What neurodivergence has taught me about financial advice

From England rugby to financial advice

I started out in England Rugby as a coach which I loved. There were lots of different facets, from child protection to talent identification to coaching. I loved it because it was all about helping people develop, build confidence and achieve their goals.

But when Covid hit, I was offered redundancy and had to rethink my future. I applied for a couple of jobs and was offered a job that I didn't really want to do. So, I took a punt and left. Originally, I was going into procurement because I love organisation and feeling useful and I felt like I got that from procurement.  But then a conversation with the now senior partner in my business led me towards financial advice and within three months, I was on the SJP Financial Adviser Academy programme. It felt like a new start – and one that allowed me to do what I enjoyed most, which is to help people. That was 2021.

Understanding neurodivergence

An estimated 15% of the UK adult population is neurodivergent according to The Neurodiversity Directory, 2025.

In many ways financial advice may seem an odd career choice for me. I have a number of neurodivergences. My main challenge is dyslexia, which affects spelling, reading and how I process information. Then during my exams, I was diagnosed with ADHD and dyscalculia, which is like dyslexia but with numbers.

Basically, you sometimes get your numbers mixed around the wrong way round. For example, you see a six, but you might say nine. I always describe it as when someone reads you a phone number and they read it in a different rhythm and it doesn't really make sense.

While they are my difficulties, I haven’t looked back since joining the academy. Having a different way of processing information has made me more aware that clients process information differently too. It's made me more conscious that good advice is not about talking at people, but making sure they genuinely understand.

Why honesty builds trust

I think the biggest part about being a financial adviser is building a rapport. When I first meet clients, I’m upfront with them about being dyslexic. At first, that came from a fear of getting names or addresses wrong. But I quickly realised it could actually help build rapport. People often tell me they are dyslexic too, or that someone in their family is neurodivergent. Straight away, the conversation becomes more open because the first thing you’ve done with your client is to be honest with them and made yourself vulnerable.

My opinion of financial advisers (back in the days before I joined the industry) was that they were all very well educated, skilled people but that they were probably not very confident in saying they didn’t know the answer to something. I've spent my whole life not knowing the answer, so I'm confident in saying ‘I'm not sure about that. I want to check.’ And I think that works because the people that I want as clients know how to judge people. They've built a business by trust and knowing people. They can sniff out someone when they're talking nonsense. Part of the reason why I'm doing well is perhaps that I'm not in the ‘normal’ mould of a financial adviser.

Making advice more accessible

I think there is a risk sometimes that neurodivergent people might be put off seeking financial advice because they're fearful about seeming as if they don't know what they're talking about or of standing out in the ‘wrong way’.

It reminds me of when I became aware of my point of difference. I was with a prospective client who never actually became my clients. But it was my first journey and it began badly. He had ADHD and I remember walking out thinking that was really tough and I struggled with it. I think that gave me a pinch about what it must be like dealing with me. And that helped me develop myself.

I now work with clients that have ADHD, clients with disabilities and clients with different support needs. It isn’t a target market, but it reflects the reality that everyone has their own circumstances, challenges and ways of processing information. And one of the questions that I ask quite early is ‘How do you want me to deal with you?’

As an example, I read an article that said some people with ADHD can find budgeting and long-term saving more challenging because impulsive spending can provide an immediate sense of reward.

Initially I hated the article. Then I reflected on it over a period of time and it rang true to me. I have to be really disciplined. When I earn money, I move it into separate accounts for tax as it helps me stay disciplined with my finances.

While I can only talk with experience about my neurodiversity, I was on a course recently where we were talking about autism and other forms of neurodiversity and we discussed how often you don't realise what difficulties others might be having. For me with clients and people generally, it is just getting an understanding of what and how things affect people, giving them room to speak. Being neurodivergent myself means I understand that need.

The key areas of concern for clients

With a lot of my clients, when they come to me, the first thing they want to do is tie down their pensions – and review what they already have. I advise them on what they need to be doing and the other areas they should be focusing on. When I carry out a full review, it often turns out that pensions are further down their checklist than they first thought and other areas are more important.

As an example, the amount of people I speak to that don't have income protection but think they're bulletproof because they've got an employed role is really worrying. And I think when you put them into real life situations, they start to realise that they do need some protection for their future and their family.

While estate planning is obviously important for most clients, many have thought about their Wills but never considered Power of Attorney and what might happen if they were seriously ill or incapacitated. Putting a Power of Attorney in place can also really help when times are difficult.

Why advice is not only for the wealthy

There is still a perception that financial advice is only for people with very large sums of money. I don’t think that’s right. Often, the earlier conversations are the most valuable — before someone receives an inheritance, sells a business, accesses pensions or makes a big financial decision for example.

Financial advice can feel intimidating, especially if you worry you do not know enough. But honesty, empathy and a willingness to say “I’ll check” can make advice feel more human and more useful. Good advice is not about talking at people, but making sure they genuinely understand.

Will writing and Powers of Attorney involve the referral to a service which is separate and distinct to those offered by St. James’s Place and are not regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority.