We live the life we choose in retirement

“We have peace of mind that Clarion knows exactly what it is you are looking for and they know how to provide it.”

Meet Clarion clients – David and Dorothy Durling – who had never engaged the services of a financial planner before their tax accountant introduced them to Clarion just as they both retired.

David, 74, from Macclesfield, Cheshire, ended a very successful career as northern regional managing director of Bovis Homes in 2005 at the same time as Dorothy decided to step away from her role in accounts.

The couple who have been married for 35 years wanted to work with Clarion so they felt comfortable with their finances in later life; knowing they could visit their daughter and her husband and three grandchildren in France regularly, support their grandchildren as they started out in life and enjoy some winter sun while keeping their well-appointed property to a standard to which they had become accustomed.

We talked to David about how 15 years with Clarion has given them the peace of mind that all this could be achieved, as like many successful people, being retired did not mean he and Dorothy were about to put their feet up…

“I officially retired in my fifties but then immediately set up a land-buying consultancy! Now I am heavily involved in golf administration as the current president of the Cheshire Union of Golf Clubs. We look after all the affiliated golf clubs in Cheshire, almost 100 in all. So I am retired (sort of). Like lots of people, I didn’t want a retirement of doing nothing.

“When Dorothy and I did retire, our tax accountant suggested we really needed a financial advisor and recommended Clarion. We had a lot of investments and financial instruments that all needed bringing together in some sort of lifestyle plan.

“We just wanted our money to be safe, first of all, and we wanted it to work for us. We didn’t want it just sitting there; we wanted it to have a purpose. Mostly, we didn’t want to have to worry about money.

“Clarion asked me and Dorothy what we were looking to do. We discussed a lot, they looked at the investments and managed them on that basis, to provide us with an income but also an ongoing investment.

“If we wanted to do something, we didn’t want to have to worry about where the money was going to come from. We don’t like taking big risks so we wanted relatively safe investments, but we needed some money available so if we wanted to do something like visiting our family in France, or install a new bathroom in the house or help out the grandchildren – like we have done while they are at university, plus helping them to get an apartment in London – there was no problem. We also love to go to Tenerife to get some winter sunshine rather than Macclesfield, which can be quite cold that time of year!

“You feel so encouraged when you meet the people at Clarion that they know exactly what it is you are looking for and they know how to provide it. They are very careful to understand for instance your risk levels, and what sort of risk you are prepared to take. They look forward and ask about the future and what you want to do.

“Of course, one of the big things that is going to come into play is care costs. We are very, very lucky we are in good health, but we do appreciate in years to come this is one of the issues you might have to deal with and you need to have something in place just in case, as well as still wanting to be able to help the family if they need any assistance.

“It is so wonderful to have confidence that someone is looking after that side of things. That you don’t have to keep looking at the investments and thinking should I be doing this, should I be switching that? It is fantastic to have somebody looking, after all, that for you. It gives you peace of mind.”

Sam Petts, the Durlings’ chartered financial planner at Clarion, said: “Our clients become more than just customers to us, we want to see them succeed in all parts of their lives and be part of that success.”

Clarion Wealth Planning are Chartered Financial Planners, specialising in true, lifelong financial planning and investment management. We develop, implement and monitor bespoke long-term plans for successful individuals and their families.

Above all, we give our clients the certainty that they can enjoy life to the full now as well as long into the future because they have clarity and confidence about their future wealth.

Experience true lifelong financial planning at our cost: email spetts@clarionwealth.co.uk to book a free initial consultation meeting, which is backed by our Clarion Guarantee. Following the production of your lifelong financial plan, you can walk away with no fees to pay in the unlikely event that you do not value our advice or services.