Helen Vaughan BA FPFS

DIRECTOR AND CHARTERED FINANCIAL PLANNER

01525 712122

Qualifications

  • Advanced Diploma in Financial Planning

  • Diploma in Financial Planning

  • Certificate in Financial Planning

  • Certificate in Equity Release

  • Award in Pensions Update

  • Certificate in Mortgage Advice

  • Certificate in Financial Planning and Lifetime Mortgage Activities

  • Certificate in Financial Planning and Long-Term Care Insurance

  • Certificate in Life & Pensions Award in Long Term Care Insurance

  • CEFA 1, 2 & 3

  • IFS – Regulated General Insurance (CeRGI)

  • Regulated Customer Care (CeRCC)

  • NVQ Level 3 in Learning and Development

  • STEP Certificate for Financial Services

Chartered Financial Planner

Chartered status is awarded by the Chartered Insurance Institute (CII) and is considered the “gold standard” financial planning accreditation. Chartered status is a symbol of technical competence and signifies a public commitment to upholding professional standards and adhering to a professional Code of Ethics. Choosing a Chartered Financial Planner means you can be confident that you are dealing with one of the UK’s leading advisers who is wholly committed to providing you with the best possible advice, service and support.

Qualified Member of Personal Finance Society

Helen is a Fellow of the Personal Finance Society (PFS). Fellowship is the highest designation awarded by the PFS. Completion of the Fellowship programme shows that I have attained and maintained the most prestigious level of professional financial planning achievement. Fellowship doesn’t just come with letters after my name, it also comes with commitments to continuing professional development and adherence to the CII Code of Ethics.

STEP

STEP is the global professional association for those advising families across generations. Helen holds the "STEP Certificate for Financial Services – Trusts and Estate Planning" qualification. The STEP Certificate for Financial Services is the only trusts and estate planning qualification to address the common ground between solicitors and those working in the financial services sector. Holding this qualifications means that Helen is able to help clients with trust, Inheritance Tax, succession planning and post-death matters that cut across the legal and financial services disciplines. You can therefore be assured that your needs will be fully addressed and that we will be able to work together with any other professional advisers you have, in your best interests.

Women In Financial Advice Awards 2019 Finalist

Helen was a finalist in the Woman of the Year – Retirement Planning award in 2019. Her work helping those who are planning for retirement was recognised as being of an exceptional standard, making her one of the leading practitioners in her field.

Women in Financial Advice Awards 2021 Finalist

Both Helen Vaughan and Tina Wilson are finalists in the 2021 Women in Financial Advice awards. Helen is a finalist in the Financial Adviser of the Year - Midlands and East Anglia. Tina is a finalist in the Most Inspiring Returner category. This years winners will be announced in October. Both Helen and Danielle were also finalists in both 2020 and 2019.

Women in Finance Awards 2023

Both Helen Vaughan and Danielle Taylor are finalists in the 2023 Women in Financial Advice awards. Helen is a finalist in the Financial Adviser of the Year – Midlands and East Anglia. Danielle is a finalist in the Woman of the Year —  Vulnerable Client Care category This years winners will be announced in November. Helen, Tina and Danielle were also finalists in recent years.

At Work

Helen is a highly competent, approachable and dedicated Chartered Financial Planner. Committed to providing holistic financial planning to her clients, her specialisms include complex trust, Inheritance Tax and pension planning work.

Helen has over 18 years of experience, working with higher net worth clients in the Bedfordshire, Hertfordshire and Buckinghamshire area. 

Qualifications

At Home

Outside of work, Helen likes to fill her spare time by exercising (jogging, swimming or walking her border collie), gardening, camping, playing the viola, cooking, jigsaws, word games and painting by numbers with the children.

Important Information

All regulated financial advisers must be authorised by the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) and therefore appear on their register. You can see Helen’s entry here.

Furthermore, all advisers must have an up-to-date Statement of Professional Standing (SPS). This shows they are suitably qualified and have carried out the required amount of Continuous Professional Development (CPD). You should be wary of any advisers who refuse to provide copies of their SPS. You can click here to view Helen’s.

On an ideal weekend, you can find me:

Pottering around in the garden, or on a camping trip.

My favourite holiday destination is:

Thailand.

My favourite song to play in the car is:

David Bowie – Heroes.

The first album I bought was:

Leftfield – Leftism.

If I could be any fictional character, I would be:

Marty McFly – it would be so handy to be able to time travel sometimes.

If I could turn any activity into an Olympic sport, I would win a medal in:

Sunbathing.

When the dessert menu arrives, I’m looking for:

All the chocolate-laden salted caramel cheesecake nonsense.

The three qualities that draw me to new people are:

Honesty, openness, not taking themselves too seriously.

My pet peeve is:

Wasps on a summer’s day – seriously what is the point of them?

The best gift I’ve ever received is:

My family, or my collapsible camping bin – it’s a tie.

The three people at my dream dinner party would be:

David Attenborough, Michelle Obama and the Queen.

The three small things that make my day better are:

30 mins morning exercise, spending some time in woods or greenery, planning something yummy for dinner.

More of our team

Russell Vaughan

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Director and Chartered Financial Planner

Danielle Taylor (nee Fagot)

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Financial Planner

Tracy Stafferton

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Paraplanner

Nicola Jenkins

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Practice Manager

Alison O’Neill

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Administrator

Anna Hughes

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Paraplanner

Elaine Cuthbertson

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Technical Administrator

Christine Grahame

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Technical Administrator

Cameron Goodwin

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Junior Administrator

Jack Brown

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Technical Administrator

How can we help you?

For more information on how we can help you, and to take the next step in planning your ideal financial future, contact us using the direct messaging box on the right, or via our email or telephone contact details below.