DS, Wales

I was introduced to Richard and HFL by my partner in 2018 when I first started seriously considering retirement. Having not paid too much attention to previous company pension communications I realised that even though I always believed I “would be OK” I didn’t actually know how OK and furthermore, didn’t fully understand all the pension communications I had received from the company. The first meeting was a quite informal explanation of the paperwork I had received over the years that left me feeling comfortable about my future and for the first time feeling that I was beginning to understand my options.

In January 2019 I had decided that I would retire during that year and formally became a client of HFL and Richard. From the first “recap” meeting until my retirement in August that year Richard was very clear in his communication of the options and financial details involved. He also took great care to ensure that I understood this information and also any potential pitfalls of each option. Every discussion was properly documented in a way I could understand, including all conversations/communications with the pension fund administrators and investment managers. Dealing with fund administrators can be quite an onerous, time consuming and lengthy activity but with HFL taking this pain I always felt that I was moving forward in the right direction.

At no stage did I feel under pressure to make a quick decision, in fact completely the opposite – Richard ensured that I could explain why I had made each decision, what it meant to me and what the potential risks were.

During my first year of retirement I have kept in fairly regular contact with Richard, who is always accessible and ready to answer any questions. I have just completed the first formal annual review. The summary was comprehensive and it was encouraging, in these uncertain economic times, to feel that my pension is in good hands. I would certainly recommend HFL and Richard to anyone approaching this stage of their life that is looking for sound advice.