relief, long-term care, bonus tax strategies, tax-efficient investing (VCT/EIS), and annual allowance and carry forward advice.
- Family and life planning includes school fees planning, university funding, estate planning with trusts, and family wealth management.
I hold a Diploma in Financial Planning, the CISI Level 6 Certificate in Advanced Financial Planning, and both a BSc and MSc in Performance Analysis. My Master’s degree was delivered jointly by Nottingham Trent University, Universitat de València, and Otto-von-Guericke Universität.
Before financial planning, I worked as a performance analyst and university lecturer in professional sport.
Outside of work, I love spending time with my children and my partner, Katy. I enjoy going down to Cornwall and spending time on the beach or crabbing by the harbour – don’t worry, they all go back at the end! I spend as much time as I can being present in their lives.
For my children, my aim is to bring joy every moment I get. One number that has always stuck out for me is that we get 80% of the time we have with our children before the age of 18, and I want to make sure I cherish that. I split the rest of my time strengthening my bonds with my partner, family, and friends.
As I’ve gotten older, I’ve taken up golf as a replacement for rugby. I enjoy the outdoors and nature, so even if the golf is bad, at least I get a pleasant walk outside.