Stephen Pitcher - Retirement & Financial Planning Expert

14/10/2026

A pension figure is only one part of the journey.

£100K+ may feel like progress, but whether you’re really on track depends on more than the balance.

When you want to retire, the income you may need, your other assets, family priorities and how your pensions fit together can all affect the bigger picture.

Being “on track” is not about reaching one number. It is about whether the different parts of your plan are working towards the retirement you want.

If you’d like to get a clearer view of where you stand, the contact link is in the first comment.

Stephen Pitcher is an Appointed Representative of and represents only St. James’s Place Wealth Management plc (which is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority).

SJP Approved 13/10/26

01/10/2026

There comes a point when Monday morning no longer belongs to work.

No meeting to get to.
No diary already filled for you.
No one expecting you to be somewhere at 8.30.

After decades of working, that can be quite a change.

And perhaps the interesting question isn’t simply when will that day come?

It’s what would you like that time to be for?

A walk somewhere beautiful?
Breakfast without watching the clock?
More time with family?
Something completely different?

What would your ideal Monday morning look like?

01/09/2026

𝗖𝗼𝘂𝗹𝗱 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗯𝗲 𝗰𝗹𝗼𝘀𝗲𝗿 𝘁𝗼 𝗿𝗲𝘁𝗶𝗿𝗲𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝗻 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗸?
The age you expect to retire, the size of your pension or even the value of your business may all be important.
But none of those numbers on its own tells you whether you actually still need to work.
One question worth testing is:

𝗜𝗳 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝘄𝗼𝗿𝗸𝗲𝗱 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗼𝗻𝗲 𝗺𝗼𝗿𝗲 𝘆𝗲𝗮𝗿, 𝘄𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝘄𝗼𝘂𝗹𝗱 𝗶𝘁 𝗮𝗰𝘁𝘂𝗮𝗹𝗹𝘆 𝗰𝗵𝗮𝗻𝗴𝗲?

For some people, another year could materially strengthen their financial position. For others, it may make considerably less difference than they expect.

In my latest video, I work through 𝘀𝗶𝘅 𝗽𝗿𝗮𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗰𝗮𝗹 𝘁𝗲𝘀𝘁𝘀 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗿𝗲𝘁𝗶𝗿𝗲𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗱𝗶𝗻𝗲𝘀𝘀 to help build a clearer picture.

Watch this short introduction, then find the full 𝟲 𝗧𝗲𝘀𝘁𝘀 𝘁𝗼 𝗦𝗲𝗲 𝗜𝗳 𝗬𝗼𝘂 𝗖𝗼𝘂𝗹𝗱 𝗥𝗲𝘁𝗶𝗿𝗲 𝗘𝗮𝗿𝗹𝗶𝗲𝗿 𝗧𝗵𝗮𝗻 𝗬𝗼𝘂 𝗧𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗸 on YouTube.

https://youtu.be/qN-a-ZSnoWI

𝘍𝘰𝘳 𝘪𝘯𝘧𝘰𝘳𝘮𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯 𝘰𝘯𝘭𝘺. 𝘗𝘳𝘰𝘧𝘦𝘴𝘴𝘪𝘰𝘯𝘢𝘭 𝘢𝘥𝘷𝘪𝘤𝘦 𝘴𝘩𝘰𝘶𝘭𝘥 𝘣𝘦 𝘴𝘰𝘶𝘨𝘩𝘵 𝘸𝘩𝘦𝘳𝘦 𝘢𝘱𝘱𝘳𝘰𝘱𝘳𝘪𝘢𝘵𝘦.

27/08/2026

26/08/2026

Business Asset Disposal Relief could make a material difference when you sell your business — but qualifying matters.

For qualifying disposals from 6 April 2026, the Business Asset Disposal Relief (BADR) rate is 18%, rather than the standard 24% Capital Gains Tax rate.

But BADR isn't automatic.

Broadly, qualifying conditions can include your shareholding and voting rights, whether you're an officer or employee, the trading status of the company and how long the relevant conditions have been met.

And that's the important part.

These conditions need to be met for a period leading up to the sale — not simply checked when the deal is about to complete.

In this Director Series Short, Stephen explains why checking your position early may leave you with more options than waiting until the sale is already underway.

The levels and bases of taxation, and reliefs from taxation, can change at any time and are generally dependent on individual circumstances.

17/08/2026

The Sale Structure Matters

If you're planning to sell your business, the sale price is only one part of the outcome.

The structure of the sale — and decisions made months or sometimes years beforehand — may materially affect how much of the proceeds you actually keep.
Business Asset Disposal Relief may reduce the Capital Gains Tax rate on qualifying gains for qualifying disposals. From 6 April 2026, that rate is 18%.

But not everyone qualifies, and the tests are not always straightforward.

Importantly, qualification isn't simply something that's checked on the day of sale. It can be built — or missed — in the years before.

For company directors considering a future business sale, this is one reason why the structure matters.

The levels and bases of taxation and reliefs from taxation can change at any time and are dependent on individual ircumstances.

13/08/2026

What's your percentage?
If you stepped back today and looked at your total wealth — everything, not just the company — how much would be sitting in one place?
For company directors, the business may be an important and valuable asset.
But it's worth asking whether it should be the only asset doing the heavy lifting.

10/08/2026

Many company directors know about pension contributions.
Fewer realise that timing can be just as important as the contribution itself.
In this short video, I explain why understanding annual allowances, employer pension contributions and planning ahead may become particularly relevant before retirement, a business sale or an exceptional profit year.

05/08/2026

For many company directors, the business they've built becomes their biggest asset.

But have you ever stopped to ask how much of your overall wealth depends on that one business?

This short video introduces the idea of concentration risk and why it's worth understanding before retirement planning becomes a priority.

What percentage of your wealth do you think sits in one place?

03/08/2026

Financial planning today looks very different from it did years ago.

In this short extract from the True North interview series, Anne Dawson and Stephen Pitcher discuss how financial planning has evolved and why keeping your plans under review can be important as circumstances change over time.

This video is provided for general information purposes only and should not be regarded as personal financial advice. Individual circumstances will vary.