I’ve been a client of Neil’s for almost fifteen years. I run a business operating in the construction field. I’m a quantity surveyor by profession; I’ve been doing that for 40 years now.

I’ve owned and run my current consultancy business for the past 10 years. It’s very varied and rewarding work that takes me all over the world; I regularly travel to South America, North Africa and Europe. I’m an expert witness, I mentor people, help them with difficult clients and I’m a non-executive director of a business development organisation. I enjoy it.

Neil was recommended to me by another of his clients. I remember that person telling me that Neil had made a huge difference to their life and their personal and business affairs. At the time, my wife and I wanted to do some extensions to our house and needed some help working out how best to fund it. Neil looked into it for us, but it became more than just looking at a mortgage.

We’d had a financial adviser previously – part of a large, well-known company – but the returns weren’t good. And there had been a mis-selling issue too, so we had had our fingers burned and obviously wanted to find someone we could trust this time around.

When you’re 15, 20 years away from retirement, it’s not an issue in your mind. When you get a bit closer though, you start to think, have I got enough? Neil helps you prepare and think about all those questions.

Although I’m over 60, I’m not ready to retire yet. I think it depends on what you do. I can understand why some people can’t wait to retire. But when you run your own business, you don’t always have that same pressing need to stop. It’s a personal choice. For me, there’s only so many times I could cut the grass and play golf!

I’m much happier now, knowing my financial affairs are all taken care of. Neil and I have gone from being just client and consultant to being friends. He’s very thorough – he goes into an infinite amount of detail, the good stuff, the bad stuff, he really gets into the detail. And he’s very down to earth.

I feel as if Neil is someone I can talk to about anything. As a consultant, I don’t work alongside other people every day in that way you do when you’re employed in an office. So, I don’t have anyone in the office to talk financial issues though. It’s great knowing Neil is always there whenever I need to talk something through.