About Des Richards

Protection advice from someone who plans before the pressure

I'm Des Richards, founder of Alliance Advisory Services. I've specialised in financial protection advice since 2010.

I help individuals, families and business owners understand what would happen if illness, injury or death affected them, and arrange suitable protection where it's needed. I'm based in Birmingham and advise businesses and individuals throughout the UK, meeting clients in person across Birmingham and the West Midlands or by phone and video call.

You deal with me directly, from the first conversation onwards.

Des Richards, Alliance Advisory Services

At a glance

Role

Founder and Strategic Protection Adviser

Specialism

Financial protection advice since 2010

Based

Birmingham

Advising

Businesses and individuals throughout the UK, in person, by phone or by video

Authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority. FCA No. 1034779

Why I do this work

Before I moved into financial services, I served in the Royal Air Force, including service in the Falklands.

In that environment, risk isn't something you deal with after the event. You assess it before you act, you plan for what could go wrong, and you make decisions with a clear head rather than in the middle of a crisis. That approach has stayed with me.

When I began advising people on protection, I saw the same pattern again and again. Families and businesses assume the people they rely on will always be there. Very few have worked out, in specific financial terms, what would happen if someone wasn't.

You can't always stop life from changing. You can prepare for the financial consequences.

That principle sits behind every recommendation I make.

What that means for you

My background shapes how I advise: calmly, thoroughly and without pressure.

  • Questions before products

    I start by understanding your circumstances: who depends on you, what you owe, and what would happen if something changed tomorrow. Only then do we look at cover.

  • Plain explanations

    I explain how each option works, what it costs and what it doesn't do, without jargon or pressure.

  • Honest advice

    Where protection makes sense, I'll recommend it. Where it doesn't, I'll tell you.

  • One point of contact

    You deal with me directly, from the first conversation through to arranging cover and beyond.

  • Regulated advice

    Advice is provided through Alliance Financial Protection Limited, authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority.

  • Working with your advisers

    Where it helps, I work alongside your accountant, solicitor or financial planner.

Let's talk about what matters to you

Book a conversation, or if you run a business, start with the Business Resilience Health Check. I meet clients in person across Birmingham and the West Midlands, and advise across the UK by phone and video call.

Or call me on 0121 663 0171