Building a financial blueprint to get you from where you are now to where you want to be in the future means asking some tenacious and probing questions.
Life and wealth are inextricably linked. Most of us dream of having enough wealth to stop working – the big question is ‘how much is enough?’ We’ll ask all the questions to identify how much you really need, and then design a personal financial blueprint that gives you the future you want.
What do you really want from life?
We can’t start to build your blueprint until we fully understand your hopes and dreams for the future and this is the chance for you to really think about the life you want to live once you stop working. Your wish list of need to haves and nice to haves will form the basis of your wealth management strategy.
Making this list will determine ‘how much is enough’ for you. That in turn gives us an idea of the right level of risk to embrace – the more you want from life the more adventurous you may have to be. The right strategy will be one that ensures you don’t expose yourself to more risk than you need to.
How much wealth do you already have?
Before we can start your blueprint we need an honest appraisal of how much we have to start with. That means a wide ranging process of discovery with regard to your assets and your liabilities. We’ll need to know how your wealth – property, investments, pension pots, and any other assets – is performing for you.
We’ll ask about the balance of your lifestyle and savings, analysing what you are achieving today and identifying what you might change to achieve more tomorrow. We’ll also assess any potential risks – for example what would happen if you lost an income – and benchmark your protection needs in case the unexpected happens.
How do you grow your wealth?
Some people we talk to already have enough money to fulfil their dreams, but most still need to look to increase their assets. Our planners are experts in questioning every detail and interrogating every opportunity to make sure your blueprint gives you the maximum chance of building your wealth whilst taking your income in the smartest way possible.
This will result in a proactive, balanced and disciplined investment strategy that makes the most of your pension, optimises your tax position, utilises all of your allowances, and takes count of all the little things that add enormous value over a period of time.
How do you unlock financial freedom?
The main purpose of your blueprint is to design a wealth and investment strategy that guarantees the lifestyle you have chosen after you stop work. After all you’ve looked after your money and investments for all these years – now it’s time for your money and investments to look after you.
The strategy in your blueprint will keep your assets working quietly away in the background and maximise your retirement income in the most tax efficient way. At the same time it will work to protect your capital and asset base. All you have to do is sit back and enjoy it.
How do you protect your wealth?
Wealth is a great comfort in later life but it is ever a responsibility and there are few things truer than the old adage ‘you can’t take it with you’. That is why your blueprint will have provisions that ensure your assets are kept secure for future generations of their nearest and dearest as far into the future as possible.
You’ll need to decide where you want your wealth to go – we’ll help you set up trusts or gift the money away to fulfil your wishes as tax-efficiently as possible. Our planners are dedicated to preventing the erosion of your estate.