June 11, 2026
Paul Byles has been advising high-net-worth clients for nearly 30 years, helping them build and preserve their wealth. A passionate advocate for holistic financial planning, he aims to help individual clients and families to achieve greater confidence in their financial freedom, whatever life throws at them.
Recently, he helped a couple a few years away from state pension age to realise they could retire early and enjoy the wealth built over a lifetime of careful planning.
With over £1m invested in pensions, Paul’s clients were on track for a comfortable retirement once they reached state pension age. But a combination of a serious illness, swiftly followed by a redundancy, could have shaken their confidence in their ability to achieve their retirement objectives.
Instead, the opposite happened. With the Critical Illness cover that Paul had helped them put in place, they realised that, not only did they not have to worry about one partner job-seeking while the other had medical treatment, but they could both retire early and kick-start their plans for the future.
Paul says, “obviously the diagnosis of a serious illness is traumatic, and emotions run high. What you don’t need when this happens is to have to worry about money – either immediately or in the future. With sensible financial planning, these clients protected their family, and their future, taking the pressure off during a difficult time.”
With the Critical Illness funds received, Paul talked his clients through their updated lifetime cashflow plan, showing them that this, combined with their existing investments, would allow them to retire with confidence.
Later, following a full recovery, Paul helped them to move on with their retirement plans, downsizing in the UK and buying a place in the sun.
Paul’s experience and knowledge enabled him to help his clients navigate the unfamiliar overseas property system, ensuring that funds were in the right place at the right time.
Other members of the family have also trusted Paul’s financial advice for several years, which opened the door to some multi-generational planning – allowing him to advise them on the most tax-efficient decisions in terms of gifting money and drawing down pension funds. And his advice has also enabled them to put in place a Life Assurance policy to cover future Inheritance Tax (IHT) liabilities.
“When there are limited liquid assets other than a pension fund, and wealth is tied up in property, an unexpected life event can feel daunting,” finishes Paul. “But with the appropriate financial protections in place, you can relax, knowing that you and your family are financially secure.”
To secure your family’s financial future and approach retirement with confidence, contact Paul.
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