About
Stuart Porter FPFS
I am from the United Kingdom and have been working in the financial services sector since 1988. Whilst in the UK, I worked closely with Lawyers and Chartered Accountants assisting their clients in financial planning matters, including estate planning.
In 2001 I moved to Dubai. I joined the fee-based independent financial planning firm, AES Middle East Insurance Broker LLC, as a Partner in 2015. Prior to this I was an Associate Director at Synergy Financial LLC, a financial planning company in Dubai, for 10 years.
I founded Great British Wills in 2016, an estate planning consultancy for British expatriates based in the UAE. In addition to my financial planning qualifications, I hold advanced qualifications in Will preparation and Cross Border Estates from STEP, Society of Trust and Estate Practitioners. STEP is a globally recognised professional body representing over 22,000 members providing legal services.
My private client practice focuses on building long term professional relationships. Developing practical financial plans to help clients achieve their life goals. This may be financial independence, legacy planning and/or philanthropy.
The range of people who can benefit from this service is wide. However, those who gain most benefit tend to be busy professionals who are married in their mid-40’s.
Qualifications
I am a Chartered Financial Planner and Fellow of the Personal Finance Society, the specialist financial planning arm of the Chartered Insurance Institute (CII).
The title Chartered Financial Planner is granted by Chartered Insurance Institute (CII). The CII is a globally recognised professional body based in London working in the financial services sector with over 100,000 members. It was formed by Royal Charter in 1912. To become a Chartered Financial Planner requires serious dedication to financial planning as a career. There are about 23,000 Chartered Financial Planners, predominantly in the UK and about 5,000 who have completed the more extensive Fellowship of the Personal Finance Society (FPFS). There are 3 requirements: academic, experience and ethics.
Academic Credentials
To apply for Chartership, a financial planner must have passed the Advanced Diploma in Financial Planning, an RFQ level 6 professional qualification offered by the Chartered Insurance Institute (CII). This is the equivalent of a bachelor’s degree from a UK University.
The body of knowledge needed to achieve this is estimated to require over 1,000 hours of study and up to 16 examinations on a wide range of financial planning topics.
Experience
In addition to the academic requirement, candidates must have at least 5 years relevant industry experience. This is important as over a 5-year period an adviser will experience a full economic cycle. Each phase of the economic cycle will see different demands made upon them by clients.
Ethics
Charter holders are held to the highest of ethical standards. They are required to work for the benefit of their clients and to maintain a high and current degree of knowledge in their chosen areas of specialism. Their commitment to knowledge and ethics is closely monitored by the CII via the continuous professional development programme (CPD) and the registration of formal complaints made against members.
Designations
To confirm my membership of the above professional organisations and my designations, please click on the links below:
Chartered Insurance Institute – Advanced Diploma in Financial Planning
Chartered Institute of Securities and Investment – Associate (member # 145246)
Society of Trust and Estate Practitioners (STEP) – Associate
Edinburgh Napier University – 1st Class Honours Degree (Financial Services)
About AES Wealth “AES”
The financial planning service I provide is as a Partner within AES Wealth.
AES is at the vanguard of a profound shift in financial services. AES was founded by Sam Instone in 2004, following the end of his commission in the British Army. Sam joined the international financial services sector and saw that much could be done to improve the experience of expatriates.
Together with other former British military veterans, he developed an industry-leading business. One which placed the client’s needs above those of the firm. Focusing on scientific, evidence-based processes with proven credentials.
AES is about helping you achieve a better future through a purposely different approach. Here are some of the reasons why you should consider AES as your financial planning partner.
- Only CEFEX (center for fiduciary excellence) certified Fiduciary within Asia, the Middle East, and Africa (AMEA)
- The only member of the Global Association of Independent Advisors (GAIA) within AMEA
- The first fee-based planning firm within the GCC
- 1st international specialist within the UK to obtain Corporate Chartered status
- 1st US-style, global Registered Investment Adviser (RIA) within AMEA