Client stories

Evidence from real consultations

These accounts describe specific pieces of work. Names are shortened for privacy. Outcomes depend on individual circumstances.

“The estate overview flagged that our holiday cottage sat outside the will's main gifts. We had assumed everything would fall into one pot. Sorting that before our solicitor redrafted saved a second round of fees.”
Margaret H. — Estate & Inheritance Planning client, Perthshire

“I wanted someone to challenge my plan to take the full tax-free lump sum at once. The retirement income work showed how that would push me into a higher tax band for two years. We paced withdrawals instead. The meetings ran longer than I expected, though — bring a clear list of questions.”
David K. — Retirement Income Planning client, Edinburgh

“Tracing three old workplace pensions felt tedious until we saw one still carried a guaranteed annuity rate. Leaving that scheme alone was the right call.”
Priya S. — Pension Consolidation Review client, Glasgow

“Our family meeting stayed surprisingly calm. Having an outsider keep time meant my brother and I stopped talking over each other about Mum's house.”
Helen R. — Family Wealth Conversations client, Aberdeen

“The portfolio review was blunt about how much of my ISA sat in a single investment trust. I did not love hearing it, but the rebalancing note was practical and free of sales pressure.”
James T. — Investment Portfolio Review client, Fife

Extended story

Two properties, one overlooked cottage

A Perthshire couple asked for an estate overview ahead of updating wills. The main residence and investment ISA were carefully described; a small holiday cottage held in one spouse’s sole name was mentioned only in passing. Mapping title showed that cottage would not fall into the shared residue the couple intended for their children.

We estimated the inheritance tax effect of leaving the cottage by specific gift versus equalising ownership while both were alive. They chose a solicitor instruction that gifted the cottage expressly and adjusted cash legacies so children remained even. The written overview became the brief for that redraft.

Extended story

A guaranteed rate worth keeping

During a pension consolidation review we traced three deferred workplace schemes. Two were ordinary money purchase pots with rising charges. The third carried a guaranteed annuity rate that would have been lost on transfer.

The client had expected a single modern pot. After comparing transfer values and projected income, she left the guaranteed scheme untouched and consolidated only the other two. The review fee was modest beside the income that guarantee preserved.

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