Firstly, a bit about myself. I am 38 and have worked for some of the biggest financial services companies in the UK. Currently, I am a technical specialist (known in the industry as a Compliance Officer) for a consultancy that provides complaint handling and regulatory advice to insurers and banks.

I am a fully qualified financial advisor, although I have never given advice myself. I have seen too many people lose too much money (and some nearly ruined) by being sold financial products to which they were not suited. Being a financial advisor is a very competitive business and if you don't achieve sales targets then the curtain will fall sooner or later. This inevitably leads to advisors selling products which are in their financial interests and not those of their clients. It has been going on for years and we see the consequences of it with one mis-selling scandal after another. Although the rewards for successful advisors can be incredible, personally I wouldn't be able to sleep at night knowing I put my interests ahead of someone less knowledgeable. Even products sold in good faith can go horribly wrong - I wouldn't like to feel responsible for someone losing money.

I much prefer to help people get back on track if they've been sold something unsuitable and it has caused a financial loss. I like to think I'm much better at this than I would be as an advisor. Not that I actually planned doing this in any pre-meditated way. I sort of fell into it by accident. About seven years ago, many friends and family members began to discover that their endowment policy would not provide sufficient cash to repay their mortgage loans (let alone produce the surplus lump sum that was usually promised). With my experience of the industry and the complaints process, I was able to help them win compensation. Knowing how the industry works from the inside - particularly the way complaints are dealt with by insurers and banks - is an invaluable asset. I have lost count of the number of people that have asked me to help after they've lost their own case, seeing the basic errors that they made in their complaint which gave the insurer or bank an easy rejection.

From that small beginning, I've helped a few thousand people recover losses from just about every type of financial product. It is not a full time occupation for me so my living doesn't depend on selling my services. I know of some claims managers that charge a £500 administration fee upfront and then present a pointless case to the insurer or bank that has no chance of success just to keep the fee. I have no interest in that kind of behaviour. My real reward is helping people that would otherwise not have much chance of recovering their losses. The fees I charge to cover my costs and lost free time are less than most and certainly wouldn't sustain the extended brood for long! For your protection, I am registered with the Ministry of Justice and authorised to represent victims of mis-selling.

If you would like to have a chat about any concerns you have then please feel free to contact me. If you would like to see some recent feedback from existing clients then please click this link.