At work
Accreditations
Qualifications
At home
What one aim or life goal do you one day hope to achieve?
What three things are guaranteed to make your day better?
Is there something interesting or unusual that people might be surprised to learn about you?
Born and raised in Tunbridge Wells, Richard Hitchell attended Cardiff University in Wales, where he resided for fifteen years. His career began in IT management, but a family circumstance prompted Richard to reconsider his life’s priorities. This reflection led him back to Tunbridge Wells, where he later joined the family practice at Hitchell Financial Planning.
Richard is a Chartered Financial Planner and a Fellow of the Personal Finance Society (FPFS)—the highest level of qualification awarded by the PFS. This Fellowship recognises extensive technical knowledge, experience, and dedication to professional development, placing Richard among the most qualified financial planners in the UK.
Specialising in pensions and investments, Richard helps clients create financial plans that align with their lifestyle aspirations. With a strong background in IT, he is passionate about integrating technology into financial planning, using tools like Voyant cashflow planning to provide an interactive and engaging client experience.
Richard's commitment to excellence is reflected in his consistent inclusion in the VouchedFor UK Top Rated Financial Adviser list for the last four years. He is also an accredited member of the Society of Later Life Advisers (SOLLA), having achieved the Later Life Adviser Accreditation in April 2021.
Fellowship (FPFS)
Fellowship is awarded by the PFS to members who have attained and maintained the most prestigious level of professional achievement. This demonstrates my knowledge and technical capability and my ongoing commitment to professional development.
Chartered
Chartered status is awarded by the Chartered Insurance Institute and is considered the gold standard financial planning accreditation. Chartered status is a symbol of technical competence and signifies a public commitment to upholding professional standards. I’m pleased to say that it places me amongst the top professionals in my field.
Later Life Adviser Accreditation (LLAA)
The Later Life Adviser Accreditation (LLAA) is considered a gold standard for independent recognition of an advisers knowledge and advice skills.
Full accreditation of SOLLA demonstrates a high level of technical knowledge and evidence of good working knowledge and understanding of the needs, capacity and financial issues of those seeking later life advice. As part of receipt of the accreditation, advisers need to demonstrate excellent interpersonal and communication skills, and the ability to explain complex issues in a way clients can easily understand.
SOLLA accreditation is widely accepted as the industry standard of excellence for those advising on later life care and equity release.
Advanced Diploma in Financial Planning (APFS) and Fellowship of the PFS
AF1 (Taxes and Trusts)
AF3 (Pension Planning)
AF4 (Investment Planning)
AF5 (Financial Planning Process)
SOLLA Later Life Adviser Accreditation (LLAA)
Diploma in Financial Planning (DipPFS)
J04 (Pension Funding Options)
J05 (Pension Income Options)
R03 (Personal Taxation)
R06 (Financial Planning practice)
Certificate in Certificate Planning
CF1 (UK Financial Services, Regulation & Ethics)
CF2 (Investment & Risk)
CF3 (Financial Protection)
CF4 (Retirement Planning)
CF5 (Integrated Financial Planning)
CF6 (Certificate of Mortgage Advice)
CF8 (Long Term Care Insurance)
ER1 (Equity Release)
Living in Tunbridge Wells, Richard leads an active and varied lifestyle—rarely found sitting still. He has a passion for watersports, particularly wingfoiling and kitesurfing, making the most of windy days on the water. On dry land, he enjoys DIY projects, gardening, and hands-on creative work.
Richard is also a keen floorhockey player, enjoying this fast-paced indoor game with Scandinavian origins. An avid cyclist, he takes on mountain trails and city rides alike, relishing the freedom of two wheels. While not a frequent golfer, he appreciates the occasional round as a way to unwind.
Above all, family is at the heart of everything for Richard. He is happily married to Gayle, and together they love spending time with their two children, Emily and Eddie, embracing outdoor adventures and creative hobbies as a family.
I would love to complete a self-build grand designs house!
A sunny windy day, learning new skills, being out with family and friends
I (still) love house music and was a club DJ for 10 years. In Cardiff on millennium eve, I DJ’d alongside Fat Boy Slim.
I’m featured on VouchedFor, the UK’s leading customer review site for financial advisers, mortgage advisers, solicitors and accountants. For 2025 I have also qualified as a 'Top Rated' adviser and will feature in The Times newspaper and as part of their digital guide.
Click here to read my VouchedFor page with client reviews and my current rating.