Ian Beaton

My name is Ian Beaton. I’ve been a client of Achieve since its conception some years ago, but I’ve been involved with James since his previous role, 20 years ago.

I had a final salary scheme from a previous employer, and the financial situation with them was a bit worrying, so I got advice from a personnel officer and then wanted to look into working with an independent financial adviser.

20 years ago, my wife was working for the Royal Bank, and she asked them for a reference for someone who would be a trusted financial adviser. James’s name came up, and I met him because of that.

I’m a very cautious individual by nature, and I wanted to be sure whoever I was going to work with was somebody I could depend on and trust and from the very first time I met James, that was the case. I was very happy, and from then on, everything he’s done has been to my satisfaction.

I retired 10 years ago. I had a pension sitting with James, and then Achieve for some time. I kept an eye on the funds as they were growing, and when I felt they were at the right level, I decided to retire slightly early, and I was very happy to do so.

If I had to describe James in three words, I would say he’s dependable, reliable, and trustworthy.

Working with Achieve and the whole team there, their proactivity is very important to me; we’re kept up to date with everything that is happening. When we do have queries, which are reasonably infrequent, they’re very responsive in reacting to them.

I think, through working with James, especially as we’re coming to a certain age, we’re looking at how we can minimise inheritance tax. So, we’re getting some useful pointers, and my wife and I are now trying to take action in that regard.

My wife and I have no hesitation in recommending Jim and his team at Achieve. I think they’ve achieved everything we would want; they’re very aptly named. We are very happy that we’re financially advised by Achieve, and we’d love to stay with them.