I met Michael when I was 35 and going through a really difficult period. My mother had just died and having lost my father a few years earlier, I was feeling particularly vulnerable – and extremely emotional.

I was about to inherit £700,000 from my mother’s death and I had a property worth £200,000, which I was renting out. However, my main concern was around the family home – I was very distressed at the thought of having to sell it in order to pay inheritance tax.

Michael immediately reassured me that I could afford to keep the family home. This gave me an instant sense of relief.

It was then I was able to focus. Knowing that I wouldn’t be forced into a situation where I had to sell, I could see that actually selling might not be a bad move. This is when I started to think about what I really wanted from my life.

With Michael’s help I was able to be more detailed about my goals and objectives beyond just wanting to be financially secure.

He asked me to imagine I was at the end of my life and what I might regret not having done. It was then I realised I’d always wanted to travel more and pursue my passion for photography. I also realised how unhappy I was in my job and how I’d love to set up my own business.

Michael created a financial plan that showed how I could fund things to make my goals become real. Selling the home would help me to take a career break and consider my options.

He broke things down into ‘sprints’ showing me that I could afford to take time out and to retrain if necessary. The plan also showed that I could even work part-time and still be financially secure.

This made me feel much happier. I could see myself being able to do all the things that made me feel fulfilled, and that I wouldn’t have to worry about being able to afford it.

I had very little financial knowledge before working with Michael, but I never felt intimidated by him. He explained all my options clearly and enabled me to find the right path. Now I can see my future clearly, and I’m excited about living it.

When we first met Michael, my husband and I had a young family, our own business, and we were living in a large old house that needed constant repair. This was becoming a huge drain on our finances and was also taking up what little spare time we had.

I’m a full-time vet and I knew I wasn’t spending enough quality time with my husband and children.

There wasn’t even enough time for proper holidays; instead we’d snatch a week here or there in our campervan. We really wanted to be able to go further afield and take the children abroad so they could experience new things.

My husband was unfulfilled in his job, so his main priority was to find something more challenging, while feeling much more secure financially. He was also keen to become healthier and fitter.

We really needed help to re-prioritise everything. Crucially we needed someone who could look at our finances and match our needs to our wealth so that we could live a full life without worrying about whether we could afford it. 

Michael helped us to see the wood for the trees – we were able to define our priorities and pinpoint exactly what was important to us and what needed to change. From there he created a financial plan that showed how things could be arranged in a way that would enable us to achieve our goals financially.

Fast forward two years and we’ve just moved into a new home. We’re just about to complete the sale of our limited company, which will clear the help-to-buy part of our mortgage. I’ve started a new job with a good salary and benefits package.

My husband is now three stone lighter, working part-time, taking care of the children and considering a position as school governor. He still has ambitions for his new career but is happy for the time being with the work he’s doing and feels we now have the financial security to be confident about our future and free to pursue our dream lives.

Michael helped us to “light the torch” and drive us to where we are now. We’re excited about the next steps.

I was referred to Michael when I was looking for help to plan my retirement. I’d worked all my life in a corporate environment and was looking forward to a change.

My dream retirement was to establish a successful bed and breakfast. I wanted to enjoy the experience of living for pleasure rather than living and working out of duty.

I also wanted to be able to choose what I wanted to do on a spontaneous basis. I wanted to live in a rural setting and enjoy lots of outdoor activity – I really wanted to travel more extensively and tick off all the remaining Munros. I still wanted to be a supportive grandparent, spend time with family and also exercise more regularly.

But for this I’d obviously need to feel financially secure, have my affairs in order and have enough money not to worry about the future. That’s why I went to see Michael.

Michael helped me explore the options and find the solution that was right for me. He wasn’t pushy or salesy and explained everything really clearly. I never felt bamboozled by jargon.

He created a financial plan that made the most of all my assets and organised them in a way that meant we could comfortably afford the B&B purchase. He consolidated 8 different pensions and enabled me to access 25% of the cash tax free.

The outcome was that I could afford my dream retirement and I’m now living it! This has been life-changing and I’m extremely grateful to Michael for supporting me through this.

Here to help

We’d love to hear from you. You can email michael@reallifefinancialplanning.co.uk or give us a ring on 0131 556 0739. Or complete the form by clicking below.