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Mark and Kate in their mid-50s wanted to turn their wealth into a lasting foundation for their family. We helped them strengthen long-term security, optimise tax efficiency, and put a careful succession plan in place for future generations.
For Mark and Kate, life has always been a careful balancing act. In their mid-50s and now settled back in North London after many years abroad, they are raising four children between the ages of 16 and 24, alongside maintaining close ties with their wider family.
Mark is an experienced business owner and entrepreneur in financial services. Having successfully exited a second business, he spent several years immersed in operations before deciding to step back and focus on new ventures. True to character, his definition of “retirement” looks nothing like that of his father’s generation - business remains a passion, and he continues to seek new challenges.
Kate, after a successful career in tax and banking, chose to dedicate herself fully to raising their family. Today, her focus lies on health, wellbeing and looking after the family, while also carving out space for her love of theatre and intellectual pursuits.
Their lives are multi-layered: balancing children at different stages of independence, supporting ageing and the loss of parents, keeping pace with Mark’s entrepreneurial drive, and carving out time for themselves. Travel has always been their shared joy sometimes returning to familiar places abroad to reconnect with lifelong friends, other times embracing new destinations together.
Family sits at the heart of their world. Supporting their children’s education has always been a priority, with investments in private schooling and university, and now, as young adults taking steps toward independence, Mark and Kate are navigating how best to help without creating dependency.
Their approach to wealth reflects their values. They are not extravagant, preferring instead to invest in experiences, education, and creating strong foundations for their children’s future.
They see money as both security and opportunity, something to be stewarded responsibly and passed on thoughtfully. Kate leans towards intergenerational support, while Mark is cautious about transferring large sums too soon. Together, they share a belief in humility, accountability, and integrity, hoping to instil those same principles in the next generation.
After years of wealth being driven by business ownership, the shift to managing significant personal capital over £21 million across property, savings, pensions and investments brought a new kind of challenge.
Mark and Kate found themselves asking difficult questions:
- How do we generate a reliable, tax efficient income without eroding capital?
- How do we ensure financial security for one another if something happens?
- How do we structure assets and plan succession in a way that feels fair, efficient and aligned to our values?
They admitted: “We don’t know what we don’t know.” For the first time, financial planning felt less like an intellectual exercise and more like a source of unease. With Mark’s time and focus shifting to his new venture, they wanted to feel supported, outsourcing the day-to-day, while retaining clarity and control over the big decisions.
What stood out about TPO for Mark and Kate was not just technical expertise, but an approach that offered clarity, patience and breadth.
As experienced investors, they were sceptical of traditional wealth management models that felt investment led and expensive. What they wanted was a process where advice evolved with them, each step adding value in a way that made sense, without pressure.
The combination of transparent fees, demonstrable value, and advisers with both the technical confidence, practical experience and the ability to challenge their thinking gave them reassurance. They sought a relationship built on trust, collaboration and shared responsibility, qualities they recognised in our team from the outset.
We began by focusing on security and clarity. Immediate cash management and the purchase of short-dated gilts, ensured peace of mind, with liquidity for family property plans and capital set aside for tax and lifestyle needs. Early conversations with trusted tax and legal professionals created a cohesive advisory team around them. Detailed cash flow forecasting opened the door to new possibilities, giving structure to discussions about lifestyle, gifting, and succession.
Over time, this evolved into a rhythm of regular meetings, each step carefully considered.
Together we reviewed existing assets, aligned investment strategies with long-term goals, and ensured housekeeping such as ISAs and pensions were fully utilised. Collaborative discussions explored the merits of structures such as Family Investment Companies and trusts, allowing Mark and Kate to weigh options at their own pace.
Eventually, with greater confidence, they took significant steps:
- Establishing trusts with regular gifting plans.
- Creating a Family Investment Company with £6 million, tailored to deliver both tax efficiency and long-term succession.
- Investing personal portfolios with a blend of security, growth, and opportunities in private equity and thematic strategies.
At each stage, they moved forward only when the choices felt right and were aligned to their principles.
Today, Mark and Kate feel reassured and in control. They know how their lifestyle will be funded, what happens if one of them is left alone, and how wealth will pass responsibly to their children.
They have been able to help their children onto the property ladder, while also building structures that balance support with independence. Importantly, Mark can focus wholeheartedly on his new venture, confident that their wealth is in safe hands, while Kate feels secure knowing their financial future has been carefully safeguarded.
Both describe having far greater peace of mind during what remains an incredibly full but rewarding period of their lives. Their journey is ongoing, but the foundations are strong. With trusted advice and a clear plan, Mark and Kate can now devote more time to the things they love family, travel, new ventures knowing that their financial security and legacy are well looked after.
Client names have been changed to protect their identity.
This case study is intended as illustrative purposes only, it does not constitute individual advice and should not be used to inform financial decisions.
They are based upon our understanding (at the time of advice) of current law, HM Revenue and Custom's practice, tax rates and exemptions, which are subject to change.
A pension is a long-term investment not normally accessible until age 55 (57 from April 2028 unless the plan has a protected pension age). The value of your investments (and any income from them) can go down as well as up which would have an impact on the level of pension benefits available.
The Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) does not regulate cash flow planning, estate planning, tax or trust advice.
