Evidence
These notes describe specific advice work—not star ratings. Names are used with permission; some identifying details are softened.
“We came in with three different pensions and no clear picture of what each would pay. Eleanor spent two sessions mapping the charges and transfer options before recommending anything. The paperwork still took longer than we hoped, but we finally understand what we hold.”
Marcus and Helen Quayle
Pension consolidation clients, County Antrim
“I expected a hard sell on products. Instead I left with a written cash-flow plan and a shortlist of ISA and pension contributions that fitted my freelance income. Mild reservation: the first meeting ran over, so book a full morning if you can.”
Priya Nair
Self-employed designer, Belfast
“After my father died, Harbor Crest helped us sort the inheritance tax allowances and the timing of gifts to my sister. They were patient with our questions and never rushed the family meeting.”
David Kerr
Estate planning enquiry, Derry
“Our firm needed advice on director pensions and company cash extraction. The engagement letter was clear on fees from day one, which made the board comfortable approving the work.”
Claire O'Malley
Finance director, small manufacturing firm
Extended note
A couple in County Antrim approached us eighteen months before the older partner planned to leave a public-sector role. They held a defined contribution scheme from a previous employer, an active workplace pension, and a small personal pension opened in the 1990s.
Over two fact-find meetings we established that the older scheme carried a valuable guaranteed annuity rate. Transfer was declined. Contributions were redirected to the lower-cost workplace scheme, and the personal pension was left invested with a documented review date. The couple’s mild frustration—waiting five weeks for one provider’s discharge pack—was real; we documented the delay and adjusted the implementation calendar rather than rushing a transfer that would have cost them the guarantee.
A manufacturing firm’s finance director asked whether pension contributions should continue while the company held cash for a plant refurbishment. We modelled contribution headroom against retained earnings targets with their accountant present on the second call. The agreed path: reduced monthly contributions for six months, then a single year-end top-up if trading recovered. Protection cover for the founding director was increased separately after a gap was identified in key-person cover.