Andrew Goodwin is the Managing Director and Co-founder of National IFA Truly Independent Ltd and Author of ‘The Happy Financial Adviser’.
His 20 year career in Financial Services started when he graduated from Heriot-Watt University in Edinburgh with an Honours Degree in Actuarial Mathematics and Statistics.
Between 1995 and 2003 he worked for General Accident (now Aviva) as a Senior Financial Consultant before moving into their corporate division where he achieved advanced qualifications in Taxation & Trusts, Supervision & Sales Management and Pensions.
In 2004 he joined National IFA Positive Solutions on a self-employed contract and during this period he recruited and mentored others into a similar role. By 2008 he was head of the North division in charge of his own recruitment team of Business Consultants.
In 2009, he recognised that the industry was changing and left Positive Solutions to set up his own multi-adviser firm with co-founder Cath Bowden called Truly Independent Ltd. With just £10,000 of investment Truly Independent Ltd today is the largest firm in Cumbria and supports more than 40 self-employed IFA’s across the UK and is growing.
24 March 2026 by Andrew Goodwin
‘It’s up to us to determine whether AI works for us or against us’ Andrew Goodwin reflects on the rise of AI in wealth management through the lens of 1960s classic sci-fi show, StarTrek Shop around the numerous sci-fi-centric, retro-themed channels that nowadays populate TV schedules and you’ll very likely stumble across the original Star…
6 February 2026 by Andrew Goodwin
Andrew Goodwin intertwines the intricacies of pinball with a successful financial journey in his latest article for Professional Adviser… At the risk of making yours truly appear irredeemably ancient, it’s time to discuss pinball. As some readers may recall, this was a popular pastime in the long-ago era before Space Invaders and Pac-Man broke the…
5 January 2026 by Andrew Goodwin
My route into financial advice wasn’t exactly what you would call typical. Although I had a fondness for numbers, the early part of my working life was spent in my family’s fruit-and-veg firm. The first major hint of what lay ahead came when I reached my mid-20s. With the Goodwins having somehow failed to…
11 December 2025 by Andrew Goodwin
I came across a fantastic spot of financial advice on social media the other day. It was jaw-dropping stuff, to put it mildly. An American gentleman in sunglasses introduced his young daughter, who was about to buy her first car. She had just been to the bank, which had given her a $15,000 loan…
27 November 2025 by Andrew Goodwin
I was recently asked what my dream job would be if destiny hadn’t steered me towards the wonderful world of financial advice. My response: a test-driver for Porsche. You see, I’ve loved Porsches for as long as I can remember. I’ve been lucky enough to own a few, but the thought of actually being…
14 November 2025 by Andrew Goodwin
My route into financial advice was unusual, to say the least. I had a fondness for numbers from an early age, but it was somehow decided this passion should be channelled into my family’s fruit-and-veg firm. As things turned out, the Goodwins failed to radically disrupt the world of fresh produce. As a…
28 October 2025 by Andrew Goodwin
We all know advisers need to embrace technology. Advances such as artificial intelligence (AI) are vital to the future of our industry and our ability to help make a positive difference to millions of people’s lives. I’ve been especially vocal about this issue for some time now. As I’ve explained many times, I regard…
15 October 2025 by Andrew Goodwin
The name Dyson is nowadays most likely to conjure up images of vacuum cleaners. As someone with a modest background in number-crunching, I instead prefer to think of mathematician and theoretical physicist Freeman John Dyson. A member of Princeton’s illustrious Institute for Advanced Study, Dyson came up with all sorts of amazing scientific ideas…
23 September 2025 by Andrew Goodwin
As a financial adviser, you probably rank discussing retirement plans with clients among the greatest pleasures of your professional life. It can certainly produce some heartwarming and rewarding moments. The instant when a client first understands a comfortable retirement is achievable is especially sweet. The sense of joy which fills the room when the likelihood…
15 July 2025 by Andrew Goodwin
As you’ll doubtless have noticed, markets have had something of a rollercoaster ride of late. Amid numerous unhelpful dynamics, the fluctuating fortunes of Big Tech have been one of the main drivers of volatility. A major lesson from the turmoil has been that diversification is still vital. Contrary to claims from people who ought to…
