"When I grow up I want to be a financial adviser" - it's not very likely is it? It certainly wasn't what I had in mind when I was young. However, it's a popular business for the youth of Edinburgh to get into and I was one of them. Mums and Dads love it - safe, sensible and a good pension too.

So that was me, 20 years old and working for a life assurance company. They were good to me. I travelled, had fun, met interesting people, played golf and got well paid too. I actually realised that I was quite good at the business, especially working with clients. Talking about money is a bit dry so I always like to lighten the mood and most people seem to appreciate that.

Like most people, I value a world that's fair and safe for all. But like most, I was personally doing OK and I hadn't really connected with what I could do to change it. As life goes on, you hit that magic 30 mark and you start to realise that you'd better think about the future. For me, a number of things happened. I started representing a range of leading ethical funds; these weren't just 'more of the same' investments, they actually meant something and it was good to talk about something that I really believed in. I also became a father to Alex (she's now 7) and unfortunately, I discovered that the big companies I worked for, thought I might just be a balance sheet cost and not a person.

Chance reunited me with Julian (we used to work together in the 90's) and our ideas and aspirations have gelled. Together with Emma, we've created ethicalfutures. For me, money is not my top priority (although it's nice to pay the bills). It's far more about making a positive contribution - getting a life, advising clients and hearing them say "thanks Martin, you really helped us".

I hope that I can help you too, with pensions, investments, protection and full financial reviews. I am also fully qualified to advise on mortgages, including equity release.

Click on our name to find out a little more about us:

Julian Parrott, Partner
Emma Todd, Administrator