Brian Spence Financial Planner for Expats in Hanoi, Da Nang & Saigon

04/06/2026

https://www.ftadviser.com/content/4943ddeb-4ac2-46bc-b09c-050335d065cf

I was born in Sunderland — a city that knows something about resilience.

04/06/2026

IF I KNEW THEN WHAT I KNOW NOW

Ten years ago, at the age of 63, my wife and I moved to Vietnam.

Like many people starting a new venture, I arrived with a plan.

What I didn't appreciate was how often that plan would need to change.

Over the past decade, we have experienced successes, setbacks, Covid, business pivots, unexpected opportunities and more than a few moments when we questioned whether we had made the right decision.

Looking back, one lesson stands out.

Failure is not final. It is information.

Each setback taught us something. Each change in direction opened up opportunities that we could not see at the time.

Today, our work spans financial advice, coaching, consulting and M&A across Vietnam and Southeast Asia, but the journey has been anything but straightforward.

In this article, I reflect on what I wish I had known when I first arrived in Hanoi and some of the lessons learned along the way.

I'd be interested to hear from others who have started over, changed direction, or built something in a new environment.

What was the biggest lesson your journey taught you?

https://www.ftadviser.com/content/4943d … 0335d065cf

12/05/2026

THE HABIT

I don’t have enough is one of the most common things I hear:

“I’ll start when I have more money.”

Especially from people early in their careers.

It sounds sensible.

But it’s usually the mistake.

Because investing isn’t about how much you start with.

It’s about when you start.

Small, regular amounts over time do far more than people expect.

Not because the numbers are big at the beginning…

…but because time does the heavy lifting.

And the part most people underestimate?

The habit.

Once it starts, it builds.

Once it’s delayed, it tends to stay delayed.

So it’s rarely about not having enough.

It’s about not getting going.

If you’ve been telling yourself you’ll start “later”…

we should have a conversation.

09/05/2026

Lost Treasure

Somewhere in a loft or cupboard lies my greatest unrealised investment return.

I just have no idea where.

Back in 1966, when England won the World Cup for the one and only time, the government issued first-edition commemorative stamps.

I was about 14 and absolutely convinced they would one day make me rich.

So naturally, I stored them very safely inside an old encyclopedia.

I have never seen them since.

But in many ways, that is the real lesson about money and investing.

Human behaviour matters more than people realise.

Forgotten pensions.
Old share certificates.
Premium Bonds.
Dormant accounts.
Savings bonds tucked away in drawers.
Investments people meant to “sort out later”.

It happens far more often than most people think.

Over the years, I have met people who rediscovered pensions worth far more than expected simply because time had quietly done its work in the background.

The same can apply to old savings bonds and investments that may still be earning interest or have compounded over time.

Worth checking before they end up like my stamps.

What is your own “lost treasure”?

I would love to hear what people have rediscovered — or forgotten about — over the years.

Just a thought from experience.

06/05/2026

Markets at All‑Time Highs
Market Timing?

📈 Stock markets are hitting new highs — and that’s when most people hesitate.
It feels like the worst time to start.
But if you’re investing monthly, today’s price isn’t the issue.
You’re not trying to get it right once — you’re building over time.
When markets are high, you buy fewer units. When they fall, you buy more.
That’s how the average works in your favour.
The biggest mistake isn’t starting at the wrong time.
It’s waiting for a “better” time that never comes.
If that sounds familiar, let’s talk. ☕

Just a thought from experience.
Brian Harrison Spence
Founding Partner – HSP Consulting

06/05/2026

Markets at All‑Time Highs

Market Timing?

📈 Stock markets are hitting new highs — and that’s when most people hesitate.

It feels like the worst time to start.

But if you’re investing monthly, today’s price isn’t the issue.

You’re not trying to get it right once — you’re building over time.

When markets are high, you buy fewer units. When they fall, you buy more.

That’s how the average works in your favour.

The biggest mistake isn’t starting at the wrong time.

It’s waiting for a “better” time that never comes.

If that sounds familiar, let’s talk. ☕

Just a thought from experience.

Brian Harrison Spence

Founding Partner – HSP Consulting