Case Studies

Keith contacted us in early 2016 about financial advice on behalf of his mother, who was in full time residential care. Keith and his brother held Power of Attorney and sought our advice with regard to the best way to generate an income of £2,000 per month to fill a care fee shortfall. Keith and his brother had the proceeds from the sale of their mother’s home to invest as well as an existing investment plan.

We reviewed the existing arrangements and agreed that leaving the house proceeds in cash would not generate the income required with interest rates being so low. Therefore, we recommended an investment strategy designed to generate £2,000 per month whilst trying to preserve as much of the fund as possible. With the level of income required each month, it was inevitable that some level of capital erosion would result, but the agreed strategy was designed to slow the effects of this as far as possible, whilst filling the care fee shortfall.

Graham and Emma contacted us in 2010 as they had inherited some assets and sought our advice on how best to invest them in the future. The assets comprised both cash deposits and investments. We reviewed them all and made recommendations based on rates of interest, maturity dates and timescales.

At the same time, a trust came into effect for their children and we put in place an investment arrangement to meet the objectives of the trust, which were to essentially support the education of their children. Since that time, our advice has widened as Graham and Emma have become ever more successful and each year we undertake extensive planning to maximise pension contributions, ISA allowances and other tax efficient plans for them both, based on their specific circumstances each year.

We work closely with their accountant to ensure that the recommendations we make are the most effective for them both year on year, so they benefit from an ongoing holistic approach.

Helen contacted us in 2010 for advice on her investments. She had previously received advice, but was worried that she no longer fully understood her various pensions and investments. Over the years, Helen had built up personal and final salary pension as well as ISAs and offshore bonds.

In addition, Helen had recently downsized and held some cash on deposit earning little in the way of interest at a time when the Bank of England base rate of interest had just fallen to 0.5%. We reviewed all of Helen’s arrangements, explaining what she had and what we would recommend in each instance.

Our advice to Helen has been tailored specifically to her needs and circumstances and has been subject to frequent review, as both her personal and business circumstances have changed. We have worked together to ensure that the investment strategy remains relevant to her and that we plan for any tax implications.

David, 63 from Northampton, wanted advice with his pension planning. Having worked since leaving school, he had accumulated a number of different pension plans. Given the changes in pension legislation over the years he wanted to understand his options and was hoping to be in a position to retire early. After obtaining updated details on all his plans we discussed his options and income requirements in retirement and provided a solution that enabled David to draw down on his funds tax efficiently.

David was able to achieve his objective of retiring early and now spends his time enjoying his hobbies and visiting his family overseas. With regular review meetings to discuss his financial planning and ongoing management of David’s funds, these have continued to grow into his retirement.