CASE STUDY

Dec 8, 2012

In:

CURRENT SITUATION

Simon and Kathy were both working hard. Their family was protected with life assurance and they were helping out with education costs, while diligently saving for retirement. They were worried that there would never come a point when they could reclaim their time and do the things they wanted to do as a couple and a family.

Simon wanted to retire as soon as possible, to take away the stress and spend more time with his family. He wanted to do the things he enjoyed rather than be consumed by the daily grind of work. Once retired, Simon would be happy to work part time within Kathy’s family business.

With no plan in place for financing their children’s education, they were worried about how these costs would be met. They admitted to working harder and longer to fund family holidays and feared that this was the only solution.

RECOMMENDATIONS

Upon reviewing Simon and Kathy’s finances, it was apparent that they had accumulated significant pension funds, along with numerous life assurance policies and savings plans. We recommended surrendering plans that were surplus to their requirements and stopping pension contributions – dramatically reducing their outgoings. We also recommended more tax efficient ways for Kathy to take money from her family business, thus reducing tax and increasing her monthly income.

We consolidated their pension funds onto a platform, so they could benefit from better fund management and drawdown their tax free cash as and when they need it. Kathy was also able to purchase her own commercial property, releasing £250,000 from her pension. This could fund all of their children’s education costs and 5 to 7 years of family holidays. The remaining money was to be used for Simon’s property renovation projects.

RESULTS

Simon is now happily retired and working on his own projects within the family business. They no longer have to worry about holiday and education costs and take comfort knowing that any additional income they need can be taken from their pension funds.

Most importantly, their time is now their own and they can enjoy the peaceful and stress free retirement they have worked hard to achieve.