The grandfather of five, shares what having sound financial advice has meant to him and his lifestyle choices: 

Doors Opening in Retirement 

I was able to retire early at 59, but I quickly realised that a slower pace of life wasn’t for me. Having been a partner in a mixed veterinary practice, hanging up my stethoscope was a major life change and I soon returned to the world of work, albeit part time and on my own terms. I am a firm believer in ‘use it or lose it’ when it comes to exercising your brain.

Rather than having doors close to you as you retire the opposite was true for me and I was able to pick and choose opportunities and explore ways to make the most out of my transferable skills.

Free to Explore New Opportunities 

My CV includes being a racecourse vet and working with animals on film sets. I carry out Local Authority licensing work and am also an International Federation for Equestrian Sports (FEI) veterinarian attending several major shows in the UK as FEI Veterinary delegate. 

I am an examiner for the Worshipful Company of Farriers and have been for some 15 years and regularly examine farriers in the UK and for the advanced exams in the US.

For over ten years I have been a consultant to the Horse of the Year Show and run the vet team there.

My new-found freedom in semi-retirement has enabled me to focus on the insurance market and travel all over the world on various tasks associated with these claims.

How is this all relevant to my personal finance arrangements, you may ask? Well, put simply, it’s lovely doing things when you don’t have to. I am definitely more adventurous now than I was working full time, comfortable in the knowledge that my finances are stable; I work because I love to work, not because I have to.

Financially Secure

I have an underlying need for financial security and I trust Maria 100% to be there for that. She is very responsive, takes the time to listen and is genuinely interested in me as a person and in my family life. The relationship is more than that based on exchanging money for time, Maria invests herself into her work and is always there with a smile. 

What is your ultimate ambition?

Right now, my ambition is to live until tomorrow every day, doing what I love, with the people I love. Having financial security frees me to focus on what really matters.