Retirement Planning UK: Is Your Plan Ready?
Independent financial planning across the UK
Sorting your finances is one of those jobs that’s always for next week. The statement lands on the mat, you give it a brief and responsible thought, and into the drawer it goes with the others. A few years on it’s still sitting there — the job you’ll see to once the summer’s over.
Heathcote Financial Planning is a chartered, independent firm based in Gloucester and working with clients across the UK. Whether you are local or further afield, we can speak by phone or video and help you understand what your pensions, savings, investments and retirement plans are really doing.
One honest conversation, and you’ll know where you stand — instead of just suspecting you ought to find out.
Your first call’s on us. Twenty minutes, phone or video, nothing to sign.
20 minutes · Phone or video · Nothing to sign
You didn’t get here
by being careless
You’ve worked for what you’ve got. Years of sensible decisions, money put by, pensions paid into while everyone around you was spending theirs. Nobody handed it to you.
Which is rather the point. When you’ve built something, it deserves more than a drawer and a good intention. Not because anything’s wrong — but because work like that is worth understanding properly, rather than half-remembering.
The bit that follows
you around
It isn’t the money itself that nags. It’s the not knowing.
Whether the old workplace pension from two jobs ago is doing anything useful. Whether your savings are in the right place or just the easy place. Whether you’re on course for the retirement you’ve quietly pictured, or whether you’re about to find out you’re not.
It sits at the back of your mind on a Sunday evening. It surfaces when a friend mentions they’ve “got it all sorted.” And it never quite goes away on its own.
The first call is how it goes away. Not with a lecture — just with someone laying the whole picture out in front of you, wherever you are in the UK, so you can finally see it clearly.
20 minutes · Phone or video · Nothing to sign
A calmer way to talk about your money
Good financial planning should feel like a proper conversation, not something formal or intimidating.
You may have pension pots in different places, savings you’re not quite sure what to do with, or questions about whether retirement will really work the way you hope. That’s exactly the sort of thing we help people make sense of.
We work with clients across the UK by phone or video, so you can speak to a real person who takes time to understand your situation. You can talk to us from home, at a time that suits you, without needing to travel or sit in a formal meeting room.
Our job is to make the process feel clear, manageable and human. We’ll take time to understand what matters to you, explain things in plain English, and help you make decisions with more confidence.
No pressure. No rushing. Just a straightforward conversation about your money, your future and what you’d like life to look like.
What clients say about Heathcote Financial Planning
Real words from people who wanted clearer, calmer conversations about their money.
“We recently used Heathcote Financial Planning to arrange our new mortgage while moving house, and the service from Steve was outstanding from start to finish. He also helped us put the right life insurance in place, making the whole process straightforward and reassuring.”
Steven 5★ Google review“My experience with Heathcote Financial Planning has been very positive. They have always acted promptly, taken the time to listen to my personal circumstances, and provided sound investment advice based on my needs.”
Simon 5★ Google review“I can’t recommend Steve highly enough. He secured a mortgage for below the rates available online within less than 24 hours after our first phone call. Brilliant communication and a very straightforward process.”
Miranda 5★ Google review“Heathcote Chartered Financial Planning has provided us with exceptional service for many years. Their expertise, professionalism, and dedication have been invaluable in helping us manage existing pensions.”
Karen 5★ Google review“They respond very quickly, provide good knowledge on the products they offer, and guide you through the process. Would highly recommend.”
Sina 5★ Google review“Steve was incredibly knowledgeable and made the whole mortgage process easy and stress-free. They found us a great deal and communicated quickly every step of the way.”
Daniel 5★ Google review“We’ve worked with Steve on a number of occasions, always pleased with the results. Highly recommend.”
Nicola Jenkins 5★ Google review“I feel confident that Stephen will continue to guide my future finances, including pensions, mortgages and general tax guidance.”
