Client stories

Evidence from the file, not a scoreboard

These notes describe specific engagements — the constraints, the paperwork, and what changed after advice. Names are used with permission; some details are generalised to protect privacy.

We arrived with three old workplace pensions and no clear drawdown figure. Eleanor walked us through each scheme’s transfer pack, flagged the safeguarded benefits we nearly missed, and left us with a monthly income map we could actually follow.

— Margaret & Hugh Pell, Retirement Income Planning · Aberystwyth

The remortgage took longer than I hoped because the lender wanted extra payslips — Stonebridge kept the broker side moving and did not push a product simply to close the file. I would have preferred fewer document chases, but the rate we landed on was worth the wait.

— Owen Rhys, Mortgage & Protection Advice · Cardiff

As a sole director I needed clarity on how much the company could contribute without tripping the annual allowance. The written briefing was plain English, and they sat with my accountant for one joint call so nobody was guessing.

— Priya Chand, Business Owner Wealth Structuring · Bristol

Our portfolio review showed we were paying for active funds that barely beat their benchmarks after charges. We trimmed two holdings and moved the rest into cleaner wrappers — nothing flashy, just tidier.

— Daniel Foster, Investment Portfolio Review · Swansea

After Mum’s probate stalled on a property sale, Stonebridge modelled the cash gap for the siblings. The life cover recommendation for Dad felt measured rather than salesy.

— Catrin Vaughan, Inheritance & Estate Cash Flow · Newport

Case note: three pensions into one income map

A couple near Aberystwyth held a final-salary deferred pension, a group personal pension from a former employer, and a small SIPP opened during a self-employed spell. They wanted to leave work within four years and keep mortgage payments until age 68.

We ruled out transferring the final-salary scheme after comparing the safeguarded income with drawdown illustrations under cautious assumptions. The SIPP and workplace pot were consolidated for admin simplicity, with ISA withdrawals sequenced first to keep taxable income inside the couple’s preferred band. The written plan included a “pause year” if markets fell sharply in the first two years of retirement.

Case note: director contribution after a strong trading year

A Bristol-based director had already taken a modest salary and wanted to move surplus company profit into pension saving without breaching the annual allowance. We modelled company contributions against relevant earnings, coordinated with her accountant on corporation tax timing, and documented why a personal contribution would have been less efficient that year.

The mild friction: gathering prior years’ pension input amounts from two older schemes took three weeks longer than hoped. Once the numbers arrived, the recommendation was straightforward and implemented before the company year-end.

Considering advice yourself?

If your situation resembles one of these files, start with an appointment request. We will say early if we are not the right firm.

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