David lived in Wiltshire but worked in London as an IT Contractor. He was 45, married and had two secondary school age children. He had worked for a variety of different companies and was now his own boss. Throughout his working life, he had made sure to join every pension scheme offered, had put money into ISAs and had paid off his mortgage early.
David had seen many of his colleagues burn out in their 50s and so he wanted to make sure he had a plan in place for finishing work at 55 and retiring at an age where he could still enjoy all the things he hadn’t had the time for when he was working. We met and listened to David and his wife tell us about their passion for sailing and how they dreamed of buying a yacht and sailing around the world together in retirement. They were clear on the lump sums they would need and the income they wanted.
Like so many of the people we meet, David and his wife had several different pensions and investments in place already and so we had something to build on, but now we would be doing this with a plan and with purpose.
Making sure the plans were in the right names, in the right ownership structure and in the right tax shelters was the starting point and, over the next decade, we made sure David and his wife made use of their time sensitive tax allowances. With the help of cash flow forecasting, we were able to predict how close they were to meeting their goals and reassure them that they were on track.
What happens when things change?
We started with a clear plan 10 years ago for David and his wife, but so much can change along the way.
We have seen changes to annual allowances, lifetime allowances, tax rates, investment returns, and regulation. Navigating the ever-changing complexities is something David and his wife were relieved not to be facing alone.
David and his wife have put their daughters through university, they lost their parents and they got divorced. Most of this wasn’t in the original plan, but life changes in ways we can’t predict and that’s why having flexibility is so important.
Throughout all of this, we worked with both David and his wife, as their trusted financial advisers, revising and reshaping their plans, as their life events inevitably moved the goalposts. Retirement turned out differently than they had planned and so the planning we did with them changed in line.
At David James Wealth, we believe the key to delivering for all our clients is flexibility, trust and regular contact. These three things ensure changes are made when the time is right, plans remain realistic and achievable and that, most importantly, our clients can get on and live their lives to the full, leaving us to manage their finances.
The best time to make a plan is today
Plans change, but having a plan ensures you make decisions with purpose and then, when the time is right, you can transition with confidence into the retirement you have dreamed of.
We all lead busy lives and so many things get in the way of us taking the time to plan for the future. At David James Wealth we listen, we help you to create a plan and then we partner with you for the long term to make this a reality. Financial Planning With Purpose in action.
Anything worth having takes time to build but, without a plan, the building never even starts. By working with us, you can begin to plan for your future with real purpose, today.
Been thinking you should have a plan for your retirement? Talk everything over with our team. We’re ready to listen.
