Using smart technology cash flow modelling, we untangle your old pensions and build a crystal-clear roadmap, so you can stop worrying about money and start looking forward to what's ahead. This is part of the value we provide, upfront.
Most people have a trail of different pension pots scattered across old employers, wrapped in jargon they don’t understand. You might be wondering if you have enough, when you can afford to stop working, or how much HMRC will take. We strip away the complexity. We look at everything you’ve built, figure out exactly where you stand today, and show you exactly what your tomorrow looks like.
We help you understand exactly where you stand, put the right plan in place, and make sure your retirement savings work as hard as you have.
Let’s talk about it
We don’t start with products. We start with you. During your first meeting, we’ll carry out a comprehensive fact-finding session and use intelligent cash flow modelling to help you build a clearer picture of the retirement lifestyle you want and what it will take to achieve it.
Billions of pounds sit in forgotten pension pots across the UK. Yours shouldn't be one of them.
Pension pots from previous employers reviewed, their performance and charges assessed, and everything included together in one clear, manageable plan. For the self-employed, personal pension and pension scheme arrangements established from scratch.
The decisions you make about how to access your pension will shape your financial security for decades.
Pension drawdown, annuity options, and lump sum decisions all considered together, with the tax implications of each explained clearly so your regular income in retirement works as efficiently as possible.
The right contribution strategy today can make a significant difference to your pension pot and your tax bill.
Annual allowances, employer contributions, tax relief, and salary sacrifice all navigated on your behalf. As tax rules change and outcomes depend on individual circumstances, getting this right matters most for higher rate taxpayers, and can improve both retirement savings and tax returns.
The State Pension is rarely enough on its own. Understanding exactly what you're entitled to changes the picture.
State Pension entitlement confirmed, Pension Credit eligibility checked, and the potential costs of long term care planned for, so nothing you are owed is ever left on the table.
"Ask me about navigating complex financial decisions at life's biggest moments, or how to act in a blockbuster."
"Ask me about what policing and financial advising have in common, because the answer surprises most people."
"Ask me about what bespoke really means, because it's not what everyone thinks."
"Ask me about what a real conversation can add to your financial plan."
"Ask me about building a character or why the easiest question is "Why start now?"."
"Ask me about what the Royal Marines and policing taught me about showing up for people."
"Ask me about what a good conversation can do for a long term financial plan."
"Ask me about the most memorable moment from a financial literacy workshop I've run."
"Ask me about what fifteen years working behind the scenes taught me about financial planning."
"Ask me about what I've learnt from twenty-five years of doing exactly what I said I would."
"Ask me about what I've learnt working with clients from their first savings plan to retirement."
"Ask me about the top three questions people ask at an inheritance planning seminar."
"Ask me about what navigating my own family estate taught me about why advice matters when you least expect it."
"Ask me about the most common misconception people have when they first sit down with me."
"Ask me about the question I ask every new client before I say anything else."
"Ask me about my love of nature, or why income protection matters more than you think."
"Ask me about what thirty years advising charities taught me about how to advise individuals."
"Ask me about the moment a client said I'd made the most complicated decision of their life feel simple."
"Ask me about landing a light aircraft solo, or why I also compete in Muay Thai."
"Ask me about what thirty-five years of client relationships has genuinely taught me about trust."
"Ask me about why I think the best financial plan is the one built entirely around you."
"Ask me about why keeping your options open is the most underrated principle in financial planning."
"Ask me about which festival I'm going to next or what critical illness means to me."
"Ask me about the biggest lesson thirty years in banking taught me that I still pass on."
"Ask me about why I believe no two financial plans should ever look the same."
"Ask me about what's changed most in financial services since 1992, and what hasn't changed at all."
"Ask me about why I think how well you know your clients is the only measure that matters."
"Ask me about why genuinely bespoke advice and off-the-shelf solutions aren't even in the same category."
"Ask me about my favourite cuisine to cook, or why the first meeting is the most important."
"Ask me about what's stayed constant in financial planning over twenty years, and why it matters more than what's changed."
"Ask me about why I think the best financial plans are built over decades, not meetings."
"Ask me about what the Aspiring Adviser programme was really like and what I know now that I didn't then."
"Ask me about what people at the top of their careers actually worry about, you might be surprised."
"Ask me about why I love the conversations I have with clients' children more than almost anything else."
"Ask me about helping clients achieve financial freedom since 1994 or life with four grown-up children."
"Ask me about what fourteen years in the Royal Navy teaches you about staying calm under pressure."
"Ask me about what thirty years in financial services taught me about advice people actually follow."
"Ask me about what moving from bank branch manager to financial adviser actually taught me."
"Ask me about why I think the best financial plans are always built slowly."
