Meet the team: A Q&A with paraplanner Jess
In this month’s Q&A, we hope you’ll enjoy getting to know Jess Hopkins, our paraplanner.
Read on to learn more about Jess’s background, how she helps our team to support our clients, and some of the things she enjoys doing outside of work.
1. What is your role at HarperLees and how do you help your clients?
I am currently a paraplanner at HarperLees, and as part of my role I support the Financial Planners with advice they are giving our clients.
This includes creating and maintaining the cashflow models as seen in the discussion meetings and reviewing investment products to see if we could be doing any better for our clients.
2. What did you do before working at HarperLees?
Before starting at HarperLees, I had just graduated from Brunel University with an undergraduate degree in Economics and Business Finance. As part of my degree, I also had a year-long placement working at Macquarie Bank within their EMEA Oil Logistics Team.
3. What is your favourite part of your role at HarperLees?
I love meeting all of our clients and being able to make a difference to people’s lives.
Whether it’s giving them the reassurance they need to go out and enjoy their hard-earned money during retirement or helping to create plans for the future to protect families from potential unforeseen circumstances, I love hearing peoples stories and being a part of it.
4. What do you believe sets HarperLees apart from other financial planning firms?
Being a smaller firm, I think some people may make judgements about our ability to service people’s needs but really I think that’s what sets us apart from others.
We care about each and every client. This means that every client has our full one-on-one attention so we can offer personalised advice for every situation, ensuring their needs are met with the utmost care and dedication.
5. What is a common misconception you hear from clients about financial planning?
A common misconception is that people sometimes think financial planning is all about investing and making more money. While it is a key part of planning (as we all want our money to work for us too), there’s so much more to it like protection planning, tax planning and estate planning.
Financial planners help with much more than just managing and growing your investments.
6. What are your favourite hobbies or pastimes when you’re not at work?
I’m the type of person who loves to try new things, so I have lots of different hobbies like gaming, painting, reading and at the moment, scrapbooking.
However, I don’t always have a lot of time for every hobby as I am also an athlete alongside my day job. I currently compete in shot put and have done athletics since I was 14 years old.
I started out in athletics doing heptathlon, which is seven events over two days: 100m hurdles, high jump, long jump, shot put, javelin, 800m, and 200m. During this time, I competed for England on four occasions and came podium position each time. I also won numerous National Championships for both single events and multi events.
Once I started studying at university, training for seven events became difficult, so I decided to specialise in shot put.
Since making the move to just one event, I’ve competed twice more for England and won medals at each competition. More recently you may have even seen me on BBC at the British Indoor Athletics Championships!
I’m currently ranked 10th in the UK but I am hoping to move up as the season continues into outdoors.
7. What would your dream meal be?
A dream meal for me would include flying over to Japan to try their A5 wagyu steak, sushi and ramen bowls. It all just looks so good!
8. What’s a goal that you’re working towards at the moment, personally or professionally?
Although I already do a sport, have a job, and multiple hobbies that I enjoy, I recently decided that wasn’t enough and started playing rugby (which is where I first met Steph)!
I fell in love with the game after the first training session and now aspire to improve my knowledge and playing for the county team in the next season.
Get in touch
If you’d like to know more about how Jess and the team here at HarperLees can help you achieve your financial goals, please get in touch. Email us at info@harperlees.co.uk or call 01277 350560 to find out more and we’ll be very happy to help.