Qualifications
Chartered Risk Manager
James holds the Chartered Risk Manager designation, awarded by the Chartered Insurance Institute. Chartered status is the gold standard of professionalism. It confirms that James is highly qualified, experienced and committed to the highest professional and ethical standards.
Fellow of the Personal Finance Society
James is a fellow of the Personal Finance Society. Whereas Chartered is considered the 'gold standard', fellow is one step up. It is considered the most prestigious level of professional achievement.
Diploma in Financial Services
James holds the Diploma in Financial Services (DipFS), awarded by the Chartered Insurance Institute .Diploma status is for advanced technical knowledge and understanding across a broad range of key advisory areas, including pensions, investments and insurance.
Importantly
At work
After graduating from Cambridge University, James started his career in investment banking, before moving into the Lloyd’s of London insurance market. Here he spent more than a decade working for well-known insurance companies, covering investment management, risk management and governance.
As time went on, James found himself becoming more and more interested in the world of financial advice. He spent his evenings and weekends self-studying for the financial planning exams, winning numerous awards along the way. He holds an alphabet of designations, including FPFS, APFS, DipPFS, Cert SMP Certs CII (MP & ER), ACII and Chartered Insurance Risk Manager
After a particularly challenging day at work, James decided to make the jump. He took a career break to travel around Asia and South America, before relocating to the South West to start a career in financial planning.
Prior to joining Frazer James Financial Advisers, James worked for one of the UK’s largest independent financial advisers. This provided him with a broad overview of financial advice, learning what works and importantly what doesn’t!
James initially joined Frazer James in 2020 as a Client Associate, before progressing into the role of Independent Financial Adviser.
In his spare time, James runs the Penny Radio podcast, which helps everyday people make smarter decisions with their money.
Outside of finance, James enjoys playing rugby, running, mountain trekking, scuba diving and learning Spanish.
James' professional highlights
The proudest moment of my career so far is
Winning the IIL highest achiever award upon passing the PFS Advanced Diploma in Financial Planning.
The three things I love most about my job are
Helping people to achieve their life goals.
Learning new things every day.
Creating positive change.
The types of people I most enjoy working with are
People who are keen to engage, are friendly and open.
Likes
- Sport (especially rugby)
- Travelling to new places
- Long walks in the countryside
- Vietnamese food
- Craft beer
Dislikes
- Early mornings
- Commuting
- Patchy WiFi
- Bad service
- Negative podcast reviews!
James in the spotlight
On an ideal weekend, you can find me
Exploring the Somerset, Wiltshire and Dorset countryside.
My favourite holiday destination is
Jardin in Colombia - an idyllic little town in the Colombian highlands where you can find real-life cowboys, amazing locally grown coffee and stunning views.
My favourite song to play in the car is
The Riverboat Song by Ocean Colour Scene (although if my wife is in the car with me she will put something from the '80s on!)
When the dessert menu arrives, I’m looking for
It doesn't count as dessert unless there's chocolate...
The three qualities that draw me to new people are
Engaging, friendly and a sense of humour
My pet peeve is
Being on hold (especially the automatic message of "your call is important to us..")
The three people at my dream dinner party would be
David Attenborough, Jason Leonard, Michael McIntyre
The three small things that make my day better are
Coffee, going for a run, watching something funny with my wife in the evening
Here for you every step of the way
We are a highly qualified team of Chartered and Certified Independent Financial Advisers based in Bristol.
James Mackay
Managing Director &
Independent Financial Adviser
Chris Hindle
Technical Financial Advisor &
Operations Director
Karen Malin
Compliance Support
Kat Mock
Paraplanning Consultant
Valme Claro Fabrellas
Marketing Manager