Case Study - Meet Greg.

Learn more about how financial coaching helped Greg improve his potential future net-worth by £600-700k.

Background

Greg is 31 and runs a successful plumbing business, generating around £80,000 in annual profits. Greg is married with two young children. The arrival of his second child prompted him to think more seriously about his family’s future and his own.

While financially comfortable, he doesn’t see himself doing this work forever. Greg has focused on earning well but has a limited understanding about personal finance. His approach has been simple: maximise earnings and save what’s left.

The Turning Point

After researching his options, Greg discovered financial coaching. Initially hesitant to talk openly about money, he found reassurance in receiving unbiased guidance and being able to remain in control of his own finances.

The Financial Coaching approach allowed us to take a step-by-step approach, building his financial plan over time rather than trying to solve everything at once.

We worked together across six monthly sessions, giving Greg time between each session to:

Reflect on the conversations
Build his understanding and confidence
Implement the actions he felt comfortable taking

This approach meant that by the end of the process, Greg didn’t just have a good financial plan, he had one that he had fully implemented and matched what he wanted to achieve, now and in the future.

Greg's Current Financial Circumstance:

Income

£80,000 pa

Pension

£0

Cash Savings

£50,000 (+£60,000 in his business account)

Property

£450,000

Investments

£0

Borrowing

£250,000 (mortgage)

Current Personal Net-Worth: £250,000

Clarifying Goals:

Early conversations focused not just on Greg’s finances—but more importantly on what he actually wanted from life.

Through this conversation, Greg identified three key life goals he had at this time:

Time with family.
Retire early (around age 50).
Build his own home.

Building the plan:

1. Budgeting

Greg had been saving inconsistently (£250–£800/month), with spending that didn’t fully align with his values.

Action:

Identified sustainable savings of £700/month
Automated monthly investing

2. Structuring Cash Savings

Previously, Greg held all savings in one place and often dipped into them for holidays.

Action:

Allocated £300/month into a regular savings account, taking advantage of higher interest rates available on structured monthly saving products
Established a separate instant access emergency fund of £20,000, ringfenced from his original savings

This created clear separation between emergency security, short-term spending, and long-term investing—helping protect his investments from being accessed unnecessarily.

3. Long-Term Savings

Greg learned he could contribute directly from his company into a pension—removing income tax and National Insurance, while reducing corporation tax.

Action:

Invested £30,000 from cash into a Stocks & Shares ISA
Invests £700/month (identified in budget):
- ~£350 into a Lifetime ISA
- ~£350 into a Stocks & Shares ISA
Contribute £15,000/year into his pension via his Ltd company

4. Protecting Family

Greg's priority was to make sure his family were looked after. He currently only had life insurance in place to cover his mortgage.

Action:

Greg addressed key gaps in:

Income protection
Critical illness cover
Will planning

By age 50, Greg is now on track for:

Income

£80,000 pa (assuming no change)

Assuming no change to income.

Pension

£560,000*

Contributions: £285,000
Estimated value: ~£560,000 (growth generated: ~£275,000)

Greg also made additional savings through the tax efficiency of investing in his pension:

~£71,000 corporation tax saved
Significant avoided personal income tax & National Insurance

Cash Savings

£20,000 (emergency fund) +£60,000 in business account

£20,000 cash emergency fund maintained.

Assuming no change to business account balance.

Property

£450,000

Assuming no change in value.

Investments

£460,000* (S&S ISA and LISA)

Stocks & Shares ISA & Lifetime ISA:

Initial investment: £30k (via ISA transfer)
Monthly contribution: £700
Total contributed: ~£189,600
Estimated value: ~£460,000 (growth generated: ~£270,000 including £19,000 of 25% government bonuses)

Borrowing

£0

Mortgage repaid over 30 year term.

Future Net-Worth: £1,490,000*

*investment values have been based on an 7% average annual growth in value.

Summary:

Greg didn’t need to earn more. He needed financial plan, built around intentional life goals. By taking a step-by-step approach, Greg has not only built a strong financial plan, but one he understands, believes in, and has fully implemented—creating security today and flexibility for the future.

Without a plan, Greg may have accumulated:

~£300,000–£400,000 (largely in cash, not including proeprty)

With a structured plan:

~£1m projected wealth (largely in investments, not including property)

By reaching out for support, Greg has created the potential to improve his financial position by £600k–£700k over the next 19 years. But the real shift goes beyond the numbers. Instead of burying his head in the sand, Greg now feels confident, informed, and in control of his finances—with a clear plan in place to support not just his money, but the life he wants for himself and his family.