5 Life Changes That Mean It’s Time to Call Your Financial Adviser
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Life is rarely predictable. Just as you start to feel comfortable, circumstances shift, and your financial position shifts with them. A change in career, a family restructure, or even an unexpected windfall can dramatically alter your goals, priorities and financial responsibilities. In moments like these, speaking with a professional financial adviser can make the difference between uncertainty and confidence.
Below, we explore some of the key life events that often trigger the need for financial advice, along with practical scenarios to illustrate why timely guidance is so important.
Changing Employment Status
Moving jobs, starting a business, or transitioning into retirement are all moments when your finances may need careful rebalancing.
Imagine you’ve just accepted a new role with a higher salary. That might seem straightforward, but it raises several questions: should you increase your pension contributions? Could you maximise tax-efficient allowances? Might a higher income impact your eligibility for child benefit or other allowances?
Conversely, if you’ve been made redundant or have stepped back into part-time work, your immediate concern may be replacing income. Here, an adviser can explore strategies such as using existing savings, adjusting investments for income generation, or even reviewing protection policies to ensure they remain affordable without leaving you underinsured.
For the self-employed, the lack of employer benefits such as pensions or death-in-service cover makes professional advice all the more critical. Building your own safety net requires foresight and discipline.
Marriage, Divorce or Separation
Relationships have a profound effect on finances. A new marriage or civil partnership often prompts the question of whether to merge finances, how to structure ownership of property, and how to protect both partners with appropriate wills and life cover.
At the other end of the spectrum, divorce or separation can be emotionally draining, but it also represents one of the most financially complex transitions in life. Pension sharing orders, splitting property equity, or recalculating budgets on a single income all require careful planning.
For example, a divorcing couple in their 50s might assume the family home is the key asset, but in many cases the value of pensions is equally significant. An adviser can model how dividing pensions will affect retirement income and ensure that neither party is disadvantaged by overlooking these long-term implications.
Receiving an Inheritance
An inheritance can feel both a gift and a burden. The sudden increase in wealth raises questions about how best to use it. Should it clear debts, fund retirement, or be invested for growth?
Take the case of someone inheriting £200,000. Left untouched in a savings account, inflation may erode its value over time. With financial advice, that sum could instead be strategically invested, balancing short-term access with long-term growth, while also considering inheritance tax planning for the next generation.
There may also be emotional considerations. Often, people want the inheritance to “do some good” or reflect the values of the person who passed it on. An adviser can help channel those intentions into something practical, whether that’s providing financial security for children, funding charitable giving, or reducing the mortgage burden.
Buying or Selling Property
Property remains one of the largest financial commitments most of us will ever make. Whether you’re buying a first home, upsizing for a growing family, or downsizing in later life, the financial implications are substantial.
For example, a couple downsizing in their 60s may free up significant equity. Without guidance, those funds might sit in a low-interest account. With advice, the money could be used to generate income, cover care costs in future, or be gifted strategically to children without incurring unnecessary tax
Similarly, if you own investment properties, changes in tax rules can alter the profitability of buy-to-let. An adviser can help weigh up whether to retain, restructure, or sell those assets.
Approaching Retirement
Retirement is no longer a fixed point in time but rather a transition. Some choose to reduce working hours, others stop completely, and many combine part-time work with drawing pension benefits. Each approach carries different financial implications
Consider someone with several pension pots, ISAs, and cash savings. The question is not just “how much do I have?” but “how do I draw it in the most tax-efficient way to support the lifestyle I want?” A well-structured withdrawal strategy could mean the difference between outliving your money and enjoying a sustainable retirement income.
This is also the stage when wills, powers of attorney, and estate planning become increasingly important. Professional guidance can help ensure wealth passes smoothly to loved ones while minimising tax.
Unexpected Illness or Bereavement
Although difficult to think about, serious illness or the loss of a loved one can derail even the most carefully built plans. Reviewing protection policies such as life cover, income protection or critical illness cover can provide reassurance that your family would remain financially secure in the event of the unexpected.
In bereavement, dealing with probate, pensions and insurance claims can be overwhelming. A financial adviser can ease the burden, helping surviving family members understand what steps to take and how to protect their financial future.
Why Timely Advice Matters
The common thread across all these life events is change. Whenever your circumstances shift, so too do your financial priorities, risks, and opportunities. By contacting your adviser promptly, you gain three key benefits:
Clarity – understanding your new position and options.
Control – making decisions that align with your goals rather than reacting under pressure.
Confidence – knowing your plan adapts as life evolves.
Final Thoughts
Financial planning is not a one-off event but a lifelong process. Milestones such as new jobs, marriages, divorces, inheritances, property moves and retirement transitions can all reshape your financial landscape. Speaking with a professional at these moments ensures your arrangements remain aligned with your needs and ambitions.
If you are facing or anticipating a significant change in your life, consider reaching out to your adviser. The right conversation at the right time can provide both peace of mind and long-term financial security.