“Graeme gave me the confidence to retire at 50”

A cautious saver learns that the point of money is to enjoy it

I remember a retirement planning event I attended once where the audience was asked two questions. First, what financial products they had - pensions, ISAs and so on. Then they were asked what they wanted from life. Things like retiring early, buying a boat, or moving somewhere quieter.

Then came the interesting question: how do those products actually help you get there?

Most people couldn’t answer it. I realised I couldn’t either. I had all the right financial ‘things’, but I hadn’t really connected them to the life I wanted to live.

That moment has stayed with me, because it captures exactly what Graeme does differently. He doesn’t just focus on financial products – he focuses on what those products are supposed to help you achieve.

I’ve been working with him for around 20 years now, before he set up Callidus. By that point he already knew me, my family and my financial history, so following him felt like the sensible thing to do.

Clear explanations

My background is in financial services, so I have a reasonable understanding of how things work. But my wife doesn’t come from that world, so what I’ve always appreciated is how Graeme manages to speak to both of us in a way that makes sense, even though we come at things from different backgrounds.

That’s quite a skill – making sure neither person feels confused or patronised.

He’s also just a genuinely nice person to deal with, which matters more than people might think when you’re talking about your future.

Having the choice to retire

For a long time I used to say that I wanted to retire by the time I was 50. People often laughed at that. But what I really meant was that I wanted the choice – I wanted to be in control of whether I worked or not.

As it turned out, that became more relevant than I ever expected. After 24 years at the same company, it embarked on some big changes and I was made redundant. I received a redundancy payment and moved jobs. Around the same time, my father became very ill with cancer.

“When you retire early, you potentially have many years of spending ahead of you – including irregular big decisions that you need to know you can afford. Graeme gives us that certainty.”

That period really made me stop and think about what mattered most. I realised that what I wanted more than anything was time – time to be with my family and support my parents.

Initially I treated it as an open-ended break from work, but I never went back. It turned out to be one of the best decisions I’ve ever made. Graeme played a big part in that decision by giving me the confidence to know it was financially possible.

Learning to spend

I’m naturally quite cautious with money. I’ve always been more of a saver than a spender, and sometimes Graeme has to remind me that the point of having money is to enjoy it!

One thing that really helped was the cashflow modelling he showed me. It gives you a picture of where you are today and what things could look like over the years ahead. When you retire early, spending doesn’t happen in a straight line – there are big one-off decisions mixed in with everyday life. Seeing that long-term picture gives you confidence that things will still work out.

A good example of this was when we decided to help our daughter get onto the property ladder. At the time it felt like a big step financially. But Graeme showed us that although it might feel like a hit now, over time investment growth would rebuild that position.

Nearly seven years later, that’s exactly what happened.

Getting the details right

Another thing that stands out about Graeme is his attention to detail.

I’m also a trustee for a family trust set up by my mother. That trust is managed by a large financial firm, and the difference in service is quite striking. Small administrative mistakes happen all the time – wrong addresses, paperwork errors and things like that.

Individually they may seem minor, but when they keep happening, they slowly erode your confidence in the firm.

With Graeme, I genuinely can’t think of a single mistake he’s made over all the years we’ve worked together. That consistency has really strengthened my trust in him.

The permission to enjoy it

The technical side of financial planning is obviously important, but what Graeme does goes beyond that. Retirement, spending and family decisions aren’t just financial calculations – they’re personal decisions. Having someone there to guide you through those choices is incredibly valuable.

Graeme also knows our family well. He knows my mum, our daughters, and he understands the wider picture of our lives. It never feels like he’s just dealing with a spreadsheet.

Perhaps most importantly, he reminds me that the money is there to be enjoyed. My instinct is always to save, but he encourages us to make the most of what we’ve built.

Looking back, that guidance has given us something very valuable – the confidence to live the life we wanted, when it mattered most.