It is a conversation many people quietly have with themselves, long before they ever raise it with us. “Have I left it too late?” Maybe pension contributions were started with good intentions, but then life got busy. A mortgage arrived. Children came along. School fees, college costs, home improvements, business pressures, holidays, cars and everyday living all took priority. Or perhaps retirement always felt like something that belonged in the distant future, until suddenly it did not...

We’d like to share a story with you that originated back in 1963 when published by the German writer, Heinrich Böll. It’s a very short story, but perfectly captures one of the key messages that we stress with our clients. The message is that while the amount of money you have or build up for the future is important, it is far more important to know the life that you want to lead and to have enough money to live that life. Otherwise, what’s the “right” amount of money to have, how much is...

We were asked this question recently by a client to whom we were recommending a Specified Illness policy. Our answer was that should she suffer one of the serious illnesses covered by the policy, she was preventing financial concerns being heaped upon the worries she would have about her health, at the time of trying to get better. Not having to worry about money would be invaluable at that time of significant stress. The “cost” of the policy would be the premiums paid for no monetary...