Whitehead and Howarth is a chartered accountancy practice based in Lytham St Annes. Over 100 years old, the practice provides a wide range of services to both businesses and individuals. These services include bookkeeping, tax planning, audit and assurance, payroll, and financial advisory services. 

The practice prides itself on delivering clients peace of mind. Clients enjoy a single point of contact and a highly experienced team providing additional backup support. Upfront quotes, fixed price services and payment terms over 12 months mean all clients enjoy value for money without hidden surprises.

In this interview, Whitehead and Howarth Partner Gareth Maddock shares his personal journey towards financial security and the pivotal role Questa has played in paving the way to a comfortable retirement. As an accountant, Gareth understands the importance of financial planning, but even he found value in expert advice to optimise his investments.

He discusses the challenges of managing his pension, the benefits of working with a knowledgeable team, and why he believes Questa is the go-to firm for financial guidance in the North West.

We discover how Questa has supported Gareth’s evolving financial needs and helped him plan for the future.

What does wealth and happiness mean to you, Gareth?

I’m on that journey, and I’m getting closer year by year to ultimate retirement. So, wealth and happiness for me is knowing that, when I finish my working life, I have put enough away to be able to enjoy retirement.

Everybody plans to downsize and move to a smaller property and do this and do that. But ultimately, at the end of the day, you need to have a decent pension plan put away. That’s where Questa has assisted me over a good number of years by advising me on what I need to put away to have a comfortable retirement.

What was the biggest challenge you faced about your financial future?

The difficulty for anyone is understanding how much you might need to put away – the sooner, the better for most people.

I had had a pension for a long time. I took out a pension fairly early in my working life, but it wasn’t being properly managed. Working with Questa has ensured that my pension is now on the right track and performing well.

I should have moved to Questa far sooner than I did because the return on that investment for me since moving to them was definitely confirmation that it was the right decision.

Ultimately, even though I’m an accountant, I don’t have in-depth knowledge of the financial markets and what I should be investing in, but they’re providing that expert advice to me and ensuring that I’m investing in risk-appropriate investments for me.

It’s all about understanding the risk as well and what your aversion to risk might be, which changes as you get older.

How has Questa been able to help? What’s the experience been like for you?

It’s always been a friendly organisation to deal with. They’ve got a strong team of people, so from the top people right down to all of the support staff, they’re all committed, and they offer good advice. The experience has been a very positive one for me.

I feel like I’m getting support as my situation has evolved over the years. I’m getting appropriate advice from them, and good advice. It’s not just about the pension for me. I’m getting advice on other matters as well as other tax strategies, which, as an accountant, I can appreciate.

So it’s a rounded package I get from them. It’s not purely about pension; it’s about your entire financial affairs and your wealth investments in a broader picture.

Would You Recommend Questa?

I believe Questa is one of the most experienced firms in the North West. It has such a broad and strong team that I’m sure they can assist anyone with any queries they might have. So, it’s definitely worth speaking to, and I would!