Simon Parker
Transcript
Hi, my name is Simon Parker. I’ve been a client of Ernest Grant for about 15 to 20 years, and the person who looks after me is Paul Glover.
I needed help from Ernest Grant because, like a lot of people nowadays, I’ve changed companies quite a few times, so I’ve got pension funds in different schemes, and I needed to consolidate that and look at the best way of doing that.
My first contact with Ernest Grant was because they were the company that was managing the pension scheme at one of my previous companies, and they did a good job of that. I was the managing director of that company, and when I left, I started to use them in a private capacity.
I decided to move from a professional to a personal capacity with Ernest Grant, because I built up rapport and trust with Paul, and they offered solutions that were tailored to me. They didn’t offer set, formulaic solutions, and I felt I had a very strong relationship with them and trusted them.
Over the years, I’ve spent a lot of time with Paul planning my retirement, and your risk profile changes as you become older and approach retirement. Along the way, Paul was advising me about the best solutions for where I was at that time.
One of the good things about Ernest Grant and Paul – and it’s not only Paul, because of all the stuff that we work through – is that they’re all very relatable, they’ve got a good sense of humour, and they’re all very approachable and work well to help you understand complex issues.
The two key bits of advice I’ve learned from Ernest Grant and Paul over the years are, firstly, that paying down debt is not always the best solution, because if you’re earning more money from your investments than you’re paying in interest, then it makes sense to keep the money invested. The second thing is that tax planning is critical, both as you’re making your savings and as you’re realising your investments. It’s very critical to do that because tax rates can have a big impact on the decisions that you make and how you invest and redeem your investments.
I’d definitely recommend Ernest Grant. I’ve been with them for 20 years. They are very relatable, easy to work with, and their fee structure is very clear and honest. Some people are reluctant to pay fees, but I think that you get what you pay for.
What our clients say
Our success is measured by the happiness of the individuals we support. Hear directly from the clients and families who have placed their trust in Ernest Grant.
Richard & Sam Kennerley
Their storyIan & Beverly Elliot
Their storySimon Parker
Simon's storyGuy Waterman
Guy's storySimon & Rachel Healy
Their storyStuart & Gemma Thorp
Their storyBy us, for you
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