Heather came to Flying Colours Advice during one of the most challenging periods of her life. Following the passing of her husband, who had been living with dementia, she found herself navigating not only grief but a complex financial picture she hadn’t had full sight of. “There were lots of bits and pieces, different streams of income, different outgoings,” she recalls. “I thought, I need someone who knows what they’re talking about.”
As she worked through her husband’s paperwork, Heather discovered he had taken out additional plans she hadn’t known about — arranged with the best of intentions, but adding to the complexity she now faced alone. She had untangled the basics with the help of her sister but was left with multiple financial strands — a pension, inherited funds, and various investments. She decided that she needed a professional to review and consolidate all of these strands into a forward-looking financial plan.
I thought, no, I need someone to look over it all — even if they just said ‘you’re fine.’ I wanted someone to do that process.
Finding Flying Colours Advice
Heather turned to an internet search to find an independent financial adviser. She describes how she went about choosing which financial adviser to contact by explaining: “If I can’t make head or tail of the website, then I’m sure as heck not going to deal with people who can’t even get that right!”
The Flying Colours Advice website passed the test. Heather contacted the firm and was paired with adviser Carl Williams, beginning a relationship that has since become a cornerstone of her financial planning.
Working with Carl Williams
From the outset, Carl took the time to understand exactly what Heather wanted from her finances — not just in the immediate term, but for the years ahead. He consolidated her pension into a better-performing arrangement, invested the funds her husband had left her, and built a clear, realistic plan around her retirement goals.
Heather is candid about what that meant in practice: “I would have just left my pensions where they were, assuming that everybody pretty much grew the same way. I certainly didn’t have the confidence to start moving my pension around. Having somebody who can give you proper advice and, to be honest, do it all for you makes all the difference.”
I felt that Carl was careful to pick what was right for me. I didn’t feel like it was ‘here’s a product we have to sell to everybody.’ He was making a conscious effort to find the right solution for me.
Heather values Carl’s personalised approach and the sense that she is treated as an individual, not simply assigned to a standard solution. As an independent firm, Flying Colours Advice has the flexibility to look beyond a standard panel of products where the client’s needs require it — something Heather intuitively recognised and appreciated.
Beyond the initial planning work, it is the ongoing relationship that Heather highlights most warmly. Carl has set her up with an app that lets her monitor her investments and pension at a glance. They have an annual review in person, and she knows she can reach him whenever she has a question.
Sometimes people seem really nice at the beginning, they get everything in place and that’s it — they don’t want to deal with you again. Having that ongoing relationship with a person, not just the firm, is what I like.
Heather also draws a broader conclusion from the fact that Carl has remained with Flying Colours Advice throughout their time working together. “If they’re looking after their staff, then that gives me a certain amount of confidence that the staff are looking after me,” she says — a straightforward but telling observation about what a stable, well-run firm means for clients.
Looking ahead: Heather’s retirement 
Now working reduced hours from home, Heather plans to retire at 67. Her retirement vision is grounded and warm: she wants to be comfortable, maintain a couple of holidays a year, and crucially, be an active grandmother to her family, to whom she moved to be closer to. A great-grandchild is also on the way.
The financial plan Carl has built with her is anchored to a simple but important ambition: knowing that the bills are paid, the heating can go on when it’s cold, and that she never has to choose between essentials. Any surplus funds her investments generate are a bonus — earmarked, perhaps, for that bit of sun, sea and sangria.
She has opted for a balanced, medium-risk investment approach, conscious that at this stage of life she does not have the time to recover from significant losses. “At my age I need to be fairly safe,” she says, “but it’s nice to see that my investments are growing.”
My finances are clearly in a much better position than they were before I came to Flying Colours Advice. I would certainly say: you should work with a financial adviser, even if it’s just to put your mind at rest.
The value of financial advice
Heather is thoughtful about the perception that financial advice is only for the wealthy. “I’m not rich by any stretch of the imagination, but I’m comfortable,” she says. “Having a financial adviser is perceived as something that rich people have. Not your average Joe Public.” Her own experience tells a different story.
For Heather, the value of working with Flying Colours Advice has not been about getting rich, Instead it’s been about peace of mind, confidence and the freedom to get on with life knowing her finances are in capable hands.
It’s not about getting richer. For me, it’s about peace of mind and confidence. Having somebody who can give you proper advice — and do it all for you — makes all the difference.
Please note
This case study is based on the experience of one client. Individual circumstances vary and past outcomes are not indicative of future results.
If you are in a similar situation to Heather and would like to understand how professional financial planning can help you achieve your goals, feel free to book a free, no obligation consultation with one of our expert financial advisers.
For support with bereavement, visit the National Bereavement Alliance website.