Daniel Minsky

My name is Daniel Minsky, I have been with The Orchard Practice for nine years and I work very closely with Joshua Gerstler.

I got in touch with The Orchard Practice for the first time because I was after a mortgage when I was moving and looking to move to my first property purchase. Since then, it’s evolved into a lot more than just mortgage advice.

With four kids and a mortgage, I was really looking for the best way to financially plan for my future with various life events coming up, bar mitzvahs and weddings, hopefully planning for those. I wanted some advice as to how best to put money aside for them in the most financially beneficial way for us as a family.

I’ve known Josh for a long time as a family connection and one of my other siblings had used Josh as well, so he came on a recommendation.

The reason I chose The Orchard Practice is I had my first meeting with Josh and I got on really, really well with him. I found that he understood me and my family’s needs to the T. Having engaged with him firstly on the mortgage front, everything else followed really, really simply. I also enjoyed the fact that he was taking full control of everything to do with my financial planning, not just taking one element and me having to do with the other elements with someone else.

The most recent thing that Josh has helped me with has been my ISA’s and my ISA allowance and helping me plan efficiently. Also, using some historical voids in my ISA history to be able to top those up, to make sure that I was being as efficient as I could, with my monies.

Working with The Orchard Practice has given me peace of mind knowing that what I am planning for my family’s future is all in really safe hands. I’ve just found that it’s taken a lot of weight off my mind, for everything that may come for me giving my family protection, God forbid anything happens to me. It’s just been a really easy experience to work with Josh and his team.

In relation to my financial future, I feel very secure. I really like having my yearly catch up with Josh, looking at how I’ve done last year, and where I am currently and what the future potentially holds given the variables that may occur. Just having that sense of security is really reassuring.

If I wasn’t working with The Orchard Practice, I think I would find the entire financial planning process, a complete minefield and working with Josh and his team has just simplified everything for me.

The three words that I would use to describe Josh and his team at The Orchard Practice are personable, understanding and in touch.

The best thing about working with Josh and The Orchard Practice is they get you as an individual and you as a family and you in terms of where you want to be heading in your life. I found it really, really reassuring that they do actually understand everything that I need.

The best piece of advice that Joshua’s team have given me over the last few years is in relation to how best to distribute my earnings from my work life. Whether that’s been putting some into cash, keeping some in ISA’s, paying into pensions, and really being able to spread the monies in the most efficient way possible.

It goes without saying that I would highly recommend working with Josh and his team. I found them to be totally understanding of every situation, really knowledgeable about the market and the products available in the market. And ultimately being able to pick up the phone and have a conversation with someone that understands you and your family’s needs, you can’t beat it.