Financial Planner Life Podcast Investment Banker to Self Employed IFA - Caroline Laudren
In this episode of the Financial Planner Life Podcast, Sam Oakes speaks with Caroline Laudren-Quillet, who transitioned from investment banking at Deutsche Bank to becoming a self-employed IFA and financial planner.
Just two years into her financial planning career, Caroline has built £14 million assets under management, while balancing family life and designing a career with genuine flexibility.
Caroline shares her full journey from investment banking to financial planning, including how she qualified, why she chose the self-employed IFA route, and how she evaluated different firms before joining a directly authorised financial planning firm.
We also dive into the practical realities of becoming a financial adviser in the UK. This includes how much money you need saved before going self-employed, how adviser revenue splits work, and what support new financial planners should look for when joining a firm.
Caroline also explains how she generated clients in her first two years as an IFA through Unbiased leads, networking groups, accountant referrals, and financial wellbeing workshops.
If you are exploring a career change into financial planning, thinking about becoming a financial planner or financial adviser, or weighing up the self-employed IFA route, this episode is packed with practical insights.
What we cover:
- Moving from investment banking to IFA
- Completing financial planning qualifications (Level 4)
- Choosing between IFA academies vs smaller financial planning firms
- The realities of becoming a self-employed financial adviser
- How much savings you need before going self-employed
- How financial advisers are paid and how fee splits work
- Building your client bank from scratch
- Lead generation for financial planners
- Networking, referrals and LinkedIn for advisers
- Why financial planning offers purpose and flexibility
This episode of Financial Planner Life is essential listening for anyone considering a career as a financial adviser, financial planner, or self-employed IFA.
00:00 - Ex-Deutsche Bank Investment Banking to IFA: self-employed start + £14m AUM
01:23 - Mindset check: “It’s Friday” + starting your Financial Adviser journey
02:34 - Why she left Investment Banking: COVID, redundancy, pregnancy, Plan B
03:56 - Finding the UK Financial Planning route: Sam’s videos + where to begin
05:27 - Lifestyle + family: why becoming a Self-Employed IFA fit her life
06:58 - Choosing a small firm: Directly Authorised IFA vs bigger routes
11:01 - Big bank to small Financial Planning firm: freedom, purpose, building a team
15:27 - Comparing firms: Quilter/SJP academy vs smaller IFA setup
17:20 - Going self-employed as a financial adviser: the 9–12 month savings rule
21:34 - What support should look like: paraplanners, me
Financial Planner Life is sponsored by Redmill Advance
Whether you're starting out, already qualified, or building a training academy, Redmill Advance delivers expert-led learning, exam support and CPD from Level 4 to Chartered.
✅ Trusted by top UK firms
👉 www.redmilladvance.com/fpl
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