Matthew Brooks

Founding Partner and Chartered Financial Planner

07766 203013
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About Matthew

Matthew began his career at 16 with Midland Bank (now HSBC) as a trainee bank manager. He transitioned to Britannic Assurance as a Financial Adviser at 20, later becoming an Independent Mortgage and Financial Adviser.

In 2007, he co-founded The Cosgrove Partnership. With over 30 years of experience, Matthew specialises in retirement and investment advice.

Matthew works mainly with clients over 50, helping them navigate pre-retirement, retirement transitions, and later life.

Matthew holds the Advanced Diploma in Financial Planning and is a Chartered Financial Planner.

Reviews and Ratings for Financial adviser Matthew Brooks, Milton-Keynes

Qualifications

Chartered status is awarded by the Chartered Insurance Institute (CII) and is considered the gold standard of financial planning accreditation. Chartered status is a symbol of technical competence and signifies a public commitment to upholding professional standards and adhering to a professional Code of Ethics.

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Qualifications

AF5 Financial Planning Process

This examination assesses the candidate to develop an understanding of the financial planning process when giving advice to clients.

CII Financial Planning Certificate

A recognition offered by the Chartered Insurance Institute in the United Kingdom. Individuals who hold this qualification have satisfied coursework and testing requirements set by the organisation.

CII Level 3 Award in Long Term Care Insurance

This Level 3 award develops the knowledge and understanding of long-term care cover, including legal, taxation and regulatory issues and the responsibilities of local authorities.

CII Level 4 Award in Pensions Update

This single unit qualification develops and tests knowledge of pension reforms and how they impact at-retirement advice.

CII Level 4 Certificate in Discretionary Investment Management

The RQF Level 4 Certificate in Discretionary Investment Management develops the wealth strategy and portfolio management skills required for effective discretionary investment management. The qualification satisfies the FCA appropriate qualification requirements for this class of business.

CII Level 4 Diploma in Financial Planning

This Level 4 Diploma meets the FCA’s qualification requirements for retail investment advisers, demonstrating core technical knowledge and financial planning capabilities across six core areas.

CII Level 6 Advanced Diploma in Financial Planning

This qualification enables professional advisers to develop specialist planning capabilities, covers topics like: personal tax and trust, business financial, pension and investment planning.

AF4 Investment Planning

The objective of Investment Planning (AF4) is to develop in depth financial planning skills related to investments and the management of investment portfolios.

AF7 Pension Transfers

The objective of Pension Transfers (AF7) is to develop the specialist knowledge and skills needed for advising on pension transfers. This unit covers the fundamental aspects of the pension transfer process; the implications of transferring between different types of pensions; and develops advice skills across a range of client circumstances and scenarios.

AF8 Investment Planning

The objective of Retirement Income Planning (AF8) is to develop and demonstrate the advanced skills needed for advising on income planning to those in and approaching retirement.

G10 taxation and trusts

This qualification aimed to develop a candidate's knowledge of the UK tax system and the law and practice of trusts, enabling them to advise clients on the tax treatment of their investments and the use of trusts to meet their financial needs.

View FCA register

Get to know

Things Matthew likes

Real ale

Being busy

Vinyl records

Campervans and scooters

The great outdoors when the sun is shining

Things Matthew dislikes

Exercise

Dishonesty

Compact discs

Wasting money on unnecessary things

Outside of work

Matthew is married with two sons and enjoys spending time with his family and friends.

Outside of work, Matthew likes cooking, gardening, buying records, and going to live gigs.

He’s also a season ticket holder at Kettering Town FC and a long-suffering Manchester United fan.

Matthew in the spotlight

The things I love most about my job are:

Helping people live the life they want to live and getting to know and assist them over many years, plus the fact that .

I work for my clients and not a large institution.

I also like that I can plan my own time at work and time off, work to realistic deadlines for clients, and make promises I can keep.

Three people at my dream dinner party would be:

Ex-footballer Eric Cantona, DJ Gilles Peterson, and professor and physicist Brian Cox.

My favourite Album to play in the car is:

What’s Going On by Marvin Gaye or Quadrophenia by The Who.

The types of people I most enjoy working with are:

Prepared to fully engage with financial planning to the point where I can add value to justify my fees.

The best gift I’ve ever received is:

Life - but if that’s too deep and meaningful, then a material item would be a 1960’s jukebox.

Here to help you, together

Trusting someone else to handle your money matters is a big decision. With us, you’ll receive professional, tailored guidance with your best interests at heart.

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Gary Cooke

Founding Partner and Independent Financial Adviser

View Gary's profile

Christopher Ireland

Founding Partner and Independent Financial Adviser

View Christopher's profile

Ben Lancaster

Partner and Chartered Financial Planner

View Ben's profile

Graham Russell

Founding Partner and Chartered Financial Planner

View Graham's profile

Sarah Byrne

Senior Business Coordinator

View Sarah's profile

Gemma Streeter

Business Coordinator

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