Leading Adviser Awards 2020
Acquisition International - Leading Adviser 2020 99 Leading Ethical Independent Financial Adviser of the Year, United Kingdom 28 Acquisition International - Issue 11 2020 Reputation Fo Equality Ruth Whitehead Associates is an award-winning independent financial adviser with an open, straightforward and accountable approach. Recently, we caught up with the company’s namesake about what led her into the finance industry and her passionate belief in giving back to the community. ased in the heart of the local community of Stoke Newington, London, Ruth Whitehead Associates is proud to be part of the most diverse and cosmopolitan capital city in the world. “Here at Ruth Whitehead Associates, we specialise in investments. We believe the only way is ethics, and cherry pick the best and finest funds to ensure the portfolios we design accurately reflect our clients’ moral compass and attitude to risk,” explains company founder, Ruth Whitehead. “Our mission is to balance investments to mirror who our clients are, and our aspiration is to have them perform well in a rising market - with a high level of protection if indices fall. “Not only have those investments weathered the storm of Coronavirus, but in most cases our clients’ holdings are worth more than before the pandemic.” Ruth Whitehead has worked this way for 27 years, independently, inclusively, and irrespective of the rest of the finance industry. Ruth herself has always done things differently. She trained as a classical musician and managed to exist in almost complete ignorance of the financial services industry until she was advised by a man in a suit to take out the mortgage from hell. She almost lost everything. As a woman she felt ignored. She became transformed by adversity into an expert on finance, and in 1993 Ruth Whitehead Associates was born. Says Ruth: “We are a small company with a big reputation and we do things differently. At Ruth Whitehead Associates, we are proud to be anti-establishment, especially the financial services establishment. There are plenty of things in this industry which we find frequently unacceptable in 2020, and we do our utmost to break down barriers.” The firm is determined that clients (and colleagues) are representative of a wide range of ages, genders, cultural backgrounds, and LGBTQIA+ communities. This recognised approach to diversity and inclusionmeans Ruth Whitehead Associates attracts clients with physical disabilities, the ethnically diverse, neuro-diverse, gender-nonconforming, and boasts a client age range from babies to octogenarians. Ruth’s views on diversity are well-known: “Every client we see is equally deserving of good financial advice. We exercise a non-discriminatory environment. My practice is in a diverse area, and I’m proud my client base accurately reflects the multiplicity of local residents. “After 27 years I still have an enormous passion for the job. I am compassionate and love teamwork. I empower my clients to connect to financial services in the widest possible sense, equipping them with the tools to say exactly how and where they want their money invested B Oct20129 and understand how their investments have been arranged. “I believe financial services isn’t just about money, it’s about listening to what people want from their lives, their goals and dreams, and showing them how their money can work for them to make everything possible.” Ruth fervently believes that charity starts at home and in putting her money where her mouth is. “We have combined the two and set up our Ethics in Action programme sponsoring local education and cultural initiatives. Our EiA philosophy does not simply mean advising clients on ethical investments. It means embracing transparency, equality, accountability and, as community IFAs, giving back to the community.” Ruth Whitehead Associates has recently donated £2,600 so every St Matthias School pupil gets food vouchers this half term, and no- one goes hungry. Over the past year it has also sponsored events and made over £30,000 of donations to the local community, purchasing laptops, outdoor learning, creative drawing kits and books representative of the community for St Matthias School, supporting local composers and musicians, offering subsidised tickets for events and a pensioners’ Christmas lunch. Says head teacher at St Matthias School Lucy Blewett: “We really appreciate and say a big thank you to Ruth Whitehead Associate for the money donated for laptops, art packs and meal vouchers. Your thoughtfulness is timely and a gift we always treasure.” Three years ago, the company moved the office to a church hall in an economically-deprived part of Stoke Newington. St Matthias Church is the parish church of Antigua Barbuda in London, and they have poured Ruth Whitehead Associates profits into helping restore it. Ruth donated £6,000 towards rewiring/new lighting, and our (change our to her) finance team have worked hard with the Afro-Caribbean congregation to secure the remaining £111,000, plus winning grants for exterior lighting/restoring the war memorial. Ruth’s passion for music has led her to found and conduct non-audition community choir Chorus of Dissent and youth version, Young Dissenters. Their sell-out concerts raise money for both local and international causes including the church and the Rebuild Barbuda Appeal (of which she has been a trustee). “Ultimately, we shall continue to challenge discrimination, fight prejudice, support diversity and inclusion, and use our success as financial advisers to create more opportunities and lessen poverty for the community around us.” Contact: Ruth Whitehead Company: