Financial Planning for 46-65 Year Olds
As you move towards your fifties and sixties, your financial focus evolves. After years of building wealth, growing your career, and investing for the future, this phase is about planning for a smooth entry into retirement while still enjoying life’s rewards. At Transform, we ensure your wealth continues to grow and sustain you, giving you the freedom to focus on what matters most—spending time with family, travelling, or pursuing passions.
Wealth Overview
Where You Are Now
At this life stage, your financial picture looks more complete — but also more complex. You may be:
- At or near peak earning potential.
- Sitting on valuable assets — property, pensions, business interests, ISAs, investments.
- Starting to feel the tension between wanting freedom and needing financial certainty.
And if you’re a business owner, you’re likely thinking about exit plans, succession, or reducing involvement.
Key Financial Priorities When Planning to Retire
As retirement approaches, your financial goals shift from building wealth to and creating a sustainable income strategy.
Your key goals should be:
Retirement Readiness
Plan the timing of your retirement, determine the income you’ll need, and develop a tax-efficient strategy for drawing on your pension and savings.
Investment and Pension Reviews
Reassess your pension plans and investment portfolio to ensure they align with your retirement needs, lifestyle and provide income.
Legacy Planning
Estate planning becomes a critical focus, including setting up trusts, updating wills, and creating tax-efficient strategies to pass wealth to the next generation.
What You're Feeling
Financial Pressures and Emotional Landscape
Retirement planning often evokes both excitement and apprehension. Financially, there is the concern of ensuring your savings will be sufficient to support you throughout retirement, while also accounting for unexpected expenses such as healthcare or home repairs.
This period often comes with mixed emotions:
💬 “I think I’ve got enough — but how do I know for sure?”
💬 “Should I access my pension early or delay for tax reasons?”
💬 “I’d love to work less, but can we afford it?”
💬 “We want to help the kids — but don’t want to run out later in life.”
There’s pride in what you’ve built — but some natural uncertainty about how best to use it. That’s where we come in.
Maximising Wealth
Career, Exit & Lifestyle Decisions
Not everyone stops work at 60 — and we’re not here to tell you when to hang it up.
We work with clients who are:
1. Reducing hours or shifting to part-time work.
2. Moving into consultancy, advisory or board roles.
3. Selling their business or handing over to family.
4. Weighing up early retirement vs working longer for a better pension.
Whatever your path, we’ll help ensure it’s financially sustainable.
Dealing with a Windfall
A late-career bonus, inheritance, or business sale can be transformative — or overwhelming. You might be tempted to splurge (and you should enjoy some of it), but balance is key.
We’ll guide you to:
✅ Pay off any remaining debts.
✅ Reinvest tax-efficiently to support retirement income.
✅ Allocate funds to support family, lifestyle, and legacy.
✅ Keep a portion for fun — guilt-free.
Our goal is to help you enjoy your new-found wealth without compromising long-term security.
Why Financial Planning is Essential for Pre-Retirees
Generating Income
As retirement nears, it’s critical to structure your finances for consistent income. We can help you transition your portfolio to income-focused investments while reducing risk.
Protecting Your Wealth
We ensure your assets can support you throughout retirement, accounting for healthcare needs, lifestyle costs, and unforeseen events.
Leaving a Legacy
Estate planning is a priority at this stage. Our advisers help you design a strategy to pass on your wealth efficiently, minimising taxes and ensuring your loved ones benefit fully.
FAQs
When should I start accessing my pension?
The timing depends on your unique financial needs and the tax implications involved. Transform works with you to create a tailored retirement plan, ensuring pensions are accessed at the most tax-efficient times.
How can you help me transition from full-time work?
We provide customised guidance to help you gradually reduce your work hours, move into part-time roles or consultancy, and structure your finances to align with your retirement lifestyle.
What estate planning steps should I take now?
Now is the time to establish trusts, revise your will, and explore gifting options to reduce inheritance tax and guarantee your wealth is distributed according to your intentions.
Get in Touch
Wherever you are on the journey to retirement, we’ll meet you there — with personalised, jargon-free advice that simplifies your next chapter.
Book a discovery consultation today, and let’s build a retirement plan that works for you.
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Transform Financial Planning (FP) is a trading style of Bridge Investments Partners Ltd. Bridge Investments Partners Ltd is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority and is entered on the Financial Services Register https://register.fca.org.uk/ under reference no. 608975.
Registered in Scotland. Company Number: SC456760. Registered Address: 19 Monktonhall Place, Musselburgh, Scotland, EH21 6RR.
The guidance and/or advice contained within this website is subject to the UK regulatory regime and is therefore targeted at consumers based in the UK. Regulations, levels and bases of taxation are subject to change. The value of your investment can go down as well as up and you may not get back the full amount you invested.
The Financial Conduct Authority does not regulate Inheritance Tax Planning, Business Planning, Will Writing, Taxation and Trust Advice. The firm is not responsible for the content of external links. The content is aimed at UK residents or residents of MiFID countries. See our Website Terms of Use.
Making a Complaint
If you wish to register a complaint, please email hello@transformfp.com or write to us at Transform FP, Compliance Officer, 129-131 Comely Bank Road, Edinburgh, EH4 1BH UK, or telephone us on 0131 315 222.
A summary of our internal complaints handling procedures for the reasonable and prompt handling of complaints is available on request. If you cannot settle your complaint with us, you may be entitled to refer it to the Financial Ombudsman Service at www.financial-ombudsman.org.uk or by contacting them on 0800 023 4567.
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