Platinum Business Magazine and Surrey Chambers of Commerce Magazine: Redefining financial guidance for a new generation

Southover Wealth's Managing Director, Will Martin has been appointed as the new Financial Advice Columnist for Surrey Chambers of Commerce Magazine and Platinum Business Magazine.

His first article, published in November, gives an insight in to Will's background, establishing Southover Wealth and his desire to help people reach their financial goals.

Please note that clicking on links to external websites will cause you to leave the St James's Place Partner website.

Here’s a transcript of the article:

Redefining financial guidance for a new generation

By William Martin

At just 31, William Martin is already establishing a successful financial business, Southover Wealth, a Senior Partner Practice of St. James’s Place Wealth Management. William leads a growing team that advises professionals, families, and business owners on securing their financial futures.

The story of Southover Wealth began with a simple idea: that financial advice could be personal, proactive, and human.

“I wanted to create something that truly reflected my own values,” William explains. “When I launched Southover Wealth in 2021, it wasn’t just about setting up another financial advisory practice. I wanted to build a business where culture came first — where clients knew that their adviser genuinely cared about their long-term goals, not just their immediate needs.”

The practice, headquartered between Brighton and London, recently achieved Senior Partner Practice status within St. James’s Place. It is a significant milestone that recognises both growth and excellence in client service. It’s a notable accomplishment for a firm founded barely four years ago, particularly in a profession often dominated by advisers twice William’s age. 

A young start in a traditional industry

William’s journey into finance began earlier than most. He joined a mortgage brokerage as an administrator at first. “I was told I’d have to wait until my late twenties before anyone would take me seriously as an adviser and start speaking to clients,” he recalls. “So, naturally, I left for a more client-facing role.”

He joined an insurance company in Brighton, which gave him an early taste of client interaction and the power of persistence. Eager to learn, William spent his lunch breaks calling unclaimed leads, revealing both his passion for finance and his ability to connect with people.

By 23, he had completed his Level 4 financial planning qualification and joined a St. James’s Place Partner Practice as a financial adviser. It was an unusually young age to step into a role where the average UK adviser is 57. “There were fewer than 200 advisers under 25 in the country,” he notes. “It was daunting at first, but it taught me to break down assumptions (both my own and other people’s). Age doesn’t determine competence; passion, curiosity and care do.”

That mindset still defines how Southover Wealth operates today. His team, made up of advisers in their late twenties and early thirties, reflects the same energy and adaptability that William credits with helping the business grow. “We’re dynamic,” he says. “We act quickly, keep our communication clear, and focus on practical, relationship-driven advice.”

Purpose beyond profit

For William, financial advice is about more than investments. It’s about helping clients understand how to make their money work for them.

“I’ve always been fascinated by the psychology of money. Most of us leave school without any real understanding of personal finance. No one teaches you what a credit score is, how to budget for a mortgage, or what you should be saving for retirement. That gap in financial education creates anxiety and bad decisions later on. Helping to close that gap is something I feel strongly about.”

That commitment extends into Southover Wealth’s approach to client education. Alongside traditional financial planning, the team regularly supports companies with workplace pension reviews and employee financial education workshops. These sessions aim to help employees make better choices about savings, tax allowances and protection.

“It’s about confidence,” William says. “Whether you’re earning £40,000 or £400,000, the principles are the same: if you understand where your money is going and what it can do for you, you make better decisions. And that’s where real financial wellbeing begins.”

Building for the future

Southover Wealth’s client base today includes directors, partners and senior professionals in accountancy, law and private equity, as well as owners of small and medium-sized businesses across Sussex, Surrey and London.

“The clients we work with are typically high earners who value expertise and long-term thinking,” he explains. “Our role is to give them clarity, to map out what their financial future could look like, test different scenarios, and help them make confident choices along the way. It’s less about chasing returns and more about building a structure that supports the lifestyle they want, now and in the future.”

Southover Wealth benefits from the backing of St. James’s Place, a FTSE 100 company managing more than £194 billion in client funds, while maintaining the agility and personal service of an independent practice. It’s a combination William believes gives clients the best of both worlds: reassurance and rigour, coupled with the approachability of a local, relationship-driven firm. 

A new voice for Platinum readers

This month, William joins Platinum Business Magazine as a columnist, sharing his perspective on the financial issues that matter most to business owners and professionals in the region. Each column will tackle a different topic from extracting profit from your business tax-efficiently to understanding how much you need to fund your ideal retirement, or how to protect your family through your company if the unexpected happens.

“My goal is to make financial planning feel relevant and accessible,” he says. “If readers take away one idea that helps them make a smarter financial decision, whether it’s about investing, retirement, or simply understanding their cash flow, then I’ve done my job.”

William Martin DipFA CeMAP
Managing Director, Southover Wealth

The value of an investment with St. James's Place will be directly linked to the performance of the funds you select and the value can therefore go down as well as up.  You may get back less than you invested. 

Taxation rules can change at any time and are dependent on individual circumstances.

SJP Approved XX/XX/XXXX