As I was considering early retirement last year and wanted some independent advice, I signed up to attend the one day advice session arranged by my workplace. Part of this day included a Pre Retirement Workshop delivered by Mark Russel.

His friendly approach really helped to create a relaxed atmosphere in a room full of colleagues all of whom were somewhat apprehensive and who had many questions. From start to finish Mark was able to explain and answer questions with confidence and a clear knowledge base of the specific subject matter. He was able to judge when to intervene and when to let the discussion flow so that everyone felt they had been given the opportunity to have all their questions answered.

The most helpful part of the presentation was enabling us to evaluate what exactly our needs were and what they would be if we did indeed take the opportunity to retire early.  Through discussion and clear examples of how our money could be utilized to work for us Mark was able to suggest ideas and ways forward on an individual basis.

This has been invaluable on a personal level during the last year since I did make the decision to retire early last July.

“We were not pressurized to sign up to anything and indeed the follow up meeting offered after this session was really useful as it allowed time to digest all the information given and really think about what is a major decision for anyone.

Mark has continued to touch base with email information and many more colleagues have taken the opportunity to sign up for what was an invaluable session.

My husband and I had our second meeting with Mark on the 8th May 2014, as, in our previous meeting with Mark a year ago, he encouraged us not to hesitate to contact him further should our circumstances change, as indeed they had. In both meetings we found Mark advised with upmost professionalism. We found him very friendly and approachable, explaining quite complex scenarios in terms we could easily understand, his knowledge of Financial Planning advice is clearly extensive , as he was able to advise on a variety of issues we raised. We would have no hesitation to contact Mark in the future and would definitely recommend him to friends and colleagues.

Having retired from work. I needed help with my pensions and investments. My close friend recommended Frank Tunstall of True Bearing as he had helped her husband.

Frank, on his initial visit, was so friendly, and this allowed me to feel comfortable. He explained everything in great detail, answered many relevant questions and informed me about different investment options.

Following this, he took all pressure away and he transferred my pensions. I have had updates and know I can contact him whenever I need.

Frank is a lovely gentleman, and I am happy he is looking after my account. I am a cautious investor but am happy with my increased finances in the past two years.

I was made redundant after 38 years and didn’t know what to do with my money. Frank Tunstall helped me to put my money where it would work for me and my circumstances. I know exactly what I can spend on a monthly basis and what money to use and when until I need to take my pension. I now have a plan in place for the next 10 years until I reach 65 and do not have to worry.

We had a couple of pensions and we wanted to ensure that they were invested correctly to suit our needs. Frank Tunstall advised combining the pensions and transferring the funds to a different pension provider, thus reducing the financial risk. Frank explained everything clearly to us and he was very approachable and thorough.

Frank Tunstall has been looking after us for over 8 years and we are very happy with the service we receive. Financial advice is a serious business and Frank is serious when he needs to be, but light hearted, engaging and self-deprecating when it is appropriate. In addition to providing clear, timely and accurate advice he also shows a genuine interest in us as individuals, not just as clients.

We have no hesitation in recommending him.

I am delighted to have John Addis as my financial adviser across my personal and business investments. We first met in 2008, my business had done well, John suggested some five year schemes which I am happy to say gave me a great return even in the turbulent years after 2008.

I ‘followed’ him onto True Bearing, because I trust his knowledge and understanding of the financial market. John has given me some of the clearest explanations of financial products I have ever had.

John is interested in his clients. He does not have a one size fits all approach. Customers come from all walks of life with different needs and motivations, I feel he listens and is able to respond to each person as an individual. I value John’s help and patience! He is professional, reliable and trustworthy.

I have recently retired from Merseyside Police and have employed the services of True Bearing. I found the initial pre-retirement course provided by your company extremely informative and valuable. It made me realise that I wasn’t as prepared for retirement as perhaps I should have been.

I went on to receive financial planning advice from Mike Hawthorne. Mike was able to guide me through the complexities of investments in a way that helped me understand the process and put me at ease. It is quite a daunting prospect to move on from what you have known as normality for 30 years but the friendly and honest approach employed by Mike was exactly what I needed.

I am very grateful for the assistance provided by True Bearing and will continue to seek guidance over the coming years. It is refreshing to receive such a good service from a business that clearly has the welfare of investors at the heart of what it does, in addition to purely financial concern!

I wish to congratulate you on having Mike Hawthorne as a member of your advisory staff.

I dealt with Mike a while ago and his advice and knowledge on a subject most people find a total minefield was thorough, professional and more importantly well conveyed so I fully understood the information he was passing on.

I have again spoken with Mike more recently and again found his advice clear and concise and he dealt with my request speedily.

Just a short note to say I recently attended an MS Teams meeting arranged via my work about retirement planning from the financial viewpoint.

I then had two meetings, one-to-one with Mr Michael Hawthorne. I was impressed with the professionalism of Mr Hawthorne and the time and attention to detail he maintained throughout our discussions. I would have no hesitation in recommending True Bearing Ltd as a source of sound financial advice.