If you are only going to make one resolution this year, take control of your future with Financial Life Planning.

Normally the worst thing about January is the predictability of the weather (dreary cold) and the news (train fare rises, diets after over-eating and credit card crisis after over-spending). Then of course there are the New Year Resolutions. New year, new you. Really?

This year though, it’s different.

Covid-19 has reminded us that life is not a rehearsal, and every day is precious. Helping you to live your life richly (which means something different for everyone) is what underpins our whole approach.

So, what if this was the year that you actually took control of your money and your future? Not just the usual half-hearted pledges made at New Year, but something much more powerful that could actually change your life?

Our philosophy is called Financial Life Planning and it’s about helping you to plan your finances so that you can live the life you really want, now and in the future.

It’s built around 3 deceptively simple questions:

1. What do you have?

We need a clear starting point. Do you really know what you’ve got? Is it in the right place? How’s it performing? What’s it worth today and what’s it likely to be worth in the future? Sounds simple, but we are all likely to have various pensions and investments from different chapters in our lives. If we put it all together and look at the big picture, what does it look like? We’ll create a detailed picture of your investments, pensions and other assets and liabilities, we’ll review if it’s right for you and identify if anything is missing.

2. Where do you really want to go?

Next we explore what matters most to you. What lifestyle do you want, now and in the future? What do you need to plan for? What are your dreams and aspirations? We’ll encourage you to ask yourself some fundamental questions about what’s important to you, and what you really want in life. What do you want to achieve with your time and your money? What are your big goals that will allow you to live your life with purpose?

3. How can you get there?

Now we create your plan – a clear pathway to achieving your goals and enjoying your journey. To put you firmly in control of your financial future, we’ll convert the complexity of the financial world into the clarity of a plan that’s right for you. Using powerful financial planning software we’ll explore various scenarios, such as how much investment risk you might need to take and when you could afford to retire, until we find the plan that suits you best.

If it looks like you have a great financial future ahead, we’ll encourage you to chase your dreams. If on the other hand it looks like you might not have enough, we’ll look at ways to deal with this. We’ll also highlight all of your current and future taxation issues that should be managed and optimised.

Once our skilled financial planners have helped you work through your scenarios and choices, you’ll have a Plan to achieve what you really want, for the rest of your life.

Things will change of course, but as they do, we’ll make sure you stay on track.

Provided that you regularly review your Plan to keep it up to date with life’s inevitable changes, it will always be there for you, providing you with clarity and financial peace of mind.