Pete's story
My name is Pete. I live in Northamptonshire, I’m 67 and retired. I’ve been retired just over two and a half years.
I was still working. I’d had two or three pensions that were in limbo, that were frozen. I had my own company pension that was still ongoing. I was probably about eight years away from retirement. I was looking if possible to retire early. So I just wanted to know what I could do with these pensions. I had a private pension as well that I was paying into. So it was a case of ‘should I keep paying into the private pension? And what can I do with these pensions?’
Marc explained about my company pensions and how beneficial it was to keep them where they was. He explained the benefit of switching to the private pension was that it was going to be beneficial to me later, and I wouldn’t have to make a decision there and then about how I was going to draw my pension out. And he also explained – or showed – the performance of that pension, as it was happening at that time.
My pension was changing at the place where I was working. They were postponing that one and started me a new one, but I only had six months to go so I needed to know what to do. He told me straight away what to do, and I followed that advice. So yes, we’ve had several meetings. He mostly comes to my house, and we give him a cup of tea or whatever he wants. And we have a good face-to-face chat, if you like! It’s explained very succinctly my options are, what I can do, and sometimes he tells me what not to do.
If anybody was looking for a financial adviser then I would definitely recommend that they give Marc a call. Get his advice on whatever they want doing pension-wise or anything else, and to listen to his advice. And whatever advice he gives – take it, because it is good advice.
As he approached retirement, Pete wanted to understand more about his options and find out if it was possible to retire early. We were there to help gain some clarity.