When it comes to securing a comfortable retirement, it’s vital you speak to the professionals and a major event in Glasgow this month, hosted by Acumen Financial Planning, will allow you to do just that ...

In November 2023, financial planning specialists, Acumen Financial Planning officially opened a new office in Glasgow.

The new premises replaced its Southside of Glasgow office, which it had occupied since 2017 when the firm acquired the Glasgow firm, Forty-Two Financial Planning, and in 2019, Loch Fyne Financial Management.

Laura Crowe, the Regional Manager and Director heading up the new Glasgow office and West of Scotland region, points out that the move reflected the fact that in addition to acquisitions, the client base had grown organically to the point where a move to a larger, and more central office was clearly in order, although Crowe is keen to stress that despite growing in size Acumen still retains its ethos of delivering the best bespoke, personal service to each and every client.

Since the move, Crowe says, the award-winning firm has made good progress in extending its services to clients across Glasgow. “There is so much that an experienced financial planning firm such as ours can do to help people understand what they need to do to achieve a comfortable retirement for themselves. We have built our business on serving clients well, providing specialist and diverse expertise, to help clients navigate the most complex financial scenarios.

“Our extended team of 23 financial planners, are (proudly) some of the best in the business, trained and experienced in supporting clients over the years with their financial plans for life after work, selling a business and advice on wealth transfers to future generations. she comments. 

“There have always been plenty of opinions and information on financial decisions and on what best to do, especially at times like this with the recent budget, so there has never been a better time for independent, expert financial advice. 

“Many don’t look beyond the headlines and can make costly financial decisions, such as transferring pensions, investment portfolios, without taking proper financial advice,” Crowe points out. 

As one of the few independent firms who are qualified and insured to advise on pension transfers, it is not a decision to be taken lightly or without the proper advice. 

“When people come to us, we establish what is important to them, and what their objectives are for planning for retirement and beyond. We review and analyse their pensions and investments, insurances, property and savings in detail and establish the most beneficial route forward, working with clients over the years to advise and support them,” she explains. 

To raise awareness of the way in which the firm can help people plan for their retirement, Acumen will be running a major event on 20th November in Glasgow, called: Ready, Set, Retire. 

“This will be the first of these events that we have run in Glasgow since moving to larger premises. We have held several successful events in Aberdeen, with further events due in Edinburgh, highlighting the growing demand for impartial retirement advice,” Crowe comments. 

She points out that it is very difficult for people to really get an understanding of what a good retirement would look like and how much they would need to secure it for themselves. 

“We work with them to understand their ambitions and priorities, and how they are currently seeing their future. Then we use a combination of financial modelling and knowledge to provide a clear view on their financial future, based on what their current financial habits, protection, savings and pension arrangements,” Crowe explains. 

With all new clients, the first consultation with the firm is at our cost. Thereafter there is a fee, but as Crowe notes, “The fee for using our firm to understand what is required for your retirement, pales into insignificance by comparison with the scale of the mistakes that you can make taking a DIY approach,” she says.

Acumen’s Glasgow office is now 14-strong and continuing to recruit. Crowe is keen to point out that the team approach provides support to clients as part of their exemplary service, having recently been awarded Accredited Firm of the Year 2024, from The Chartered Institute for Securities and Investment, the only UK firm to win this accolade three times.  

“We are a very client-focused firm, intent on building long-lasting relationships with our clients, many of which have been with us through generations. As financial planners, we help our clients with succession planning issues, including navigating the issue of how best to pass on their wealth to the next generation. Taking inheritance tax fully into consideration when planning your pension is hugely important,” she adds. 

“Again, we use cash flow modelling to show our clients what drawdown during the average retirement span could look like. No one wants to run out of money in their old age, so really looking at the detail is so important,” she says. 

All the firm’s clients get a minimum of an annual review meeting, once their initial plan has been formed. Where necessary, or where the client’s circumstances change, two or more meetings might well be needed. 

“Many of our clients have been with us for ten years or more. They understand the cyclical nature of markets and know to look through day-to-day headlines. Five years is really the minimum time frame that people should be considering when they are thinking of longer-term savings and investments. 

“We make sure that we help new clients to take a longer-term, strategic view of investing. It can be an educational process, and it is about providing our clients, and their families with complete financial security before and during retirement.” Crowe concludes. 
 

For more information on the Ready, Set, Retire event on November 20, go to www.acumenfp.com