About us
Well, it's not really about us, it's about you.
We're here to listen
We recognise the multitude of questions and concerns that arise for professionals and business owners when it comes to their financial assets and desired lifestyle.
That's why we are dedicated to providing tailored answers and assistance to address your unique needs.
When you choose to partner with Smart Financial, you can be confident that your financial affairs will be meticulously organised, simplified, and made clear.
Our team of experts not only offer necessary guidance, but also take the time to understand your individual goals and aspirations. We work closely with you to develop a comprehensive financial plan that aligns with your lifestyle choices, ensuring that every aspect of your financial situation is carefully considered and optimized.
Our values
Constantly Striving
to achieve more for our clients and for the business
Mind & Body
two inextricably linked elements that need to be balanced for our clients and ourselves
Responsibility
helping our clients to take responsibility for their future. Ensuring we take responsibility internally for delivering what our clients need
Empowerment
providing the support, information and tools required to enable both clients and staff to achieve their own goals and objectives
Modern
in thought, approach, systems, processes and attitude
A considered, effective approach to success
We exclusively invest in reliable long-term, low-risk, and cost-effective solutions that offer the highest probability of achieving those objectives.
We help you relinquish the stress and uncertainty that often accompanies managing your financial assets. By empowering you to make informed decisions, we help you to enjoy the lifestyle you've always envisioned.
Our primary goal is to help clients achieve their lifestyle aspirations and goals without the fear of financial instability, through the provision of exceptional financial and wealth advice, as well as intelligent management of investment portfolios.
As independent financial planners, with exclusively CFP-qualified advisers (or those working towards), you can be assured that our advice is fair, unbiased, and unrestricted. We thoroughly assess your needs and wants and where appropriate review all suitable products in the market and provide appropriate advice to meet your objectives.
Directors
Steve Martin
Chief Executive
Steve established Smart Financial in October 2008 and is the Chief Exec.
Steve Martin established Smart Financial in October 2008 and serves as its Chief Exec. He has over 20 years’ experience in the profession, having been a Partner and Managing Director at previous firms and is a Chartered and Certified Financial Planner (CFP), a holder of the Investment Management Certificate and is the lead trainer of CFP licence through the Financial Planning Training Academy.
Steve was an active member of the Manchester branch of the IFP before its amalgamation with the CISI, holding the position of Chair from 2009 until 2014. He also used to sit on the Financial and Legal Sector Panel. He speaks regularly at Financial Planning meetings around the country and is also a regular contributor to a wide range of feature articles on financial and money management related subjects across trade, local and national press.
Steve also leads Financial Planning Training Academy, a specialist training business set up to train financial advisers to become accomplished Financial Planners and the Change The Future TM Programme which is the leading, 'Coach the coaches" programme for Financial Planners.
Steve is married to Michelle and they have two boys, he is a keen runner and crossfitter, an Ironman triathlete and is a committed fund raiser for the Cystic Fibrosis trust and other related charities. He has recently competed in the CF Warrior Games where his team raised over £14,000 for the CF Warrior charity.
Steve’s perpetual target is to run a sub-3 hour marathon which he had hoped to achieve in Manchester in April 2020 however COVID and circumstances continue to conspire against him! He is currently considering whether to launch another attempt in Manchester in April 2024.
As the needs of the business' clients changed, Steve established Smart Trustee Services Limited (Smart SSAS) in 2011. In 2012 Smart Business Financial Planning was established and today is our Change the Future™ program.
In 2021 Smart Financial International was established to support clients who have emigrated from UK and moved to Europe and beyond.
Michelle Martin
Director
Michelle co founded Smart Financial in October 2008. She is Head of Finance.
Michelle Martin
Director
Michelle Martin established Smart Financial alongside husband Steve in October 2008. She is the Head of Finance and is the principal point of contact for Smart SSAS.
Michelle holds an honours degree in International Management and Spanish. Having joined Shell Chemical’s graduate scheme in 1999 she progressed to an account management role before leaving to take up a management position with Albion Chemicals. In 2007 Michelle joined Steve at their previous firm before setting up Smart in 2008.
Michelle is married to Steve and mum to their two boys, Charlie and Harry. In her spare time she enjoys keeping fit, travel and the sunshine!
She is a keen fundraiser for the Cystic Fibrosis Trust and CF Warriors.
Tamsin Caine has just passed her 10 year anniversary with Smart. In February 2018, she lead the launch of Smart Divorce, which works with separating and divorcing clients to help them to sort out their finances amicably.
She has a strong background of over 20 years within the financial services profession and is exceptionally well qualified being a Certified Financial Planner, Chartered Financial Planner and a Fellow of the Personal Finance Society.
You can view Tamsin’s current SPS by clicking here. Tamsin has completed a Masters in Business Management & Financial Planning at Manchester Metropolitan University. Tamsin is also a Resolution Accredited Divorce Specialist Financial Planner and co-chairs their National Working Together Committee. In 2022, Tamsin was awarded the Collaboration Award by Resolution for her work in the divorce field. She also sits on the Pension Advisory Group (PAG).
Tamsin is mum to Charlie and Zoe. When she’s not at work, Tamsin enjoys CrossFit, baking and rugby. She is the Team Manager of Sale FC Rugby Club’s Sale Vikings XV, where she previously held a number of voluntary roles and was awarded the honour of being one of the Vice Presidents of the club.
