Working in financial services, I don’t need financial advisers, do I?

I got in touch for a “finance MOT” so a professional could tell me everything was in order. It quickly became apparent, despite having very good finance knowledge, I needed a qualified expert as I am not one.

What did you get financial advice on?

The initial online call with Simon Hicks, one of Unividuals Financial Advisers, was very insightful and well timed. Up until now I’d been working on the assumption I “should” have enough money for my retirement and “hoped” I’d have sufficient funds for a comfortable lifestyle. However, what Simon showed me in a follow-up meeting was incredibly reassuring in producing personalised projections of my likely retirement income at different stages based on my target retirement date, current pension pot and future savings levels. This was laid out in an easy to understand format and Simon was more than happy to answer any questions I had, no matter how stupid they possibly were! Although my retirement savings was in a fairly good place, Simon highlighted some areas I could tweak to get a better return  while ensuring everything remained aligned to my attitude to risk. Following the tweaks Simon implemented for me, I had a clear understanding of the position I would be in and the options open to me at retirement, even though it’s probably 20 years away.

At the start we also discussed protection and critical illness requirements but I quickly explained “no need” as I had put plans in place a few years prior. In his friendly professional manner Simon suggested it would be good to review the arrangements to ensure they had kept up to speed with market changes. I’m glad I did as using Simon’s extensive knowledge it quickly became apparent that I was not covered for a handful of conditions that could leave my family financially exposed if anything were to happen to me. Simon is currently helping me address those gaps which has given me peace of mind.

Simon has since assisted my wife and I in putting a savings plan in place to pay for a dream holiday to see The Ashes in Australia in 2026 that we thought was out of reach.

How did Simon’s financial advice make you feel?

Throughout the whole process I felt Simon was working in partnership with me rather than dictating to me. I have been so impressed with Simon and Unividual as a whole that I’ve asked Simon to be my financial adviser moving forward. Being in my mid 40’s, having worked in Financial services for many years and contributed to a pension for some time now, I thought I knew all I needed to and had everything covered with regards to my retirement planning.  Simon was incredibly friendly, clearly incredibly knowledgeable but jargon free and made everything clear and easy to understand.

I would strongly advise anyone to have an initial conversation with quality financial advisers, even if you don’t think you need to. I quickly discovered that I didn’t know what I didn’t know. My only regret is that I didn’t find Simon and Unividual for pension planning sooner.

Trevor, Swindon

2nd July 2021