One of the recurring discussions I would have with Wyn when reviewing my financial planning arrangements revolved around the question: Could I retire earlier than my employers had planned for me?

The truth was that they were not planning anything for me, all their plans were around what was best for them not me. I needed to know if it was possible for me to retire early, just in case I’d had enough before my official retirement time was up. One of the things I recall is that a two minute glance by Wyn at my finances and how much I could expect from the various provisions I had in place, resulted in him announcing “I can’t see any problem in you being able to retire early”.

Seeing the big picture and making a quick assessment like this was reassuring. However he with the help of his team, he could also demonstrate this with hard data after producing a lifetime cash-flow forecast for me. Needless to say I did decide to finish early, still wondering if I could afford to do so. However, with Wyn saying that based on all that he knew about me everything would be fine, I did finish early.
It’s been many years since I gave up work and I am enjoying pursuing hobbies, travelling and volunteering. I have had no cash flow worries. I have an investment portfolio that keeps on growing and I am still years away from drawing my state pension! My advice to anyone who needs to assess future possibilities based on what resources they have is – sit down with someone who can see the bigger picture and someone you can trust. You’ll achieve so much more than you would if you don’t sit down with them.
A client for over 25 years.
DisclaimerReal Life Stories are written by clients of iPlanning Wealth Management. The views expressed in this post are those of the author only and are not necessarily those of I Planning Wealth Management Ltd. All material in this post should be considered as general information only and should in no way be construed as a recommendation of a specific product or course of action. Each circumstance is different and professional advice tailored to your circumstances should be sought from a qualified financial adviser.