Are Financial Questions Keeping You Awake at Night?

It’s not always about the numbers. It's about the questions running through your mind when you should be sleeping.

The "what ifs" you push to the back of your head. The uneasy feeling that you should be doing something, but you're not sure what.

Financial planning isn’t about chasing a bigger pot for the sake of it. It’s about giving you peace of mind. Helping you feel confident in your future. Making sure you and the people you care about are going to be ok.

Here are three of the most common worries I help clients deal with, and how planning can turn uncertainty into clarity.

1. Fear of Running Out of Money in Retirement

How it feels

• You might wonder whether you’re saving enough. Or if you’ve saved too little, too late.

• The thought of living frugally in retirement, or worse, running out of money can be scary.

Why you might feel like this

• Without a clear plan, it’s impossible to know how long your money will last, and guesswork just makes things worse.

How I help

• I build a personalised lifetime financial plan that shows how your money will work for you during your life.

• You’ll see the impact of different choices, such as spending more, retiring earlier, gifting to family, and you can feel confident in the decisions you make.

2. Uncertain About When You Can Retire 

How it feels

• You dream about stopping work,  or at least slowing down, but you're scared to take the leap in case it's "too soon” or you don’t “have enough.” 

• Retirement feels like something in the distance and too far away to think about.  

Why it happens

• We’ve been conditioned to think of retirement as a fixed age, 65, 67 - when really, it's a financial milestone, not a birthday. 

How I help

• Together, we calculate your "number" which is the amount you need to live the life you want.

  
  

• Knowing your number gives you clarity about what you are working towards and identifies a time when you are free to choose what you do, and we call this financial independence.

  
  
  
  

3. Have you ever thought about "what happens if?"

How it feels

• You wonder what would happen if you couldn’t work or you passed away, and think about how the family would cope.

• But you aren’t sure what to do and how much they would need to be financially ok.

Why it happens

• It’s uncomfortable to think about illness or death, so many people put off dealing with it.

• Most people plan on the basis that everything will be ok, and not what happens if something goes wrong.

How I help

• I build plans that are robust, not just optimistic. We stress test your finances against unexpected events like illness or death, and look at how your family would cope without you or your income.

• That might mean reviewing life cover, income protection, or critical illness policies, or just making sure the right structures are in place.

• A proper plan isn’t just about building wealth, it’s about protecting what matters most if the worst were to happen.

These are just three of a number of questions and concerns that clients may have about their financial future, and if you would like to discuss yours then please feel free to get in touch to see how we can help.

The Financial Conduct Authority does not regulate Cashflow Planning.

This blog is for information purposes and does not constitute financial advice, which should be based on your individual circumstances.