Our team
Simon Yates CFPCM DipPFS CertsCII(MP & ER)
Director and Certified Financial PlannerCM practitioner
Simon has been working with people and their finances since 1989. He has worked for two household name pension and investment companies, a general insurance broker and a firm of chartered accountants. As a Certified Financial PlannerCM practitioner he is passionate about helping clients to achieve their lifestyle and financial goals.
He is a founder member of Alternative Financial AdvisersTM, a nationwide panel of Lifestyle Financial Planners, established in 2010 to take "the truth about money" to consumers.
Simon is keen to help develop professionalism in the financial sector in the UK, for the benefit of consumers. He is currently President of the Insurance Institute of Chester & North Wales, a local institute representing approximately 500 members of the Chartered Insurance Institute and Personal Finance Society.
In addition to providing the Lifestyle Financial Planning services at Yates & Co, Simon advises on Pension Sharing in divorce cases and runs our Pension and Retirement Advice service for people who are close to retirement.
Simon's qualifications include:
- Certified Financial PlannerCM (CFP) practitioner - awarded annually by the Institute of Financial Planning
- Member of the Personal Finance Society by Diploma (DipPFS)
- Chartered Insurance Institute Advanced Financial Planning Certificate
- Chartered Insurance Institute Financial Planning Certificate
- Chartered Insurance Institute Certified Mortgage Professional and Equity Release Specialist
Simon is married and his interests include personal development, mountain walking, climbing, running and motorbikes.
Phil Yates CertPFS CertsCII(MP&ER)
Director
Phil has been in the financial services profession for all of his working life and in his younger days he worked for the Woolwich Building Society and Norwich Union.
In 1983, he was head-hunted to establish a financial services company for a large regional estate agents and was instrumental in expanding the estate agent’s branch offices and financial services team.
However, in 1989, his self-motivational streak took over and he set up his own firm of independent financial advisers becoming Yates & Co in 1994 and we have traded under this style ever since.
Philip specialises in advising on all types of mortgages, mainly residential and buy to lets, with some commercial. He also advises on equity release for older clients who wish to release capital/income from their homes. His qualifications include:
- Chartered Insurance Institute Financial Planning Certificate
- Chartered Insurance Institute Certified Mortgage Professional and Equity Release Specialist
In his spare time he enjoys supporting his young sons in their aspirations to become professional footballers and spends his weekends on the touch-line in the pouring rain!
Gareth Williams Cert PFS CertsCII(MP&ER)
Investment Adviser
Prior to joining Yates & Co. Gareth spent the previous twenty years working with corporate financial institutions including a major bank, building society and a national estate agency. This broad experience and knowledge allows Gareth to make his clients feel at ease with the information and advice being provided and is well-suited to the friendly atmosphere that gives Yates & Co. the edge in the world of Financial Planning.
His love of investments stems from a chance conversation with a seasoned private investor when he was still in secondary education and this has stayed with him throughout his personal and professional life.
Gareth's qualifications include:
- Chartered Insurance Institute Financial Planning Certificate
- Chartered Insurance Institute Certified Mortgage Professional and Equity Release specialist
Outside the office Gareth runs two investment clubs and is currently teaching his young daughter about the joys of vermiculture (composting with worms!).
Senga Jones BSc CertPFS CertCII(MP)
Paraplanner
Senga has worked in financial services since graduating from university in 2004 with a degree in Business & Legal Studies. She worked for a finance company and a specialist pension provider before joining Yates & Co in 2007 when she moved from South Wales, providing technical support to the financial team.
Senga's qualifications include:
- Chartered Insurance Institute Financial Planning Certificate
- Chartered Insurance Institute Certified Mortgage Professional
She has also passed an examinations in pension simplification and long term care insurance.
In her spare time, Senga enjoys socialising with her friends, which means lots of travelling between South Wales and Cheshire!
Liz Newell
Client Manager
Liz has been working in customer services since 1985 and in the financial sector since 2000. She joined Yates & Co in 2005 from a high street building society, as our client manager and uses her knowledge and experience to look after our clients, liaise with financial companies and ensure our processes run smoothly.
When she's not organising us or looking after our clients, Liz can be spotted watching Rugby Union or on the M6 travelling between her twin daughters' universities.
Eva Yates
Client Support
Since leaving college, Eva has been working in the accounts and compliance business for 25 years. She provides most of our back office support and also assists with client support, liaising with our investment and mortgage providers.
She never has any spare time as her two young sons keep her very busy pursuing their sporting hobbies.