Beyond the Spotlight: Financial Planning for Creatives

Whether you’re centre stage, onscreen, or behind the scenes making it all happen, your career is anything but ordinary. But with creative freedom and career flexibility, often comes financial complexity. At First Wealth, we offer financial planning for creatives, performers and industry pros, tailored to lives that don’t follow a script.

Actors, directors, producers, musicians, writers, presenters – the media and entertainment world is full of talented people working across projects and platforms. Royalties. Residuals. Multiple contracts. Freelance bursts, followed by quiet spells. It’s exciting, unpredictable, and hard to plan around, unless you have the right advice.

You’re building a career on talent and tenacity. We’ll help you build a financial plan that works just as hard.

Creative life can be unpredictable. These eight steps can help you feel more in control:

1. Track Income from Every Angle

   Royalties. Day rates. Project fees. Brand deals. It adds up fast or disappears even faster. Get clear on what’s coming in, and when. Good financial planning starts with understanding your cashflow.

2. Plan Around an Unpredictable Lifecycle

   You might be in high demand now, but creative careers can change overnight. Take the wins when they come, but plan as if they won’t. That’s how you build lasting freedom.

3. Build Your Money Team Early
   

   Financial success is a team sport. You shouldn’t have to figure it all out alone. You need people around you who understand how your world works – like a planner who’s seen royalty statements before, an accountant who knows what a wrap date means, and a lawyer who actually reads the fine print. We’ll help you build that team, or step in where needed, so you always have the right people in your corner.

4. Build Alternative Income Streams

   Whether it’s licensing, online content or passive royalties, multiple income streams help smooth out the financial ups and downs and give you greater long-term control.

5. Protect Your Career and Your Income
   

   Freelance life can be unpredictable. Having the right safeguards in place, like income protection, critical illness cover and life insurance prepares you for whatever comes your way. And it’s not just about insurance; it’s about protecting your time, your contracts, and your creativity.

6. Invest with Purpose
   

   It’s easy to let cash pile up between projects, but money sitting still isn’t building your future. Investing early and intentionally can make a huge difference to your financial independence.

7. Navigate Royalties and Tax Like a Pro

   From dodgy investment tips to financial hangers-on, there’s no shortage of distractions. Get advice from regulated professionals, not social media.

8. Stay Curious, Stay Empowered

   Financial literacy puts you in the driver’s seat. The more you understand your money, the more confidently you can make decisions, spot opportunities and shape your future on your terms.

From freelance highs to funding gaps, financial planning for creatives requires a different lens. One that understands the pace, unpredictability and possibility of your world.

Your Money, Your Story

Your work might change from project to project. Live shows, shoots, scripts, or behind-the-scenes production, but your finances need structure, stability, and support throughout.

At First Wealth, we don’t just look at the numbers, we look at you. Your goals. Your freedom. Your future. We build tailored plans and coordinate your trusted team to help you manage the complexity, protect your income, and stay in control.

This isn’t box-ticking advice. It’s a genuine partnership, designed to help you live well today, and thrive long after the credits roll.

Ready to build something even bigger than your next role? Let’s talk. You can always reach us on 020 7467 2700 or at hello@firstwealth.co.uk.

This document is marketing material for a retail audience and does not constitute advice or recommendations. Past performance is not a guide to future performance and may not be repeated. The value of investments and the income from them may go down as well as up and investors may not get back the amount originally invested.