A 22-year old wealth manager from Wiltshire has become the youngest ever Fellow of the Personal Finance Society.
Investment Quorum’s Vito Faircloth passed his final three exams last week, qualifying for Fellowship of the PFS after 21 months of study.
Mr Faircloth did not go to university and moved to London as a broker in 2014 following a brief stint working in the IT sector.
He said: “I really wanted to combine my love of finance and my passion for speaking to and helping people.
“I tested the water as a broker and knew this was definitely what I wanted to do.”
Mr Faircloth joined Cheltenham-based chartered financial planning firm Attivo Group in 2015.
He qualified as a Level 4 financial adviser in August 2015 and as head of the firm’s corporate advice team, oversaw a 50 per cent increase in divisional revenue.
In August Mr Faircloth joined boutique wealth manager Investment Quorum in London, where he advises high net worth clients.
He said: “I want to be the best adviser I can be because it’s such a privileged position to be in.
“Sat in front of someone as a 22 year old and in essence they’re putting their retirement in my hands – it doesn’t get much more privileged than that.
“One of my first goals is to become one of the best advisers in the UK and one of the most competent as well.
“Longer term I want to be one of the leaders of the industry – I’ve got that strong tech background and I think our sector is moving towards tech more and more over time, so I think I’ll be well placed to do that.”
Mr Faircloth was named the Insurance Institute of Cheltenham and Gloucester’s Achiever of the Year for 2016.
PFS chief executive Keith Richards said: “Vito’s achievement is truly remarkable and I congratulate him on becoming part of PFS history by qualifying as its youngest ever Fellow.
“He is clearly a bright, enthusiastic and passionate member of our profession, and a role model for young and aspiring financial advisers across the country.”