Ruth Whitehead Associates Web Address: rwafinance.co.uk 28 Acquisition International - Issue 11 2020 utation r lit Ruth Whitehead Associates is an award-winning independent financial adviser with an open, straightforward and accountable approach. Recently, we caught up with the company’s namesake about what led her into the finance industry and her passionate belief in giving back to the community. ased in the heart of the local community of Stoke Newington, London, Ruth Whitehead Associates is proud to be part of the most diverse and cosmopolitan capital city in the world. “Here at Ruth Whitehead Associates, we specialise in investments. We believe the only way is ethics, and cherry pick the best and finest funds to ensure the portfolios we design accurately reflect our clients’ moral compass and attitude to risk,” explains company founder, Ruth Whitehead. “Our mission is to balance investments to mirror who our clients are, and our aspiration is to have them perform well in a rising market - with a high level of protection if indices fall. “Not only have those investments weathered the storm of Coronavirus, but in most cases our clients’ holdings are worth more than before the pandemic.” Ruth Whitehead has worked this way for 27 years, independently, inclusively, and irrespective of the rest of the finance industry. Ruth herself has always done things differently. She trained as a classical musician and managed to exist in almost complete ignorance of the financial services industry until she was advised by a man in a suit to take out the mortgage from hell. She almost lost everything. As a woman she felt ignored. She became transformed by adversity into an expert on finance, and in 1993 Ruth Whitehead Associates was born. Says Ruth: “We are a small company with a big reputation and we do things differently. At Ruth Whitehead Associates, we are proud to be anti-establishment, especially the financial services establishment. There are plenty of things in this industry which we find frequently unacceptable in 2020, and we do our utmost to break down barriers.” The firm is determined that clients (and colleagues) are representative of a wide range of ages, genders, cultural backgrounds, and LGBTQIA+ communities. This recognised approach to diversity and inclusionmeans Ruth Whitehead Associates attracts clients with physical disabilities, the ethnically diverse, neuro-diverse, gender-nonconforming, and boasts a client age range from babies to octogenarians. Ruth’s views on diversity are well-known: “Every client we see is equally deserving of good financial advice. We exercise a non-discriminatory environment. My practice is in a diverse area, and I’m proud my client base accurately reflects the multiplicity of local residents. “After 27 years I still have an enormous passion for the job. I am compassionate and love teamwork. I empower my clients to connect to financial services in the widest possible sense, equipping them with the tools to say exactly how and where they want their money invested B Oct20129 and understand how their investments have been arranged. “I believe financial services isn’t just about money, it’s about listening to what people want from their lives, their goals and dreams, and showing them how their money can work for them to make everything possible.” Ruth fervently believes that charity starts at home and in putting her money where her mouth is. “We have combined the two and set up our Ethics in Action programme sponsoring local education and cultural initiatives. Our EiA philosophy does not simply mean advising clients on ethical investments. It means embracing transparency, equality, accountability and, as community IFAs, giving back to the community.” Ruth Whitehead Associates has recently donated £2,600 so every St Matthias School pupil gets food vouchers this half term, and no- one goes hungry. Over the past year it has also sponsored events and made over £30,000 of donations to the local community, purchasing laptops, outdoor learning, creative drawing kits and books representative of the community for St Matthias School, supporting local composers and musicians, offering subsidised tickets for events and a pensioners’ Christmas lunch. Says head teacher at St Matthias School Lucy Blewett: “We really appreciate and say a big thank you to Ruth Whitehead Associate for the money donated for laptops, art packs and meal vouchers. Your thoughtfulness is timely and a gift we always treasure.” Three years ago, the company moved the office to a church hall in an economically-deprived part of Stoke Newington. St Matthias Church is the parish church of Antigua Barbuda in London, and they have poured Ruth Whitehead Associates profits into helping restore it. Ruth donated £6,000 towards rewiring/new lighting, and our (change our to her) finance team have worked hard with the Afro-Caribbean congregation to secure the remaining £111,000, plus winning grants for exterior lighting/restoring the war memorial. Ruth’s passion for music has led her to found and conduct non-audition community choir Chorus of Dissent and youth version, Young Dissenters. Their sell-out concerts raise money for both local and international causes including the church and the Rebuild Barbuda Appeal (of which she has been a trustee). “Ultimately, we shall continue to challenge discrimination, fight prejudice, support diversity and inclusion, and use our success as financial advisers to create more opportunities and lessen poverty for the community around us.” Contact: Ruth Whitehead Company: Ruth Whitehead Associates Web Address: rwafinance.co.uk
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