Are you bewitched, bothered and bewildered by the world of high finance? Do you tremble at the prospect of deciding what to do about, for example, savings and investment, tax and pension matters, your retirement, or, God forbid, divorce?
Well, fear not, you are not alone as you can turn to Buchan boy Sandy Robertson for help. He is managing director of Acumen Financial Planning, established in 2002, and has his head office down by the riverside in Aberdeen, with branches in Peterhead, Elgin and Edinburgh.
‘I grew up on a small croft near Mintlaw,’ says Sandy, ‘and I was no academic. I left Peterhead Academy at
16 with a few O-levels and got a job with the Clydesdale Bank at Longside. By good fortune, I had a wonderful manager who put me down to a fusty basement to learn how to study for bank exams.
‘That stood me in good stead and was a springboard for the rest of my career which has involved acquiring many qualifications in accountancy and finance. At AFP, we take great pride in the fact that we have achieved the highest standards set by the Chartered Insurance Institute and the Institute of Financial Planning and were highly commended in this year’s national Professional Adviser Firm awards.’
The company has 28 staff and recently appointed two new directors, Keith Mackie, who works between Aberdeen and Peterhead and Edinburgh-based David Gow. A corporate and workplace pensions expert has also joined the team, providing advice to business owners and HR managers.
‘It is an important part of our service that we work closely with other professional services such as lawyers and accountants and put our heads together with clients to achieve the best result for them,’ says Sandy, who looks very sprightly despite being in business for nearly 40 years.
Maybe it’s thanks to being a bit of a cyclist or enjoying his stress-busting hobby of playing the guitar!