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Richard Zeng, PhD

Financial Planning Consultant, ACSI

A little bit about Richard

As a financial adviser, I help individuals and families understand their finances, tailor a plan to their unique goals, and guide them through their financial journey.

Before joining Quilter Financial Advisers, I spent nine years teaching and researching accounting and finance at top business schools. This academic foundation shapes how I approach financial planning: data-driven, structured, and easy to understand.

Having lived in three countries and speaking three languages, I enjoy working with clients from diverse backgrounds. Initial consultations are at my expense, so feel free to get in touch and see how I can help.

Find out more about me below.

Start the conversation

There are lots of ways I can help you prepare and plan your finances over the long term, such as cashflow modelling or a range of other useful tools.
Contact me today

Graphic of people studying charts

What is cashflow modelling?

It’s the unknown that makes planning for the future difficult. Your life is full of lots of choices that can impact your financial situation. So how can you look all the way ahead to your later life with any kind of certainty?

This is where cashflow modelling comes in. Essentially, it’s a tool used by advisers like me to get an idea of how your financial future could look. I put in lots of data about you and your financial circumstances, and that lets me predict what could happen, and compare different scenarios against each other.

It means we can do things like: see whether you can afford to gift your grandchildren money towards their education, gauge whether your finances will last you into retirement, or understand whether you need to make some changes to achieve your goals.

Let me know if you think cashflow modelling could help you.

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.

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.

Income Protection

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

General Insurance

Home contents insurance, buildings insurance.

Diploma in Investment Advice

  • The Diploma in Investment Advice provides a sound grounding in UK financial services and consumer relationships, including exchange traded futures and options and financial protection.

Richard's location

Cheltenham
Gloucestershire
GL50
United Kingdom

Richard is located in Cheltenham and offers expert financial advice to suit your needs.

What Led me to Financial Planning

My interest in personal finance started young. When I was 12, I made my first investment, a mutual fund I picked simply because the name sounded appealing. It was a naïve choice, but it sparked a lifelong curiosity about how money works and eventually led me into my career.

Fourteen years later, I earned a PhD in Accounting from London Business School and became a lecturer at the University of Bristol. Over nine years in academia, I taught and researched a wide range of accounting and finance topics. The work involved thinking critically, analysing complex data, and communicating clearly with audiences ranging from complete beginners to experts.

While I enjoyed the intellectual challenge, I eventually realised I wanted to apply that expertise in a more personal and practical way. I found myself most energised by the conversations that helped people make sense of complex choices. Some of the most rewarding moments at work came when a student or colleague asked for my opinion, and together we worked through their thinking until they had clarity on their next step.

Even outside of work, friends and family often turn to me for perspective when they face difficult decisions. I may not always have the perfect answer, but I always do my best to help.

That’s what led me to financial planning. It allows me to combine technical expertise with something that has always come naturally: offering clear, thoughtful guidance when it matters most.

Outside the Office

I stay active with gym workouts, tennis, and golf. I also love music, wine, whisky, and good conversations. I continue to teach part-time at university and enjoy bridging academic thinking with real-life financial planning.

Download Richard's Chinese biography

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 Wealth Ltd, Quilter Financial Services Ltd, Quilter Mortgage Planning Ltd, Quilter Financial Ltd, Quilter Financial Planning Solutions Ltd & Lighthouse Advisory Services Limited on 01 August 2022.