Bringing Financial Advice In-House

Bringing Financial Advice In-House

Wojciech Symonowicz
Name: Wojciech Symonowicz
Job title: Financial Adviser & Owner of STAG Wealth Management Ltd.
Previous industry: Financial Services
Key transferable skills: professional Key transferable skills: adaptability, resilience, and motivation
Location: London

Wojciech operates his mortgage business through Mortgage Intelligence and his financial advice firm through St. James’s Place. Both operate separately, enabling him to offer holistic financial advice services to his clients. We sat down with him to understand his journey and future ambitions.

Before joining SJP, Wojciech was established in the mortgage profession. He started as a Mortgage Adviser at Barclays bank where he took his first steps into the role. However, being limited only to one lender did not sit well with him. Consequently, he decided to widen his propositions and joined the brand The Mortgage Store LTD authorised by Mortgage Intelligence where he developed himself as a broker. Subsequently, he built a team of mortgage advisers. His decision to diversify into financial advice stemmed from a recognition of the evolving demands in the financial  services sector and a personal drive to offer holistic advice to his clients.

“When clients contact me about mortgage advice, I can leave them in the capable hands of my mortgage business. When we speak, they often need guidance in other areas, which I can help with.”

Academy journey

Although Wojciech has been advising clients for over a decade, a separate qualification was required to enable him to give financial advice. Driven by his ambition to become a financial adviser, Wojciech decided to qualify independently, whilst managing his mortgage business. He completed the Diploma for Financial Advisers (DipFA) from the London Institute of Banking and Finance (LIBF), the same professional body that awarded him his CeMap qualification. Once he achieved this, he joined the Academy in Term 2, where he received full support to smoothly transition into financial advice.
The role of the SJP Academy was pivotal in Wojciech’s transition. Although he’d built up vast experience advising clients, he appreciated the structured support provided by experienced trainers, which equipped him with the practical skills necessary to offer different advice. Wojciech explains, “I was at a slight advantage in my cohort as I was already familiar with parts of the advice process – helping me to adapt my knowledge to financial rather than mortgage advice.” Wojciech has since graduated from the Academy and thrives being part of the SJP community.


Why SJP?

Wojciech’s decision to join SJP was not a hasty one. He had been approached by alternative networks, but SJP stood out as the right fit. After speaking to a former colleague from his mortgage career, who had also launched a financial advice business at SJP, Wojciech was convinced. The support mechanisms within SJP, including mentorship and ongoing training opportunities, were also key factors in his decision.
Wojciech’s wife now runs the mortgage business, where he’s a non-advising director, and he’s developed his administration support into a mortgage adviser too.
His businesses support one another. “When clients contact me about mortgage advice, I can leave them in the capable hands of my mortgage adviser. When we speak, they often need guidance in other areas, which I can help with. This results in us helping our clients achieve all their financial goals.”
Building a future


When asked what advice Wojciech would give other mortgage business owners, he explains how it’s an opportunity to be noticed but appreciates that it’s only for some. Some mortgage businesses will only want to provide advice one area.


“If you’ve been in business for several years and every day still makes you feel excited, then you’re in the right place.But it might be time to consider a change if you see your clients missing out because you cannot offer additional advice.”

“Your clients already trust you with what’s likely to be one of the biggest investments of their lives, so it makes sense that they trust you with their finances. I see it as a responsibility to my trusted clients to be able to help them with as much as I can.” 


So, what does the future hold for Wojciech and both of his businesses? Wojciech looks forward to supporting his staff within his mortgage business while growing STAG Wealth Management LTD so that he can open more branches of the practice in the future with the support of SJP.
Wojciech concludes, “Being able to utilise the experience and high standard of service offered by SJP are amongst many features that will assist me with building a strong brand specialising in holistic financial advice across the UK. I’m looking forward to the future and growing my business with the support of SJP.”