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James Howson

Financial Adviser DipPFS in Bristol

A little bit about James

Financial planning is about helping you make confident decisions and creating a clear plan for your future. I work with individuals, families and business owners across pensions & retirement planning, investments & savings, protection, tax-efficient financial planning and estate planning. My role is to make complex financial decisions easier to understand and help you build a plan around what's most important to you, both now and in the future.

Find out more about me below.

Start the conversation

Whether you want help getting your pension in a good place, or to ask me about any other financial need you might have, I’m here to help.
Contact me today

Graphic of women standing on piles of coins increasing in height

How can you boost your pension pot?

In the UK, there are around 3.3 million pension pots that are considered as ‘lost’, containing an average of around £9,500 per pot*. Nobody wants to be missing out on money they have built up in a pension, but there’s good news - this kind of financial hit is completely avoidable.

Here are three simple ways to make sure your pension is working its hardest for you.

1. Check up on it

This one might seem obvious, but it’s easy to lose track of your pension pots, where they are, and what they’re doing. If you make a note of your pension providers, and check your pot(s) regularly, you’re far less likely to lose one of them over time.

2. Look at your investment allocation

Your investment allocation is where and how you’re investing your pension. Often, people will just use their pension provider’s default setting. But this might not actually be right for your retirement goals and risk profile. So, it’s a good idea to revisit this every few years.

3. Bump it up

If you’ve had a windfall recently, like a pay rise, bonus, or inheritance, putting a portion of it into your pension is a good idea. Not only is it tax-efficient, but you’ll be glad when your retirement comes around.

As an adviser, my role is to help you get all of this done simply, with all the facts and information you need. That might be helping you review your risk profile, consolidating old pension pots, or making a plan to help you retire early. Investing can help your money grow over time, but the value of investments can go down as well as up.

If that sounds good to you, please get in touch.

Approver Quilter Financial Services Limited. June 2026.

* How to find old pensions - Which?

Business Services & Protection

Commercial mortgages/remortgages, workplace pension and employee benefits. Commercial mortgages are by referral only.

Holistic planning

Establishing and reviewing trusts, complete personal risk management planning, short- and long-term savings and investments.

Income Protection

Permanent health insurance to provide a regular income should you be unable to work due to illness or injury.

Investments

Wealth management advice to make your money work as hard as it can for you, including making the most of any tax breaks available.

Pensions

Expert advice to help provide comfort in your retirement.

Protection

Whole of life and term assurance protection, private medical arrangements, critical illness insurance.

Diploma in Regulated Financial Planning

  • The Level 4 Diploma in Regulated Financial Planning from the Chartered Insurance Institute develops core technical and initial financial planning understanding.

James's location

Bristol
United Kingdom

James is located in Bristol and offers expert financial advice to suit your needs.

Before becoming a financial adviser, I built my career with some of the UK's leading financial services organisations, including Hargreaves Lansdown, Legal & General and Standard Life. My experience included working directly with clients, providing technical support to financial advisers and presenting to adviser audiences on areas such as retirement planning. This gave me a strong foundation across pensions, investments and long-term financial planning before making the move into financial advice myself.

What I've always enjoyed most is taking something that can initially seem complicated and making it easier to understand. Financial planning can involve everything from pensions and investments to protection, tax and estate planning, but ultimately these are all tools to help someone achieve what matters to them.

That's a big part of what led me to become a financial planner myself. I believe good financial advice starts with listening and understanding what someone actually wants to achieve before looking at the financial solutions that can help them get there. My aim is for clients to understand the decisions they're making, feel confident in their plan and know they have someone alongside them as their circumstances and priorities change over time.

Before entering financial services, I studied Sports Technology at Loughborough University, graduating with a BSc. I've also worked as an online coach, an experience that strengthened my enjoyment of helping people set goals, create a plan and make progress over time. That has stayed with me in financial planning, particularly the importance of making a plan realistic for the individual rather than expecting the individual to fit the plan.

Outside of work, I still enjoy keeping active. I have a black belt in ITF Tae Kwon-Do and competed at both national and international level, before later competing in powerlifting at regional level. These days I'm just as happy enjoying a quiet weekend or getting outdoors for a long walk. My partner and I are also big dog lovers, and she runs a doggy day care service in her spare time, so we get plenty of four-legged company despite not currently having a dog of our own.

*Tax planning and estate planning are not regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority.

What to expect

In advising you, I follow a simple and trusted 3 step process:

1. Free intro call to understand your needs

We will arrange a time to talk about your goals and plans.

2. Personalised plan

I'll prepare a tailored plan which always takes full account of your goals, and gives you the steps and expert support from me to get there. All explained simply.

3. On going check-ins, on your terms

I'll be there as your financial adviser to give you the support you need.

The Financial Conduct Authority does not regulate some employee benefits, tax planning, inheritance tax planning, estate planning, succession planning, trusts or some buy-to-let mortgages.

The guidance and/or information contained within this website is subject to the UK regulatory regime and is therefore targeted at consumers based in the UK.

Registered Office: Quilter Financial Advisers, Senator House, 85 Queen Victoria Street, London, EC4V 4AB. Tel: 0207 562 5856. Registered in England and Wales. Registered number: 05693185. Lighthouse Financial Advice Limited, Senator House, 85 Queen Victoria Street, London, EC4V 4AB. Tel: 0207 562 5856. Registered in England and Wales. Registered number: 04795080.

Quilter Financial Planning Network only: This financial promotion was approved by Quilter Financial Services Ltd & Quilter Financial Ltd on 18 September 2026.