Independent Financial Adviser
in Maidstone

Planning for the point where saving turns into spending

Maidstone is the largest town in Kent and has the broadest mix of employment in the county, so there is no single Maidstone client. What recurs is a particular moment: the point at which a working life’s worth of saving has to start producing an income.

That switch is harder than the saving was. Up to it, the questions are reasonably forgiving — contribute steadily, keep charges sensible, largely leave it alone. From the moment you start drawing, the decisions have dates and tax consequences attached: how much to take and in what order, which pots to touch first and which to leave alone, what the tax-free element actually amounts to in your case, and how to produce a sustainable income without paying more tax than the year required.

Parts of it are genuinely technical and easy to trip over. Taking money flexibly can sharply reduce how much you are allowed to contribute afterwards, which matters if you intend to keep working. Older policies sometimes carry guarantees — a guaranteed annuity rate, or protected tax-free cash above the usual quarter — that are valuable and easily given up by accident. And a first withdrawal is frequently taxed on an emergency basis, which is recoverable but startling if nobody warned you.

Part of the picture may already be settled. If you have a final salary or other defined benefit pension, it pays an income for life in its own right, and the useful question becomes how everything else — the pots you can draw flexibly, ISAs, other savings — should work around it. We plan around a defined benefit pension. What we do not do is advise on transferring out of one: that requires a separate permission we do not hold, and we will say so rather than take the work.

Almost all of it starts with knowing precisely what you hold and what it is costing you, which is where most pension conversations here begin.

• ✓Chartered status — the highest level of professional accreditation in UK financial planning, reflecting rigorous technical knowledge and a commitment to ethical practice.
• ✓Truly independent — not tied to any provider, panel or insurer. Every recommendation is assessed whole-of-market based solely on what is right for your circumstances.
• ✓Transparent fees — all charges are confirmed in writing before any work begins. No hidden costs, no surprises.
• ✓Personal approach — you work directly with Kris Dabner throughout, not passed between advisers or call centres.
• ✓Free initial consultation — your first conversation carries no cost or obligation. We confirm how we can help before any fees are discussed.