Financial Planning

Money is simply a tool to help you live the life you choose

A good financial plan helps you create the right balance between working and not working, saving and spending.

We see your money split into four distinct yet related parts:
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  • Work and business: Where income and wealth are generated.
  • Used: Assets you do not want to sell to fund your lifestyle, such as your home.
  • Investment and savings: Where there is a direct link between the volatility risk taken and long-term return. This linkage is important as it is a crucial lever in your financial planning.
  • Speculation: Some people call this a “fun fund” or “racing money”. It is OK to knowingly speculate, provided you can afford a 100% loss.  Many unwitting speculators think they are investing.

Part of our job as financial planners is to create or preserve enough wealth in your investments to replace any shortfalls when your work or business life stops, without drawing down on used assets or drifting into speculation.

Our 6 stage financial planning process


  1. First meeting

    The first meeting is at our expense. At the end of our meeting we tell you what we can do for you, what it will cost and how long it will take. We then ask you to provide some details about any financial products you own before our next meeting.



  2. Discovery meeting

    We establish your lifestyle goals and objectives to use in your financial plan. We double check how you feel about investment volatility and talk about how different investments work. We ask you to sign letters of authority so we can write away for the more detailed financial information we need. Then we get busy gathering and analysing the information to build your plan. The time for this depends on how long it takes to get the information back from your product providers.



  3. Diagnostic plan

    This is where we check we understand your financial situation correctly. Your diagnostic plan sets out where you are now financially, where you want to get to and highlights any gaps that need to be filled to get to your goals. Depending on how complex your situation is, we may present your diagnostic plan separately or at the same time as the strategy meeting.



  4. Strategy meeting

    This is the fun bit and where the valuable financial planning is done. Before the meeting we construct a financial forecast so that by the end of the meeting we will have answered important questions such as: How much do you need to save? How much can you spend? When can you stop work?  Or, how much can you safely give away now? We talk about the detail and any products we think you need. After the meeting, we get busy again and confirm the agreed strategy (and tactics) in writing.



  5. Implementation

    We agree the cost of any work with you before we start. We handle the inevitable rain forest of paper that comes with financial matters. We liaise with your accountants and solicitors where necessary. We stay in touch to ensure things go to plan. And… you walk away confident, relaxed and happy that you know you are on track.



  6. Forward planning

    Financial planning only works if you check regularly that your plans are still on track and make the necessary changes if not. We provide an ongoing financial planning service at a cost agreed with you in advance.


Please call Tim if you would like to know more: 0345 345 6282