Reflecting on a milestone year

At Goodmans, 2025 wasn’t just another year for us; it marked the major milestone of 30 years since Goodmans began. There were a lot of other things to celebrate too! As we settle into 2026, here are some of our highlights that made last year unforgettable.

Celebrating 30 years 

We marked our 30th anniversary all year (because why not?!), but our biggest celebration came in May, when we got together with over 150 clients at our client lunch.

We hold this event every year to thank our clients for choosing Goodmans, but 2025 was extra special. There was a focus on how far we’ve come and the brilliant people – team and clients alike – who have shaped our story, including some former Goodmans team members, now happily retired clients of ours! We also showed a video of our longest-running client, 99-year-old Andy Cole, who has been with us since it all began in 1995.

See more about our birthday celebrations 

Welcoming a new team member...

We were delighted to welcome Georgie Walker to our Exeter office in May, who immediately slotted in to become an invaluable part of the business. Now, we have eight Financial Planners working fluidly across our three offices alongside our Paraplanners and wider team. 

...and our 500th client family!

By the end of the year we were thrilled to see the number of families we support tick over 500. We’re proud to say some clients have been with Goodmans since the early days, many others for a decade-plus. Old or new, we’re committed to providing the best service to our client community and fostering long-lasting relationships. 

Team achievements 

Most of our team work hard throughout the year to enhance their technical knowledge and gain industry qualifications. 2025 was a busy year for results

• Our Accountant, Sadie completed her Diploma in Professional Accounting.
• Paraplanner, Charlotte gained her Level 4 Diploma in Regulated Financial Planning.
• Service Manager, Nikki launched her Diploma studies and bagged her first exam success. 
• Holly, George and Georgie all took one step closer to Chartered Financial Planner status by passing some of the toughest exams within the Advanced Diploma. 

• We wrapped up the year with Tom becoming a Chartered Financial Planner and Isabel about to do the same – read more here.

  Well done, team, keep it up!

  

Industry recognition 

In November, we again secured a spot in the Citywide New Model Adviser Top 100 financial planning firms in the UK. This is the third year in a row that we’ve been recognised for our commitment to service excellence and putting clients’ interests first. 

We also got shortlisted for the Best Client Engagement award by another industry publication, Professional Adviser. Fingers crossed for a Goodmans win in March!

Awards aren’t why we do what we do, of course, but it’s nice to be recognised for our hard work.

Adventures and other milestones

In our fourth annual walking adventure, we brought ten clients and five team members together to hike almost 60km across the lush wilderness of Transylvania in the heart of Romania. 

Find out more and why we started the Goodmans adventures

In July, we celebrated two years as an Employee-Owned Trust (EOT). Not much has changed… but that’s the point! While many other firms have been swallowed up by bigger fish, becoming employee owned has locked in our independence, client-focused culture and sustainable growth for the years to come.

See why we became an EOT and what it means

In 2025 we also reached double figures for our client magazine, Unleashed. We started this mag to share some of the inspiring ways our clients make the most of their time in retirement when ‘unleashed’ by good financial planning. We look forward to showcasing more of their adventures in future issues.

Meet some of our 'clients unleashed'

Innovations 

We’re always looking to innovate and improve the way we operate, and 2025 was no exception. Autumn brought the launch of our in-house Tax Agency Service, offering additional, expert tax support to clients all year round. 

In December we rolled out the first version of the Goodmans mobile app for clients to test – a more user-friendly and secure way of communicating with us and checking their money.

Looking ahead to 2026

Our journey doesn’t stop here. We’re excited about what’s next, including a new Bristol office, the full launch of the Goodmans app and growing the team – all developments designed to bring us closer to clients and enhance their experience. 

2025 reminded us of the power of reflection and celebration. Here’s to building on these achievements and making 2026 even better!