How AI Is Reshaping Paraplanning, and What It Means for the Job?

Can AI replace a paraplanner? My guest this week has a sharp answer: it won't take your job, it'll take your tasks. What you choose to do with that is everything. In this episode of I Just Fell Into Financial Planning I sit down with Gareth Millard, founder of Clear Path Paraplanning. Gareth has spent 28 years in the profession, from churning through quotes at a product provider at 18, to going Chartered, sitting the CFP, and this year finally backing himself to launch his own outsourced paraplanning business. We get into the AI tools he actually uses day to day, and the exact point where he refuses to let it near the work. Why being "just a document producer" is a dangerous place to stand right now. The pricing problem every solo paraplanner walks into. And the honest reality of leaving 28 years of employment to build something that's all on you. If you're a paraplanner, a financial planner, or you're sat there thinking about going solo, this one is for you. ⏱️ Chapters 00:00 The hook: will AI replace paraplanners? 01:05 How Gareth fell into financial planning (at 18) 02:07 28 years and several firms: the career path 03:40 When lifestyle planning and cashflow modelling clicked 07:15 Why he launched Clear Path this year 08:27 Chartered vs CFP: building a plan from scratch (all 64 tabs) 13:22 The AI tools he actually uses (Copilot and Saturn) 16:07 AI and authentic marketing: the "template post" problem 18:52 His ideal client: a partnership, not a shop window 20:56 Will paraplanners cease to exist? 25:28 Employment vs self-employment 29:01 The pricing problem nobody warns you about 34:18 The importance of doing hard things 35:37 Where AI has to stop: it takes tasks, not jobs 37:59 His biggest mistake in year one 39:43 Learning to love the business side 👤 About Gareth Millard Founder of Clear Path Paraplanning, an outsourced paraplanning service built for solo, directly authorised lifestyle financial planners. Chartered, and a Certified Financial Planner (CFP). 🎙️ About the show I Just Fell Into Financial Planning is hosted by Jamie Bradbury. Honest conversations with the people who ended up in this profession, and what they've learned building a career and a business inside it. If you got something out of this, hit like, subscribe, and send it to someone in the profession who needs to hear it. I'd genuinely love to know your take on the AI question in the comments.