Chris worked in financial services until he retired in 2013. He’s been married to Jean for 33 years and they have two daughters, one son, two grandchildren and one more on the way.

Why did you decide to work with Barrington Hamilton?

I’d worked with John in the past and we’d kept in touch. After I took redundancy in 2013, I planned to find another job and continue working until I was 60. However, I was keen to find out what my other options might be.

Having worked with financial advisers over the years, there are not many that I would trust. So, I contacted John, knowing that he’s well qualified and has a good reputation as a financial planner.

How did we help?

I was fortunate in that I had a Final Salary pension from the company that I’d worked at for 25 years. John worked with an actuary to investigate the pros and cons of transferring out of this pension scheme. At the time, the transfer values were at an historical high. The timing was right, so I decided to transfer out of the scheme into a Self-Invested Personal Pension (SIPP). This has enabled me to drawdown from the pension before the age of 60.

John did a very precise analysis of my income and outgoings and from this, he demonstrated that I didn’t need to go back to work after taking redundancy. As a result, I was able to retire at 57.

What’s been the benefit for you?

Apart from being able to retire early, the main benefit is being able to enjoy retirement with Jean. We’re able to do what we want to do. We don’t have an extravagant lifestyle, but we do try to have two holidays a year. I also enjoy mountain-biking and volunteer once a week as a countryside ranger.

Another benefit has been the ability to use my SIPP to buy 4.5 acres of woodland. We don’t expect to make a lot of money on the asset, but I enjoy maintaining it and plan to turn it into a more productive woodland. It’s a small thing, but it gives me a great deal of satisfaction.

Jean and I also look after our grandson three days a week when my daughter is at work. With two more grandchildren on the way, I think we’ll still be busy after he starts school!

As well as helping with childcare, we’ve been able to help our daughters with their wedding costs and assist them with getting onto the property ladder.

John is the only person I would recommend to my friends and family as I know he’ll do just as good a job for them as he has for me.

I’m a cautious person so I wouldn’t have transferred out of my Final Salary pension if I didn’t feel certain that it was the best thing for me to do.

John’s approach fits with my way of operating which is analytical and focused on the detail. As a result, I trust John implicitly as a colleague and an adviser.