About Re:Generation Financial Coaching.

I started Re:Generation Financial Coaching to help individuals and families who have lost a relative, and in particular bereaved life-partners and children of all ages.

My own experiences of bereavement have shown that a number of financial considerations arise as a result, both immediately after the loss of a loved one and later on when planning a stable future.

In the short term, household bills and funeral arrangements need to be paid for. Banks and other organisations need to be notified. Several other formal and practical steps should be considered. Gaps in financial knowledge are common and can be difficult to navigate alongside natural grief.

Further down the line, it can be difficult to know how to plan and organise personal finances to support the future. Each situation is different and can bring about its own unique set of considerations. Many factors come into play; relationship to the deceased, number and age of dependents, level of wealth or debt - to name just a few.

“My own experiences of bereavement have shown me that a number of financial considerations arise as a result, both immediately after the loss of a loved one and later on when planning a stable future.”

I have found it challenging to find the right level and type of support in these difficult times. Bereavement counselling helps to process emotional loss. Financial advice generally focuses on financial considerations, in particular savings and investments as products. It is rare to find support which covers both together.

In my view, what is needed is a person or organisation to coach and support you through the process. Someone who is mindful of the emotional difficulties, knowledgeable and practical about finance and aware of everything in between. Someone who will translate the language of finance and walk the journey with you.

This is why I started Re:Generation Financial Coaching.

About Simon Dearsly.

I live in Balham, south-west London, with my wife and young son. I attended the University of Nottingham before working in the City of London for over 20 years serving institutional clients, predominantly other financial services firms.

In 2013 my aunt died unexpectedly. Although she had never married, she left behind her elderly father (my grandfather) who had been largely reliant on her for managing day-to-day finances and related affairs. I was an executor of her estate, which gave rise to several surprising areas of confusion and unearthed a significant error in the way her will had been written. Additionally, I discovered that she had been mis-sold unnecessarily complex financial products which impacted both her estate and her father’s finances.

In 2018, my wife very nearly died due to a hospital clinical error. The details are intensely private but the experience made me think deeply about the impact to my life, should I have become a widower.

In April 2020 my father died unexpectedly of Covid-19. I saw first hand the financial and emotional impact of a close bereavement. Fortunately, my professional experience and general understanding of personal finance helped me to support my mother though this most difficult time and into the future. I often wonder how my mother would have coped without my help.

In May 2020, my son was born. His birth, just one month after my father’s death, made me think a great deal about the past, the present and the future. With so much change in such a short period of time, and the world in the midst of the Coronavirus pandemic, I decided to take a career break. I was keen to spend quality time with my young family and support my bereaved mother.

“Whether or not you choose to work with me, if you have recently suffered the loss of a loved one then I wish you well on your difficult journey.”

In December 2020, I started working for a charity that provides debt advice to those in need. This continues to be a humbling experience, helping those less fortunate than myself, restoring dignity and renewing hope in clients. The benefits to community, as well as my own sense of meaning, have been striking.

Over the course of my career break I considered the possibility of permanent change. I firmly believe that financial services is a worthy, indeed necessary, industry. Without an effective financial services sector, the wheels of our modern society would simply grind to a halt. However, historically, I had found it difficult to see the link between my own efforts and individuals in society.

Furthermore, my personal experience demonstrated that people have enormous difficulty navigating the world of finance. The industry is full of highly capable, intelligent and kind people but in some instances the ‘system’ is set-up to bring out the worst in people. For example, commission based fees can put the interests of client and finance professional at odds with one another. I have seen this repeatedly in my personal finance life, as well as in my work as a debt adviser.

Many people I have spoken to believe that change is necessary, although only a small minority of people are committed to bringing about this change.

This is why I started Re:Generation Financial Coaching.

Whether or not you choose to work with me, if you have recently suffered the loss of a loved one then I wish you well on your difficult journey.

- Simon Dearsly