Beyond the Numbers: My Journey into Financial Planning

Discovering my path: education and early career

After completing my A levels, I was a little lost until I discovered the finance and investment course at Coventry University. It stood out as having the best structure due to its vocational design, setting you up for the financial planning and wealth management profession. I went into the course with the intention of becoming a financial planner. I was able to achieve that, along with chartered financial planner status, within five years of finishing at Coventry University.

I am now the Managing Director of our family-run financial planning company. The degree gave me a much deeper insight into the wider economic details required to give personal financial advice, as well as the area of investment management. Although not required to meet the regulatory standards, it certainly made me a better adviser by having a deeper understanding of these areas.

Enriching experiences and key skills gained

My time studying offered some incredible opportunities, including:

• attending a 10-day trip to a sister university based in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
• meeting professionals through guest lecturers who gave us real-world insights
• sessions in Coventry University's trading floor to develop practical skills.

I developed a deep understanding of a broad range of topics, acquiring some vital hard skills such as:

• financial analysis and valuations, including discounted cash flow
• investment appraisal methods such as NPV, IRR, and payback period
• hands-on experience with Excel for modelling, and an introduction to Bloomberg terminals
• risk management and portfolio theories
• accountancy and corporate financial management.

I also developed a range of crucial soft skills, including:

• time management: balancing coursework, exam prep and group projects
• presentation skills: from presenting coursework to group work
• teamwork
• analytical thinking: the course increased my ability to systematically approach complex problems and arrive at well-thought-out solutions through data-backed evidence.

Debunking misconceptions and looking ahead

The greatest misconception about financial planning is that it is all numbers, spreadsheets and tax. This is not the case. Although you must be highly proficient in this area, great financial planning is done when you can enable a client to understand, plan for and achieve their goals while navigating the inevitable challenges life throws their way.

In the last couple of years, I have been very fortunate to have got married and to have welcomed our first child, so I plan on working hard to provide a wonderful life for my family. Professionally, I will continue to work on my skills to best support our clients' hopes, dreams and aspirations, and grow our business sustainably to do the same for our amazing team.

If you’re interested in following Dan’s footsteps, find out more about our economics, finance and accounting courses at Coventry University