Proud to be Back – Celebrating over 35 Years of Local Trusted Advice in Dartmouth

After beginning her career at John Charcol in London, Karen moved to Dartmouth in 1991 to join Chadwick’s, the business her father, Mike, established several years earlier. She was instrumental in developing the business from general insurance into financial advice but following the retirement of her father made the decision to found Clarity.

“It was fantastic being part of a growing Clarity but with that rapid growth I genuinely felt that I wasn’t able to dedicate my time to my clients the way I would have liked and that spurred my decision to re-establish Chadwick’s.”

Karen sought the views of her key clients ahead of making the decision to re-establish Chadwick; the feedback was overwhelmingly positive and encouraging. “Chadwick has been an established

High Street brand in Dartmouth for over 35 year and most of my clients movedwith me from Chadwick’s originally.

Many still think of it as Chadwick’s, so the decision to re-establish the business didn’t phase them at all. They were very supportive of my choice, which helped greatly,” says Karen.

“But it’s not just me at Chadwick, I have a fantastic team behind me: Sylvia Read joined us in the new year as a financial adviser and equity release specialist and Lisa Ball is our general insurance expert. Tanith Byles is my PA and talented IFA administrator and Angela Murray continues as my financial administrator”

“I want the name Chadwick’s to conjure images of local, trusted and independent advice and I’ve chosen a softer colour scheme for both the website and the offices to reflect this. I’ve gone for a look that I feel is professional, yet comfortable and inviting,” she explains.

Karen called on the services of local interior designer Kate Baker to help her launch the new-look Chadwick’s. “We are also strong supporters of local initiatives and good causes and we sponsor/work with selected local events and have done now for many years.”

“Our message is a very positive one; we are extremely proud to be back,” she explains.

Indeed, reaching out to both existing and prospective clients is all part of Karen’s plan to put Chadwick’s back on the map. While the firm’s strong active client bank falls predominantly in the 50+ “at retirement” market, she has ambitious plans to target different groups of people including equity release clients and the younger generation.

“We are a technology-savvy and paperless business, and that gives us the opportunity to explore different markets on a nationwide scale,” she explains. “I’m a specialist in equity release and I really do believe that it will be a huge market going forward. Then of course, there’s a big savings gap and I think educating youngsters about the importance of saving for the future will help, as well as encourage younger generations to think about their finances and life goals”.

In a bid to widen her reach, Karen plans to introduce a simplified online advice proposition in the near future.

The new-look Chadwick’s also offers auto-enrolment services to local businesses for a flat fee.

“My passion lies in helping people achieve their goals in life. We are part of a small community in Dartmouth, which means I often bump into my clients on the street.”

Please feel free to call in an see us anytime to see our new look or have an initial – no obligation – initial discussion at our expense.