Matthew Fleming

Hi, my name is Matt Fleming from Fleming & Co Wealth Management, and I’ve been an appointed representative since 2018.

How important is it that you can give independent advice and not restricted?

It’s really important, yeah. My background previously didn’t allow as much flexibility in terms of products and investments. And it was very, very important to me that as an adviser, we had the option to research the whole of the market whilst looking for the best product for the client.

How has Corbel Partners helped you become better qualified?

They’ve got a training scheme effectively. So obviously, we join as level 4 advisers, but we are encouraged to improve our professional standing where possible, ideally to Chartered level where we can.

And Paul and the team put together training packages to help train the staff and help us through those exams. And they’ve certainly helped me through a lot of those exams. And I’ve now managed to get from the level 4 to Chartered status, and finally to Fellow where I am now.

What’s the best thing about working with Corbel Partners?

I think it’s having access to the directors, who are willing to pick up the phone and reply to emails promptly. Remaining independent has been important to me, and to the company as well.

And I guess the overall ethos of the company, where it’s not target-driven, which is what I’ve seen in the past. It’s doing the right thing for the client, the right thing for the adviser, and that creates a much stronger relationship over time with your clients.

Does it make life easier having compliance and paraplanning under one roof?

Definitely, yeah. I think that the two need to work hand in hand. So paraplanning and compliance need to be able to talk to each other so that they agree, as things change.

And again, that means I can focus on giving advice to the clients, and not spend a lot of time looking at compliance and how reports need to be written.

Would you recommend Corbel Partners to other financial advisers?

Yeah, I would recommend Corbel. I’ve been with them for over 10 years now in total. And they’ve helped me to develop my business from a very small business where I was learning as I went along. And now it’s a very successful business with lots of referrals from clients.

I think the support is still as good as it was when I first started from the directors and the team. And I’d highly recommend them to other advisers.

Do you think your business would be as successful if you weren’t working with Corbel Partners?

I honestly don’t think it would, no. I can’t see myself staying with another company for as long as I have. In the past, I would imagine I would move from company to company to try and get to the right place.

But I think being here for over 10 years, and many of the other advisers are the same, I think it shows the directors in a really good light. And I think other advisers would think the same.