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Sophie wants to know that she can afford to live more now - while she can still do the things she enjoys - without compromising her ability to support her lifestyle, once she ceases to enjoy her work and decides to wind down. She is concerned that she may have the balance wrong at present.

• She never worries about money, but is concerned to understand her spending habits and where her annual expenditure of around £120,000 all goes.
• She has only ever purchased investments and never sold any.
• She is somewhat confused about the level of risk that she is willing to take as she has experienced minor depression over the last two years, which she feels has made her more cautious.
• She is also worried about how she would cope if she were to need long term care, as she lives near to a nursing home and it jogs her memory every time she passes it. She purchased a large critical illness policy some years ago but is unsure if this would help.
• She had previously made gifts to her sister and her two nephews (aged 2 and 4) and would like to help with their education, as her sister's husband has been ill, although she is less favourably disposed towards him, never having really got on with him.
• She had previously made gifts to her sister and her two nephews (aged 2 and 4) and would like to help with their education, as her sister's husband has been ill, although she is less favourably disposed towards him, never having really got on with him.
• She has a basic will but she feels that it needs updating although she never seems to have the time to make the necessary arrangements, however she does have some concern about how much she would pay in inheritance tax.
• Although she pays the maximum possible pension contribution, she admits that she does not see herself retiring fully although she might elect to work part-time from age 55, so would like to have a certain amount of flexibility from then onwards. She has two pre-1988 retirement annuity contracts and three personal pensions, as she was concerned at having all her arrangements with one provider. She has been concerned that bonus rates have fallen recently and wonders how this will affect her in the long term.