DANIELLE SISSONS

WEALTH ON HER TERMS

Women are often told financial planning is about numbers, investments, and retirement. Danielle Sissons believes it is really about something else entirely: having the confidence, security, and freedom to make choices on your own terms.

Listen to her video interview here on the Between Meetings & Motherhood podcast.

You built Ivey Financial Planning specifically for ambitious women, busy mums, and female founders. What was missing in the financial world for women that made you feel called to build something different?

Although there’s nothing actively stopping these individuals from accessing advice currently, it's not very appealing! Finance is an old industry, with its roots buried in misogyny and although it has come a long way there's still a long way to go. For example, business is often still done on a golf course, there’s assumptions around “lead clients” when dealing with husbands and wives (many advisers having little to no relationship with the wife - 75% of newly widowed women leave their husband’s adviser due to this) and lack of representation (less than 20% of advisers are female!).

Pair all this with the traditional % based fee model and individuals with lower net worth (often younger) are feeling blocked out as advisers don't preserve them as profitable to take on as clients. By choosing a flat fee model I can work with anyone at any net worth, and any stage of life. Perfect for those transitioning big life moments such as starting a business or growing a family.

There's a huge shift coming, with more wealth in the hands of women than ever and more and more seeing the advising profession as one which is actually relationship based. I think the next few years of advice will be an exciting one indeed.

Since becoming a mother yourself, has your relationship with money, security, or long-term planning changed in ways you didn’t expect?

I've always been relatively risk-averse with my finances and naturally lean more toward saving than spending. What surprised me most was how difficult it was to navigate finances after having a baby. Despite a decade in the industry, I still found child benefits and free childcare confusing. A misunderstanding around term timings even ended up costing me thousands.

That experience made me realize how overwhelming these systems must be for other parents. If I was struggling to make sense of it all, how were others coping? Were they claiming everything they were entitled to, or simply giving up because it felt too complicated? Most importantly, I found myself asking: who is helping these women?

A lot of women carry financial stress quietly, especially while balancing motherhood, work, and caregiving. What do you think women are really searching for when they seek financial planning beyond just numbers and investments?

From working with a huge variety of men and women as clients over the years I believe women are looking for a deeper relationship. They choose their adviser based on who they feel they click with, feel listened to by, respected and understood - more so than qualifications or google reviews.

I think long term this is a hugely beneficial strategy, and ultimately it increases how deeply you’ll open up about your life, wishes and goals, which improves the bespokeness of the advice given to you, AND improves the chances of you taking and sticking to the strategy.

You’ve spoken about wanting to create more flexibility for yourself and other women, especially mothers returning to work. How has becoming a parent influenced the way you think about success and the kind of company culture you want to build?

My focus is on balance and streamlining.

I still aim big, my goals for what Ivey will be is ambitious, and I still am giving myself big financial targets. But I am focused on building the business from day one with streamlined processes that support a flexible work/life balance. I want my clients to grow their wealth and their families, and I want that for me too! I don't believe anyone should be embarrassed to say they want to be rich; but rich is whatever it is to them.

You’re raising a two-year-old daughter while also helping women feel more financially confident and secure. What do you hope your daughter learns from watching you build this business and lead in this way?

I’m really proud of what my daughter has seen so far. Not just myself building Ivey but also my husband starting his own marketing agency. She’s watched us support each other and celebrate our wins and work hard - I really hope she sees all the love we pour into each other and our businesses to help other people. I would love for her to take away a good work ethic, some kindness, and some confidence in her own passions and abilities. And if she picks up some good financial habits along the way then I’m chuffed.

You built Ivey to give women more control, confidence, and calm around money, especially during major life transitions like motherhood. What impact do you hope your work has on women, families, and even the next generation of girls growing up?

Long-term, I want to help close the gender wealth gap - the difference between a man and a woman's lifetime assets. This is hugely impacted by career breaks (both for caregiving to our children but also to our parents which disproportionately lands on women), lower pay, lower pensions, greater cost of living (hello pink tax), perceived lower confidence and risk tolerance, longer lives and increased chance of chronic illness. Ultimately we need to invest more than men to make our assets go further.

I want to give the advice and education to help women do this in a controlled, measured way so that they’re confident in their strategy, security and ultimately can take the risks they want to without feeling held back or reliant on others for their financial security.

Danielle Sissons is an Independent Financial Planner and founder of Ivey Financial Planning, a firm built to help close the gender wealth gap. Through flat-fee financial planning, cashflow forecasting, and coaching, she helps ambitious women build wealth alongside their careers, businesses, and families.

After becoming a mother herself, Danielle became even more passionate about helping women navigate major life transitions with greater confidence and clarity. Today, she is working to make financial advice more accessible, actionable, and supportive for the women traditional financial services have often overlooked.

Website: iveyfinancialplanning.co.uk

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