Hiley Financial Planning

16/10/2026

What a night!

I didn’t take home the trophy last night, but I came runner up in Businesswoman of the Year at the Warrington Business Awards. I’m made up!

To be recognised alongside some incredibly talented women in business, and to make it through to the final, was amazing. To finish second makes me incredibly proud.

And what a brilliant night it was. A chance to get dressed up and celebrate with all of the lovely people that make up Warrington’s business community.

A huge thank you to warringtonchamberplus for bringing the Business Awards back and creating such a fantastic evening.

And having futureplannercharlotte by my side made it even more special.

Thank you to the judges for recognising what I’m building with Hiley Financial Planning and to my extended team, clients, friends and family and everyone who has supported, encouraged and believed in me along the way.

I genuinely love being part of the Warrington business community and feel very lucky to have built so many great connections here over the years. Many tagged below - sorry for anyone not, too many to fit on!

And of huge congratulations to the very worthy winner and to all the other finalists. It was a privilege to be in such great company.

I’m a very proud runner up 💗

14/10/2026

How many pensions do you have?

And have you ever considered whether you still need them all in separate places?

Over the course of your career, it’s easy to build up pension pots with different employers, providers and investment strategies.

And before you know it, you could have several pensions scattered across different providers, with no clear picture of how they all fit together.

For some people, bringing pensions together can make things simpler, easier to manage and more aligned with their retirement plans.

For others, keeping certain pensions where they are is the better option.

The important thing is knowing which applies to you.

Are your pensions working together towards the retirement you want?

Could consolidation make things easier?

Or are there valuable benefits you could lose by transferring?

These are the sorts of questions worth asking before making any decisions. And those I answer.

A recent client came to me with 10 pensions. He now has 3. And there is a reason for each one of those.

Good financial planning isn’t just about accumulating money (although that’s important!) It’s about making sure what you’ve built up works for you.

12/10/2026

12/10/2026

Think you know Manchester?

Try seeing it on foot…

Yesterday I joined a walk exploring the CL5 route with cyanlines and it was fascinating to see how much it continues to change.

Led by the brilliant Jonathan Schofield, we explored Manchester’s industrial heritage, fascinating regeneration projects, canals and green spaces, seeing the city from a different perspective.

What I love is the way Manchester’s past sits alongside its future, with nature and accessible green spaces becoming an increasingly important part of urban life.

CyanLines aims to connect over 100 miles of green and blue spaces across Manchester and Salford, creating more opportunities for people to walk, cycle and enjoy nature.

As I am passionate about walking and the outdoors, this is exactly the kind of project I love. It’s about so much more than routes; it’s about wellbeing, community and making our cities better places to live and work.

A huge thank you to Steve Connor for the opportunity to join in. What a fabulous job you have on your hands right now! And to Jonathan Schofield for bringing Manchester’s history and future to life along the way.

I usually spend Sunday mornings walking across fields, in woods or by the coast. But I will be looking at more Cyanlines routes for future Sundays! I’d recommend CL5 for sure!

08/10/2026

I’m a finalist! 🏆

I’m thrilled and proud to have been named a finalist for Business Woman of the Year at the Warrington Business Awards 2026.

Building this business over the last few years has brought plenty of challenges, changes and lessons and there are a lot of people who have played a part along the way. 🙏

There are some brilliant women among the finalists, so I’m feeling very lucky to be in such great company.

Congratulations to everyone who has been shortlisted in all categories, I’m looking forward to getting dressed up, celebrating and enjoying the evening with everyone!

Better get the heels out too (must be a special occasion because if you know me that never happens!)

07/10/2026

How many pension pots do you have?

One?

Two?

Three?

Or perhaps you’ve lost count…

It’s incredibly common for people to build up several pensions throughout their working life.

A pension from an old employer here.

Another one from a previous job there.

Then the pension you’re paying into now.

And on paper, you might be doing everything right.

But one of the things we often see is that people haven’t stepped back and looked at the bigger picture.

What do you actually have?

How are the different pensions invested?

What are they costing you?

Do they all still fit with what you’re trying to achieve?

And, perhaps most importantly, what do they mean for the retirement you actually want?

Having several pensions isn’t necessarily a problem.

Not knowing how they all fit together can be.

It’s one of those things that can sit on the “I’ll sort that out one day” list for years.

Until one day you realise retirement isn’t quite as far away as it used to be.

05/10/2026

One of the things I love most about my job, is that often, the numbers aren’t actually the most important part of financial planning.

People come to see me because they want to know things like..

Can I retire when I want to?

Am I doing enough?

What will happen to my family if something happens to me?

Do I have too much sitting in cash?

What should I do with the pensions I’ve collected over the years?

And increasingly, I have conversations with people who have done very well financially, but still don’t feel completely in control of it.

They might have several pension pots, a good income, investments, savings or an inheritance.

The question isn’t always “Have I got enough?”

Sometimes it’s simply “What is all of this actually meant to do for me?”

For me, good financial planning should give you clarity, a plan and, ultimately, peace of mind. That’s how I want you to feel.

And sometimes knowing you don’t need to do anything right now can be just as valuable as knowing what you do need to do

30/09/2026

You don’t need to know exactly what you need to ask me.

Yes that’s right! That’s my job!

I recently sat with a client who was worried they weren’t doing enough for their future.

They had pensions, savings and investments, but they weren’t really sure how it all fitted together, or whether they were on track.

So rather than starting with, “What do you want advice on?”, we started with what they wanted their life to look like.

We talked about retirement, family, travel, work and the things that they felt were important.

Then we worked backwards to the numbers.

That’s why I always say I advise you, not the money. Money has purpose and isn’t just for money’s sake.

You don’t have to meet me knowing what question to ask.

Come and talk to me about your life and I,ll help you work out what the financial questions are.

28/09/2026

The question you ask me isn’t always the question I need to answer.

A client recently came to see me asking a very straightforward question

“Can I afford to retire?”

I could have simply looked at their pensions and investments and given them a number.

But that wouldn’t really answer the question.

We talked about what they actually wanted retirement to look like. The travelling they wanted to do, helping their children, what income they’d need and how their plans might change over time.

Then I put it all into a cashflow forecast.

And suddenly we weren’t just talking about pensions.

We were talking about their life.

Because financial planning isn’t just about making the numbers work. It,s about making sure your money supports the life you want to live.

24/09/2026

AI is brilliant. But would I trust it with my financial future? Not on its own.

I read this Financial Times article shared at the weekend and it reminded me of a recent client conversation.

Research found that AI chatbots gave incorrect answers to financial questions 57% of the time

And rose to 88% for more complex questions.

My client had used AI to ask a tax question. The answer sounded confident and specifically said it was based on UK tax rules.

It wasn’t, it was based on the tax rules of another country (well that’s what we think!)

And that’s the problem. AI can give you an answer that sounds absolutely right and still be wrong!

I’m actually a big fan of AI. We use it behind the scenes in our business and I think it’s a brilliant tool. And has its place in researching any subject.

But what I do is much more than finding an answer (and I can assure you it’ll be the right one!)

I understand your circumstances, your family, your plans and what you’re trying to achieve. I can challenge assumptions, join the dots and create plans that work for you.

And yes, I’m regulated and accountable for the advice I give you. That’s important.

But there’s another part of what I do that AI will never replace, conversations.

The catch up about the family. The holiday you’ve just been on. The new job. The retirement plans. The things that have happened since we last met.

It feels a bit like a friendship and I love that part of my job.

What’s your thoughts?