About us

Since 1984, the name PenLife has been synonymous with financial planning that transforms people’s lives, delivered with warmth and compassion. There’s no sign of that changing any time soon. Learn more about what drives us.

Our history

1984

Putting down roots

PenLife is established in the village of Bishopthorpe by David Gough.

1989

Status update

The firm moves to “Limited” status as PenLife Associates Limited.

1995

New faces and a new home

Following a relocation to Heworth, Andrew Richardson joins as a Financial Planner and shortly after takes on the role of Director. Phillip Mutter also joins the team as an Administrator and Mortgage Adviser.

2004

Three’s company

Julie Wilson joins as Office Manager/Paraplanner. Together with Andy and Phil, she sets the foundations for what PenLife is today.

2007

Changing hands

David provides the option to Julie, Andy, and Phil of buying him out. After careful thought and consideration, they agree, marking a significant chapter in the company’s story.

2009

Mark of distinction

PenLife becomes one of the first financial planning practices in the region to achieve corporate Chartered Financial Planner status.

2012

Rising star

Adam Dent joins in December. Over the next few years, he works hard to become fully qualified in 2019, and achieves the ultimate accolade in 2022 by becoming a Chartered individual.

2014

A fresh face

Louis Maddison comes aboard in May. In just five short years, he will be a fully qualified Financial Planner, and a Chartered individual by 2022.

2016

Growing stronger

Haydn Wishart becomes our newest team member in September. By 2020, he is fully qualified as a Financial Planner.

2019

More talent

Kriss Brining joins the PenLife family in 2019, becoming a qualified Financial Planner in 2021.

2021

A new era

Julie and Andy decide to take a step back. PenLife becomes employee owned under an Employee Ownership Trust, made up of Deb Jacobs, Tom Hughes, Nina Wright, and Bernadette Render. Before the exciting news can be announced, Julie very sadly and unexpectedly passes away in December.

2022

Growing expertise in the team

The PenLife team gets a double boost when James Wadsworth and Craig Howard both join us in January. James qualifies as a Chartered Fiinancial Planner in 2022, with Craig following him shortly after in 2023. Later in 2022, Soyfur Rahman joins us in August adding further to the expertise within our team.

2023

Highly qualified planners

In June 2023, Adam Dent became a Fellow of the Personal Finance Society, the highest professional qualification that the Financial Planning profession has to offer, a fabulous achievement for Adam.

2023

Looking ahead

Just as Julie and Andy had wanted, PenLife continues along the same path and with the same culture, proposition, and processes. With even more emphasis on being a team and working together, the future’s bright.

Our core values

We are open, honest and straight-talking

We do what we say, and we say what we mean.

We’re accountable

We focus on performance, ownership, and a can-do attitude to realise our vision together.

We go the extra mile

We strive for excellence to increase efficiency, improve client experience, and build a world-class company.

We respect and support each other

Every team member is an important cog in this well-oiled machine, and we all win together.

We’re growing, both as a company and as individuals

We gain and share knowledge to evolve and grow. We never stand still.

Our vision

We transform lives through big-picture financial planning.

We focus on helping clients achieve and maintain the lifestyle they choose, no matter what happens.

We specialise in wealth management and tax planning, or making the most of your money during your lifetime, and helping you pass it on to whoever you choose afterwards.

You’ll find we’re genuine, straight-talking, and pride ourselves on being able to simplify the complex.

Our community

Everyone at PenLife cares deeply about giving something back to the causes that matter. From charities based in the York area doing vital work to national organisations that mean something to us and our clients, we’re doing our bit for the greater good.

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What clients say

Since 1984, we’ve been delighting clients with our honest, empathetic approach to financial planning. But don’t just take our word for it. Here, you’ll find feedback and comments from PenLife clients in their own words. See for yourself what they say about their experience with us.

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99.510%

of clients were satisfied that we understood their needs, aims, and objectives

94.900%

of clients believe that working with us has helped or will help them achieve their financial goals

93.170%

would recommend us to their friends, family, or colleagues

"Fortunately, Mrs R came to PenLife and received professional advice to put her mind at ease, enabling her to take the plunge! She’s since retired, and has a plan far more suitable for her needs that she can rely on in the years to come."

From Tax Worries to Lakeside Bliss

"His annual review wasn’t spent talking about graphs and funds. It was spent talking about his life and how his investments, and our advice, could help fund the lifestyle he wanted and allow him to spend without worry."

New Lease of Life

"An important part of organising their affairs was not only consolidating a number of plans which were dotted around, but taking their plans out of sole ownership and making them joint; which Deb knew would make things a lot easier for the remaining spouse should one of them sadly pass."

Planning Ahead

"She chose to invest a small amount of her time and energy into something truly deserving which undeniably paid off!"

Avoid a Tax Nightmare

"Our Financial Planner discovered that, if Mr James were to strategically invest his pensions, he could actually retire the next day if he wanted to and keep his current property!"

Unlocking Financial Freedom

"We also showed Mr Jones how his money could potentially recover from the hit. We also gave him some urgently needed security through the reassurance of receiving well-informed, highly qualified advice."

Secure a Brighter Future

"They shouldn’t hold back on the things they enjoy doing in life – their money wouldn’t run out! Justine encouraged them to live the life they wanted to, and they made some overdue lifestyle changes. Sometime later, they contacted us again to say they took our advice and have never looked back."

Unlocking Life’s Adventures

"Adam advised me accordingly and arranged for me to start receiving some of my pensions. By doing this it helped me to follow a long-term desire to set up my own cake business and leave my full-time job."

Turning Dreams into Reality

"Louis listened to Mrs C, taking time to understand her priorities in life and her aspirations. He then developed and implemented a financial plan to ensure her goals were met. Mrs C was, as you can imagine, over the moon to discover that she was actually in a position to retire whenever she wanted!"

A Retirement Transformation

"They discussed their financial situation with James and talked through their goals and aspirations for the future. The couple were looking for some advice – they felt the amount they held in cash was too high and so wanted to explore the investment options available to them"

Navigating Trust Complexities

Meet the team

When you’re seeking help with something as important as your finances, you’ll want to deal with people you can rely on. Choose PenLife, and you’ll get expert service, delivered with a smile, at every stage of your journey with us. Read on to find out more about what makes us tick.

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Resources

Life’s easier when you’re better informed. That’s why we make it our mission to share tons of useful information and tools, all completely free. From easy-to-follow guides and videos to blogs on the latest financial topics, you’ll find everything you need here.

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