‘A safe pair of hands’
Robin Melley TEP, Managing Director of Matrix Capital, had always understood the power of financial planning, but it wasn’t until he saw its impact on the most vulnerable that his true mission emerged. His journey began in 1991 when he entered the financial world as a trainee adviser at a national firm. At first, his work centered around wealth creation and tax advice – guiding clients toward financial security. But as the years passed, Robin’s approach evolved.
A pivotal moment came during his pro bono work at Citizens Advice. Sitting across from a terminally ill widow, he listened as she described her fears: her husband gone, her child with learning difficulties left without support, and the weight of an uncertain future pressing down on her. She simply wanted help filling out a trust form for an existing policy. But as Robin reviewed the details, he noticed a clause: terminal illness benefit.
The discovery changed everything. Instead of securing a future payout, Robin was able to ensure she received the full sum while still alive. When he asked what she would do with the money, her answer stopped him in his tracks: ‘I would have a wake while I’m alive.’ She wanted to celebrate her life with those she loved, to find joy before her time ran out.
It was a simple intervention, just a piece of financial guidance, but its impact was profound.
By 1999, Robin had founded his own firm of independent financial advisers, and soon after, Matrix Capital was born. His aim was to create a place where, like for the woman he had helped at Citizens Advice, financial planning was not just about wealth but about holistic, life-changing advice.
‘An expert on the Mental Capacity Act’
As Robin’s firm grew, another realisation struck him. Appointed by National Savings and Investments (NS&I) to advise winners of the £1 million premium bond jackpot, Robin witnessed firsthand the way that anyone, no matter their financial circumstances, could be vulnerable.
‘What that experience really demonstrated to us was that vulnerability is not synonymous with poverty,’ he told us. ‘People who experience sudden wealth are either plunged into vulnerable circumstances or their circumstances are exacerbated by the fact they've just won a significant amount of money.’
This understanding drove Matrix Capital’s commitment to ethical responsibility. What began as pro bono work became the heart of the firm, shaping its corporate social responsibility policy around combating financial abuse. It also inspired Robin’s desire to gain further qualifications, culminating in his completion of the STEP Advanced Certificate in Advising Vulnerable Clients.
Robin said: ‘You come out being an expert on the Mental Capacity Act and the Care Act … but it's all the soft skills and drawing on the experience of Caroline [Bielanska], the tutor, that have been really valuable.’
The power of collaboration
Robin had seen first-hand the impact of collaboration, particularly through his work with STEP members. Financial planning for vulnerable clients isn’t just about ticking regulatory boxes, but about deeply understanding their realities and ensuring they receive ethical, compassionate, and effective support.
‘From a business point of view, [the course has] been very valuable because it's enabled us to have more meaningful, collaborative relationships with, particularly firms of private client lawyers and tax advisers – i.e. other STEP members,’ Robin said.
On providing advice to other professionals in the field, Robin said: ‘If you're interested in developing your technical capability, and also those soft skills that are necessary to provide a safe pair of hands for your clients that may be in vulnerable circumstances, then I would say that this is the go-to qualification.’
‘It will elevate your knowledge to a place where you'll be in a small community of financial planners that have that capability. From a business perspective, it certainly helps us to demonstrate our credentials and our technical capability with other professionals – certainly other members of STEP, perhaps from the legal profession and the tax professions – showing that we do have the capabilities to work with them to provide good outcomes for our clients.’
Inspired by Robin’s story? Start your journey on the STEP Advanced Certificate in Advising Vulnerable Clients (England and Wales).