Steve Thomson
Consultant
Steve Thomson is the Director of the Change The Future™ programme along with Steven Martin. Steve is highly accomplished in strategic planning, business analysis & modelling, consumer & market research and business alignment of IT systems. He has more than 16 years of consulting experience primarily working as a Finance and IT Director engaged in consulting and non-exec roles. Steve leads the team of exceptional financial analysts and chartered accountants in delivering the Change The Future programme supporting advisors working with their clients.
Steve began his career in the RAF before moving into the private sector where he held senior roles in accountancy before latterly moving into consultancy roles as a non-exec director within leading recruitment and engineering companies.
Steve has a diploma in non-directional counselling and holds professional memberships of the following institutes; ICPA, ISACA and the BCS.
Financial Planners
Lee Robertson
Consultant Planner
For more than thirty years, Lee has been engaged in financial planning and consulting at every level within the wider sector.
With a strong focus on clients, he offers extensive expertise on subjects that significantly affect clients' lives, especially during key transitions such as business sales, effective intergenerational financial planning, and retirement planning.
Kate Morgan
Financial Planner
Kate advised clients across our Financial Planning, Divorce and International businesses.
Kate Morgan
Financial Planner
Kate became a part of Smart Financial in January 2025. She qualified as a Chartered Accountant in 2000 and dedicated 20 years to UK PLC companies like Marks & Spencer, Hays, and Diageo. Her work primarily focused on enhancing processes, conducting audits, and engaging in forensic activities.
In 2020, she began collaborating with an independent advisory firm, fostering professional introducer relationships with accountancy firms. This experience sparked her interest in financial planning, leading her to earn her Level 4 Diploma in May 2024. She is particularly enthusiastic about assisting business owners and individuals going through divorce.
She has two sons and divides her time between football and rugby fields. When she has free time, she enjoys skiing, renovating houses, and listening to opera.
Client Services
Michelle Reilly is our Client and Practice Manager having joined us in April 2022. Michelle is our main point of contact for all clients. She serves as the primary contact for all our clients. She leads our Clients Services team.
Michelle is an accredited professional with the International Compliance Association and brings over a decade of experience in financial services. Throughout her career, she has specialized in financial compliance, financial crime, and data protection, starting in advisory and audit roles and eventually taking on the responsibility of developing and delivering best practice training sessions to teams in both the UK and India.
She is also a mother to two young boys, Mason and Cian. In her free time, she is passionate about photography and enjoys spending time with her family, going for walks, and staying fit at the gym.
Jennifer Barnard
Administrator
Jenny became a part of Smart in early 2024, bringing with her over 15 years of experience in the Digital Mapping and cartography sector.
Throughout her career, Jenny has mapped numerous UK roads and developed mapping systems for websites, the automotive sector, and other online map users. She oversaw the UK & Ireland Points of Interest database, ensuring the accuracy and precision of more than 500,000 Points of Interest in the Maps. Jenny is enthusiastic about staying current with technological advancements and the advantages they offer to the business and our clients.
Jenny has two young daughters, Poppy and Evie. In her free time, she enjoys family walks, swimming, and playing tennis. Jenny is a dedicated Manchester City supporter.
James Doyle
Apprentice Financial Planner
Jim is the first to join our Financial Planning apprenticeship programme.
James Doyle
Apprentice Financial Planner
James completed his studies at Newcastle University, earning a degree in economics. He joined Smart Financial towards the end of 2024 and is thoroughly enjoying both the work and the fresh challenges it brings.
Raised on the outskirts of Manchester, he aspires to relocate to the city centre someday. In his free time, he is passionate about skiing, playing cricket, and supporting Manchester United. Whenever he has a free weekend, he enjoys traveling across the country to see friends and explore new places.
Our awards
Testimonials
We are a team of experienced and highly qualified professionals who want to help you get the most from your money so that you can achieve your life goals.
“I already had pensions and investments in place but needed somebody to manage and advise on them. To date Smart Financial have assisted with a pension and savings review and also advised on insurance policies - everything that has needed attention has been efficiently and satisfactorily dealt with. I am very satisfied with the service I have received from them, I feel very confident in their ability and knowledge and the staff members are extremely personable and approachable. I am very happy with everything so far and looking forward to working more with Smart Financial”
Barbara Harrison
“I have used the services of Smart Financial Planning since the company started. The owner was my old companies' pension adviser. Smart Financial conduct regular reviews of my financial planning needs. In the last 6 months they have offered specific advice on the construction of my private pension to enable me to continue contributing to the level I wish. They at the same time gave specific advice on investment for lump sums requiring maximum financial security. In this task Smart Financial fully understood my requirements and asked pertinent questions of my situation. I am happy with the changes to my pension structure and the other investment advice given. I feel I am set up to achieve the objectives my family has set for the next few years.”
George Hughes
“Advice was needed on personal financial planning; in particular long term investments in view of impending retirement. Smart Financial completed a full analysis on risk appetite of myself and my wife led to recommendations for a structured portfolio balancing lower and higher risk and short and long term investments. Initial indications are positive about the outcomes. I can think of nothing that could have been done better.”
Steve Wurr
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