Riding along smoothly

September 26th 2016

There are two things that Cliff and Lyn Stewart appreciate most about their financial adviser, Steve Sewell from Armidale’s Invest Blue. Firstly, he enables them to enjoy today whilst planning for the future and secondly, he takes a personal interest in their goals. Lyn’s recent accomplishment (and something long on her bucket list) was completing her first Ironman Triathlon. In light of this great achievement and given Invest Blue’s support of their clients, they will fit her out with bike gear and proudly sponsor her in future tri events.  

Cliff ands Lyn lead busy lives – they both work full time, Cliff as an aircraft engineer and Lyn as CEO of Tamworth’s Peel Health Care. They also have a blended family of five children and five grandchildren. At 60 and 50 respectively, retirement is still a fair way off but fortunately, they are well prepared for when that time comes.

Cliff’s association with Invest Blue goes back several years. He was an existing client of AMP but when Invest Blue took over and Steve Sewell came into the picture, things really shifted gears. Cliff says that Steve took a genuine interest in the Stewart family and their finances. He looked at their existing portfolio and said, ‘we can get a lot better with this’ which has certainly proved to be true. In time, Lyn also came on board with Invest Blue so that the couple’s shared finances would be working better for them both.

Cliff says, “Steve’s leadership was great from the outset. He really valued who we were and where we were going. Lyn and I felt cared for and supported. I particularly like the fact that he encourages us to consider our finances longer-term but to also make the most of the way we live today.”

Cliff’s particularly pleased that Steve has set things up so that the Stewarts are provided a certain amount of extra money each year.  In recent years, this lump sum has helped with costs toward Cliff’s daughter’s wedding, paid for two trips to Hawaii and also covered the cost of the racing bike Lyn used in the Ironman event. Cliff acknowledges that without these extra funds, none of these things would have happened.

Steve’s interest in his clients is also evident in Cliff’s workplace where there are four others under his wing, financially speaking. They too benefit from Steve’s investment guidance and steady returns. Like the Stewarts, they have found a good balance between planning for retirement while still enjoying their current lifestyle by way of wonderful holidays and even a boat for one client.

Cliff and Lyn are very loyal clients and are invested with Steve for the long-term. They appreciate his easy-going but respectful manner, his enthusiastic outlook and practical advice. It’s no surprise that Cliff readily encourages others to seek out his expertise.

With Steve’s support all the way, the Stewart’s are planning ahead too. Now that their five children are all independent and scattered in various corners of the country from Perth to Port Macquarie, there’s talk of downsizing the 5-bedroom home they built last year for something smaller – giving them more financial independence. They can also see positive growth in their superannuation longer-term.

And fit as a fiddle at 50, Lyn has already signed up for two more Ironman Triathlons. Invest Blue will be behind her at every step, quite literally in fact – most likely displayed on her Lycra bike shorts….

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