"Ask me about why the ongoing relationship matters more than any single piece of advice."
"Ask me about my favourite ski run, or why clients who plan across generations sleep better."
"Ask me about why financial confidence is one of the most life-changing things a person can build."
"Ask me about why I think financial education in schools matters just as much as advice."
"Ask me about what running a business taught me about what clients really need from an adviser."
"Ask me about the one client conversation that stayed with me longest."
"Ask me about why making financial planning feel stress-free is harder than it looks."
"Ask me about what four decades in financial services teaches you about staying calm."
"Ask me about the difference my advice has made to my clients' lives."
"Ask me about the most interesting financial situation a client's ever brought through the door."
"Ask me about what fifteen years running a business taught me that changed everything."
"Ask me about the conversation I had with a client's teenager that changed how I think."
"Ask me about what thirty years in this industry has taught me about sticking to a plan."
"Ask me about my dog Olive and why she's my best conversation starter."
"Ask me about the moment a business owner finally stops worrying about money."
"Ask me about what I think separates advice clients trust from advice clients accept."
"Ask me about why a financial adviser's reputation is built in the quiet moments."
"Ask me about the thing people worry about most that almost never turns out to be the problem."
"Ask me about what financial freedom actually looks like the moment a client achieves it."
"Ask me about why the decisions people make just before retirement matter more than anything else."
"Ask me about why I think consistency is the most underrated quality in a financial adviser."
"Ask me about which golf course beginning with X I'm trying to find next."
"Ask me about what my family has taught me about long term financial planning."
"Ask me about why I think the first conversation is always the most important one."
"Ask me about what a DIY project and a financial plan have in common."
As a Principal Partner Practice of St. James's Place, the suitability of the advice we give regarding SJP wealth management products is fully guaranteed. Every recommendation is made by a qualified financial adviser, and we will always be honest about whether our services are right for your circumstances before any decisions are made. St. James's Place Guarantee
Before you commit to any strategy, we outline every single cost upfront. No hidden charges, no surprises, and you only proceed if our advice is right for you.
Read and compare our charges
Retirement planning explained in 60 seconds
Here are a few of the question people usually ask before they start they retirement planning with an adviser.
Retirement planning is the process of building a strategy to support your desired lifestyle after you stop working. It covers growing your pension pot, managing your retirement savings efficiently, creating a sustainable income plan, and making tax-efficient decisions across your pension scheme and other investments. The earlier you start, the more choices you have.
A qualified financial adviser with specialist expertise is the right starting point. Financial advisers must be qualified and are regulated to provide personalised retirement planning advice. Services like Pension Wise offer free guidance for those over 50 with defined contribution pensions, but guidance is not the same as personalised financial advice tailored to you.
The best time to start is as early as possible. The pension annual allowance is currently set at £60,000 or 100% of your relevant UK earnings, whichever is lower, though tax rules change and their impact depends on your individual circumstances. Starting early means more years of tax-relieved contributions, more years of investment growth, and more flexibility when it comes to making informed decisions about how and when you retire.
The most common mistake is starting too late or assuming the State Pension alone will be enough. Most people underestimate how much income they will need in retirement and overestimate what their existing pension pots will provide. Cash flow modelling helps visualise whether your investments and cash savings will last throughout retirement and is one of the most valuable tools a financial adviser can use to help you plan with confidence.
It depends entirely on your personal circumstances, your expected retirement income needs, and what other assets or income sources you have available. A pension pot of £300,000 could provide a meaningful regular income in retirement, but factors including inflation, costs of care, the size of your State Pension entitlement, and how you draw your income all affect how far that money will go. A tailored plan built around your specific situation is essential before making any decisions.
A defined benefit pension, also known as a final salary pension, pays a guaranteed regular income in retirement based on your salary and length of service, rather than the value of a pension pot. These pension schemes are increasingly rare in the private sector but remain common in public sector employment. They offer significant security but may also come with less flexible rules that require careful professional advice.
The pension annual allowance is currently £60,000 or 100% of your relevant UK earnings, whichever is lower, although these figures can change as tax rules evolve. Contributions above this level may be subject to a tax charge.
Pensions offer significant tax benefits, including automatic tax relief on contributions, which is particularly advantageous for higher-rate taxpayers who can claim back full tax relief via their self-assessment tax return, though exactly how much you benefit depends on your individual circumstances. Unused allowance from the past three tax years can also be carried forward in certain circumstances.
Every person's retirement looks different. The sooner you understand where your finances stand, the more options you have to protect what you have built and create the retirement you actually want.
Contact us to ask a question or book a chat with one of our advisers. There's no pressure, just an honest conversation about your retirement and what is possible.
Fusion 1, 1000 Parkway, Whiteley Hampshire, PO15 7AA
