What a first meeting actually looks like

You don’t need to prepare paperwork. The most useful thing you can bring is rough numbers, a sense of your pension pots, savings, monthly income, and monthly costs. Approximate is fine. If you have statements handy they help, but their absence does not stop the conversation.

I ask questions, you ask questions. The first ten minutes is usually you describing the situation in your own words. The middle twenty is me asking the practical questions and writing things down. The last few minutes is a summary of what I think the priorities are and what the options look like.

I do not pitch products, I do not push you toward a transfer, and I do not ask you for anything beyond the conversation.

I send a written summary by email within 48 hours, outlining what we discussed, what the priorities are, and what the next steps would look like if you decided to work together. If you decide not to, that’s fine, the summary is yours regardless.