Lanyon Financial Planning is reporting a 20 per cent rise in its Assets Under Management (AUM) in 2025/26, compared with the previous year. as growing economic uncertainty continues to drive demand for more responsive, long-term financial planning.

The Belfast-based, independent advice firm says the traditional ‘set and forget’ approach to financial planning is increasingly out of step with the realities of modern life. In a digital era where markets, economic conditions, taxation, and consumer behaviour are changing rapidly, it believes financial strategies need to be agile enough to respond, without losing sight of clients’ long-term objectives.

Managing Director, Harry Blair, said the combination of this increasingly reactive financial environment, paired with challenging economic conditions, and an ageing population, is creating greater demand for expert advice.

Lanyon Financial Planning

He explained, “I’m extremely proud of the team. Our growth represents our commitment to putting our clients first and allows us to continue to invest in their financial futures. The impact of the global pandemic in 2020 continues to influence people’s thinking in all areas of personal finance – saving, investing and spending. Major factors such as high inflation, varying interest rates, and unpredictable changes in taxation mean all consumers, regardless of how wealthy, are feeling uncertain. Our experience shows that more people than ever are seeking trustworthy and straightforward advice to secure their financial futures.

“Proper financial planning is not about putting a strategy in place and forgetting about it. We find that people’s circumstances change regularly, and they need a secure strategy that can adapt to those changes. Pair this with the fact that Northern Ireland’s population is becoming older, and it presents an additional context for why more people are seeking help navigating and futureproofing their wealth.”

Lanyon Financial Planning has been regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority since it was established in 2005. Its typical client will be aged between 50 and 75, which Lanyon refers to as its “in or at retirement market.”

The team develops a unique Lifetime Cash Flow Plan for each client. This becomes a living tool, allowing different scenarios and strategies to be stress-tested and adapted as circumstances change – from early retirement to downsizing, and from passing on wealth to children to leaving legacies to charities.

One of the business’s primary advisers, Jessica Craig, explains that the bespoke approach continues to bring clarity and confidence.

She said, “We find that major life decisions such as when to retire can be incredibly daunting for most people. My career has taught me that having wealth doesn’t necessarily create confidence, and in many cases, it becomes our role to reassure our clients as to their financial security.

“A person could have substantial pensions and investments, valuable business and personal assets, but still not know that they have enough. Our clients want to know that if they retire, for example, if they can help their children, and still have a comfortable retirement of their own. Having a financial plan that can be reviewed, tested, and adapted as life changes gives clients something that a ‘set and forget’ strategy cannot. Our advice and guidance gives our clients the confidence to enjoy their lives without the fear of running out of money.”