You can contact John direct on 0191 4066453 or email or chat live with John by clicking here

John Bloomfield entered financial services within a year of leaving University in 2001, beginning his career with the Mercantile Building Society which sadly no longer exists having been absorbed in to the larger Leeds Building Society.

"Working at the Mercantile was an experience I would never trade, it was small and we were not particularly well paid but that had it's advantages. As the Society was small I was able to learn a lot I wouldn't have had the chance to in a larger organisation. I doubt many institutions still exist were the adviser is also involved in the underwriting"

Looking back I feel my time at the Mercantile was priceless. It was at the Mercantile that I qualified as a Mortgage adviser, I was soon head hunted however to move to a a major high street bank.

Unfortunately my time at the bank didn't really work out. I didn't enjoy the sales environment and it wasn't long before I left to work for a local Independent Financial Advisers in Washington as a Mortgage advisor.

After a little while I qualified as a financial adviser allowing me to start giving advice on pensions and investments as well as the mortgage and insurance I had already been dealing with. After being authorised as an IFA I started to study towards specialist qualifications the first being the Certificate in Lifetime Mortgages (CeLTM) I continue now to work towards higher qualifications than are actually required as it is my firm belief that the best advisers are always striving to learn more, and that it is possible for a general practice IFA such as myself to hold all the "specialist" higher exams and still offer a fully rounded service to clients, against what seems to be the industry trend.

In May of 2008 I joined Paul Wilson Financial Services, having worked with Paul on several client based projects over a period of about two years, when things changed at my previous firm I felt that it was a natural progression to begin working with Paul Wilson Financial Services.

The current situation is ideal for me as I am able to work from my home in Houghton le Spring which is an ideal location for me, as I see my clients in their homes or places of work. From Houghton le Spring i can be in Sunderland in 10 minutes, Durham in 10 minutes, Newcastle Upon Tyne in 20 minutes and Hartlepool in about the same amount. Although it was just an accident of fate that I ended up in Houghton le Spring it really couldn't be a better location for me to be based as my clients are scattered across the North East.

My Philosophy

Although clients do come to me for advice on individual matters such as a mortgage or how to invest a lump sum they have received, my personal belief is that clients benefit most from what I call holistic financial planning.

What is holistic financial planning?

The purpose of a holistic financial review is to take in to account all aspects of your financial life in order to put together a balanced and realistic plan on how you can use the resources you have to achieve your aims.

Clients usually find that a holistic financial review from a qualified Independent Financial Adviser helps them to firstly establish a true picture of their current financial position. Secondly it helps you to focus on what you really want to achieve, and what is actually realistic or likely allowing clients to see how they can achieve their aims.

It is important to review the plan at least annually so that adjustments can be made to keep on track. I try to encourage all clients at least initially to have a full financial review rather than just engaging my services for a single issue such as life assurance or arranging a pension plan.

My aim is to be a trusted advisor to my clients there to support and advise throughout their lives.

For mortgages we can be paid by commission, or a fee usually £400