Joules 5★ Google review“Great pensions advice clarifying my options, especially regarding risk and returns at retirement. Very helpful talking to an independent whole-of-market financial adviser.”
Gary 5★ Google review“We recently used Heathcote Financial Planning to arrange our new mortgage while moving house, and the service from Steve was outstanding from start to finish. He also helped us put the right life insurance in place, making the whole process straightforward and reassuring.”
Steven 5★ Google review“My experience with Heathcote Financial Planning has been very positive. They have always acted promptly, taken the time to listen to my personal circumstances, and provided sound investment advice based on my needs.”
Simon 5★ Google review“I can’t recommend Steve highly enough. He secured a mortgage for below the rates available online within less than 24 hours after our first phone call. Brilliant communication and a very straightforward process.”
Miranda 5★ Google review“Heathcote Chartered Financial Planning has provided us with exceptional service for many years. Their expertise, professionalism, and dedication have been invaluable in helping us manage existing pensions.”
Karen 5★ Google review“They respond very quickly, provide good knowledge on the products they offer, and guide you through the process. Would highly recommend.”
Sina 5★ Google review“Steve was incredibly knowledgeable and made the whole mortgage process easy and stress-free. They found us a great deal and communicated quickly every step of the way.”
Daniel 5★ Google review“We’ve worked with Steve on a number of occasions, always pleased with the results. Highly recommend.”
Nicola Jenkins 5★ Google review“I feel confident that Stephen will continue to guide my future finances, including pensions, mortgages and general tax guidance.”
Joules 5★ Google review“Great pensions advice clarifying my options, especially regarding risk and returns at retirement. Very helpful talking to an independent whole-of-market financial adviser.”
Gary 5★ Google review
Meet Steve
Steve is the adviser who’ll look after you. He has 25+ years’ experience helping people make sense of pensions, retirement planning and wider finances.
He’ll help you understand where you are now, what your options are, and what may need attention — without making the process feel overwhelming.
How it actually goes
You pick a time.
There’s a button for it. It’s not complicated.
We have a chat.
Mostly about you, where you’re at, what you’re wondering, and your worries, questions, savings, investments, retirement, or just the fact that it’s all a bit of a muddle.
You decide.
If we can help, we’ll tell you how. If we’re not the right fit, we’ll say so and point you somewhere useful. Either way, you’ll leave with a clearer idea of where you stand.
One day is doing a lot of the heavy lifting
The trouble with “one day” is that it has a habit of becoming next spring. Then the spring after that. And the drawer just gets fuller.
The decisions don’t get easier for being left, either — they get bigger, and they tend to arrive at the least convenient moment.
The kindest thing you can do for the version of you who’s five years further on is to spend twenty minutes now, while it’s calm, getting the full picture.
You can speak to us by phone or video call, wherever you are in the UK.
No hard sell. A calm twenty minutes. On us.
UK-wide · Phone or video · First call free · No obligation
The questions everyone’s too polite to ask
Do I even have enough to make it worth your while?
There’s no minimum to have a conversation. People often assume they’re not wealthy enough to speak to an adviser, and put it off when they are actually at exactly the right time to start. Sometimes the honest answer is that you’re doing perfectly well and don’t need to change a thing — and if that’s the case, we’ll happily tell you so.
Do I need to live near you?
No. We work with clients across the UK by phone or video, so you do not need to be local to speak to us. The first call is simply a chance to understand your situation, answer your questions and explain whether we may be able to help.
Is this just a sales pitch in disguise?
No. Because we’re independent, there’s no product we’re quietly steering you towards. The call is a chat, not a closing script. If we think we can help, we’ll explain how. If we can’t, we’ll say so and point you somewhere more useful. Nobody leaves the first call having signed anything.
What’s it actually going to cost me?
The first call is free, full stop. If you decide to go further, advice has a fee like any professional service — but you’ll know exactly what it is, and agree to it, before you commit to anything. No meter running during a friendly conversation. No surprise bill landing later.