How AAB Wealth gave me the confidence to retire at 57

“It almost feels like a friendship now”

Mark spent over 30 years working offshore in the oil and gas industry. After losing his father young, he was determined to retire early – but making that decision felt overwhelming. Here’s how AAB Wealth helped him take the leap with complete confidence.

I’d been working offshore for more than 30 years when I started thinking seriously about early retirement. The reality was I’d lost my dad when he was just 44 to a massive heart attack. I didn’t want to be offshore for the rest of my days. I’d met guys who’d stayed too long, retired with poor health, and didn’t get to enjoy what they’d worked for. That really stuck with me.

So I started investigating. I actually approached four different companies, but a work colleague Don introduced me via WhatsApp to Martyn Paterson. I’d met with three others: two large institutions and a small local firm. But as soon as my wife Dawn and I sat down with Martyn and his colleague Kelly Shek, we just had a really good feeling about it.

They were structured, organised, and most importantly, they really listened to what I actually wanted to do. I’d been thinking about this for a while, done some research, and had lots of ideas. That personal approach made the decision so much easier.

Initially, I’d planned to take my Defined Benefit (DB) pension, but when the final figures came through, I was disappointed. I knew I needed proper financial advice to understand my full position and explore all my options.

The other financial advice firms I’d spoken to had only focused on my DB pension in isolation – they never took the time to understand my full financial picture or ask what retirement really meant for us. But Kelly’s approach was completely different. She asked, ‘What do you want from retirement? We can assist you by working on a financial plan together, to help achieve what you’re looking for.”

Kelly explained the onboarding process, which included additional compliance input and robust checks and balances to support any recommendations made to us. This meant going through a third-party panel as well as AAB’s own compliance panel. We went through it all, and when we looked at the numbers, all the information was available to make informed decisions and move forward with a plan that made sense for us.

That process filled me with absolute confidence. The questionnaires, the panels, everyone looking at my specific circumstances – they all agreed this was the right way forward for me. And it’s worked out exactly as we hoped.

Overcoming the overwhelm

The concept of early retirement when you’re only halfway through your life is difficult. I felt totally overwhelmed at times by the decision I was making. This pot of money has to last you for the rest of your life – there’s certainly a temptation to blow it on fast cars and big holidays!

But the cashflow forecasting I went through with Kelly showed me it was possible to achieve the income I wanted – a monthly salary from my pension – and that even with the monthly income and all our larger purchases we have planned, our fund should still last the rest of our lives. We plan to enjoy it while our health is good. That gave me the confidence that retiring early was the right decision.

Beyond the financial overwhelm, I also worried about the adjustment to life without work. I remember them saying at one of the retirement seminars that you progress through your whole working life being a somebody, and when you retire you go to being a nobody again. The offshore industry was so regimented – set times, clear routines, a defined sense of purpose. Retiring is a massive life adjustment, especially having worked away from home all the time. But having the financial confidence that AAB Wealth gave me means I can take the time to figure out what this next chapter looks like, without the pressure of wondering if I’ve made the right financial decision.

I retired in May, and I’m still not fully there yet in terms of the adjustment, but I’m enjoying life. We have a property in Portugal just outside Lisbon. We went there for three weeks and put in a new kitchen, then travelled across to Italy and back to Portugal. I’m busy with DIY, playing golf, and doing all the jobs that were put off for many years. The timing of this worked out beautifully: my daughter graduated in May – she’s got a job in Aberdeen now, and my son has an apprenticeship.

More than just financial advice

Kelly’s meetings always overran because I had so many questions! But she was always so supportive. There was a lot to take in, especially at the start. With other companies I’d met, I’d end up more confused than when I went in. But with AAB Wealth, the whole process was so robust that I felt assured the advice was good.

We recently had a meeting about helping my daughter buy a flat. Using cashflow modelling, we can see exactly what this lump sum withdrawal would mean for our future. That clarity is invaluable.

What strikes me most is how the relationship has evolved. Kelly messaged last week asking about Florida – our children wanted to go to Orlando again and she was asking where we’d stayed. I’ve been playing golf with Martyn. It almost feels like a friendship now more than a business relationship.

It’s a big company, but it feels like a family. You don’t feel like you’re dealing with a huge multinational. You get the security of a big company, but you don’t feel like just a number. The meetings are about really personal stuff – your health, your children, your dreams. AAB Wealth is so supportive with this, and you create a deep rapport. That trust made all the difference when making one of the biggest decisions of my life.