Who We Are
Giving you freedom, simplicity, and excellence in financial services
Private Client Office for Cross-Border Wealth Planning
Atlas Bridge Wealth is a private client office and cross-border financial planning consultancy based in Portugal, supporting UK expatriates and internationally mobile families whose lives, wealth and residency span more than one country.
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We help clients bring together the key decisions that often become fragmented when moving abroad: pensions, investments, cashflow, residency timing, retirement income, tax exposure, estate considerations and long-term family objectives.
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Our role is to provide clear, joined-up planning and coordination, so that each decision is considered in the right order, with the right professional input, and with a clear view of the wider picture.
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Where regulated investment, pension, insurance or product implementation advice is required, this is provided through appropriately authorised firms in the relevant jurisdiction. Atlas Bridge Wealth does not provide Portuguese tax or legal advice. Where formal tax or legal advice is required, we coordinate with suitably qualified professionals.
As a boutique firm, we take pride in offering highly personalised, client-led planning supported by access to trusted investment, tax, legal and professional specialists where appropriate.
How We Work
At Atlas Bridge Wealth, our work is planning-led. We do not believe in rushing straight to products, platforms or investments before understanding the wider picture.
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For UK nationals moving to, living in, or financially connected to Portugal, the order of decisions matters. Pensions, investments, property, tax residency, estate planning, cashflow, income requirements and cross-border reporting can all interact with one another. A decision that looks sensible in isolation may create problems if it is not considered as part of the wider plan.
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Our role is to help you bring those moving parts together into a clear, practical strategy.
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Our Financial Planning Framework​​​​
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1. Initial Discovery Call
We begin with an initial conversation to understand your situation, objectives and whether we are the right firm to help.
This call is designed to explore the broad areas where advice may be needed, such as retirement planning, pension options, investment structure, UK/Portugal tax considerations, property decisions, succession planning, or wider relocation planning.
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There is no obligation to proceed. If we believe another professional is better placed to help, we will say so.
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2. Scope and Engagement
Following the initial conversation, we will confirm the areas that require advice and agree the appropriate level of work.
Some clients need a focused strategy report. Others require a more detailed cross-border planning review involving pensions, investments, tax coordination, property, residency and estate planning considerations.
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At this stage, we agree the scope of work, the fee, and what will be delivered before any detailed analysis begins.
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3. Information Gathering
We then gather the relevant information needed to understand your position properly.
This may include details of pensions, investments, savings, property, income, tax residency, existing advisers, family circumstances, objectives, risk profile, cashflow needs and future plans.
Where required, we may also coordinate with your accountant, tax adviser, lawyer or other professional advisers to ensure the advice is joined up.
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4. Planning and Analysis
Once the necessary information has been gathered, we carry out the detailed planning work.
Depending on the complexity of your case, this may include cashflow modelling, pension analysis, investment structure review, tax-efficiency considerations, income planning, estate planning considerations, and a comparison of available planning routes.
Our aim is to help you understand your options clearly, including the advantages, disadvantages, costs, risks and practical implications of each route.
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5. Recommendation Report
You will receive a written recommendation report setting out our findings and proposed strategy.
This is not an administrative document. It is the product of detailed analysis, professional judgement and cross-border planning experience.
The report is designed to give you a clear roadmap, helping you understand what to do, why it matters, and in what order the key decisions should be made.
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6. Implementation
If you decide to proceed, we can help implement the agreed recommendations.
This may involve restructuring investments, arranging suitable investment platforms or bond structures, reviewing pensions, coordinating with specialist tax or legal advisers, and ensuring each step is completed in the right order.
Implementation fees will be confirmed clearly before any work is undertaken.
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7. Ongoing Private Client Service
For clients who require long-term support, we provide an ongoing private client service.
This includes regular reviews, portfolio oversight, cashflow updates where appropriate, coordination with other professional advisers, and ongoing support as your circumstances, tax position, residency status or objectives change over time.
Our aim is to provide clarity, continuity and joined-up financial planning as your life evolves.
Our Mission
Client-Centric Approach
"Our mission at Atlas Bridge Wealth is to give UK expatriates and internationally mobile families the clarity, confidence and coordination they need when life, wealth and residency span more than one country.
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We provide highly personalised cross-border planning, helping clients make informed decisions around pensions, investments, retirement income, tax exposure, estate considerations and long-term family objectives.
Where regulated investment, pension, insurance, tax or legal advice is required, we work alongside appropriately authorised or suitably qualified specialists.
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Our role is to keep the wider plan joined up, ensure decisions are considered in the right order, and act with integrity, discretion and care in everything we do."
Meet the founder...
Steve Thompson
Steve is the Founder and Principal Adviser at Atlas Bridge Wealth, bringing more than 37 years of experience guiding clients across the UK, Middle East, Africa, and Europe. Throughout his career, Steve has built his reputation on one simple truth that people always come first. Whether advising a family planning their retirement, a business owner preparing for succession, or an expatriate navigating complex cross-border challenges, Steve’s focus has always been on understanding the person behind the numbers.
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Having dedicated his entire professional life to financial services, he combines deep technical expertise with a natural ability to connect, listen, and deliver advice that feels personal, practical, and empowering. His approach is grounded in empathy and experience, ensuring that every client relationship is built on trust, clarity, and genuine care. Steve brings this philosophy to life through bespoke financial strategies that align with each client’s goals, lifestyle, and long-term vision, helping them achieve financial confidence and peace of mind, wherever life takes them.
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Before founding Atlas Bridge Wealth, Steve held senior roles with leading financial institutions including AEGON Asset Management, MetLife, Investors Trust, GSB Capital, FE fundinfo, Charles Stanley, Morningstar, and Generali. Across these positions, he built a reputation for technical excellence, ethical leadership, and a genuine commitment to helping people make smart, values-aligned financial decisions.​​
A Chartered Fellow of the CISI, Associate Member of the LIBF and a Diploma qualified UK Financial Planner and long time member of the PFS, Steve combines advanced technical expertise in investment and retirement planning with a practical understanding of the UK and Portuguese tax considerations that commonly affect expatriate clients, working alongside qualified tax and legal specialists where formal advice is required.
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Steve is also the author of Freedom Starts With a Fiver, a practical, no-nonsense guide to building financial confidence and independence from any starting point. Drawing on his own journey from debt to financial freedom, the book empowers readers to take control of their money and mindset. It’s available now on Amazon in paperback and Kindle formats.
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Steve is based in the beautiful Algarve, where he lives with his wife, Heather — an experienced yoga teacher and breath work coach — and their two miniature dachshunds. When he is not working, they spend their time travelling and exploring everything Portugal has to offer, from its quiet coastal towns and vineyards to its mountain trails and vibrant local culture.
