How Santorini’s
Financial Planning Process Works
How Santorini’s
Financial Planning Process Works
How Santorini’s
Financial Planning Process Works
Santorini Financial Planning uses a structured six-step Lifestyle Financial Planning process designed specifically for business owners in Loughborough and Leicestershire who are approaching retirement. The process runs from an initial goal-setting meeting through financial analysis, cashflow modelling, plan implementation, and regular reviews to keep the plan on track as life changes. Each stage is designed to answer one core question: are you on course to retire on your terms?
Santorini Financial Planning uses a structured six-step Lifestyle Financial Planning process designed specifically for business owners in Loughborough and Leicestershire who are approaching retirement. The process runs from an initial goal-setting meeting through financial analysis, cashflow modelling, plan implementation, and regular reviews to keep the plan on track as life changes. Each stage is designed to answer one core question: are you on course to retire on your terms?
We practice a holistic type of financial planning, known as Lifestyle Financial Planning.
We practice a holistic type of financial planning, known as Lifestyle Financial Planning.
The 6-Step Lifestyle
Financial Planning Journey
Our purpose, as a financial planning team, is to help you achieve your goals and realise your dreams.
The 6-Step Lifestyle
Financial Planning Journey
Our purpose, as a financial planning team, is to help you achieve your goals and realise your dreams.
01
01
Step 1: Get to Know You
The first meeting is a free, no-obligation conversation focused entirely on understanding you: your goals, your current situation, your worries, and what a successful retirement looks like in practice. There are no financial products discussed and no commitment to proceed. The meeting is designed to establish whether Santorini is the right fit for your situation and to give you a clear sense of what a full financial planning engagement would involve. What we cover in this meeting: • Your personal retirement goals and timeline • An overview of your current financial position • Your business and how it fits into your retirement plan • Any specific concerns or questions you want addressed • Whether Santorini’s approach is the right fit for you
Step 1: Get to Know You
The first meeting is a free, no-obligation conversation focused entirely on understanding you: your goals, your current situation, your worries, and what a successful retirement looks like in practice. There are no financial products discussed and no commitment to proceed. The meeting is designed to establish whether Santorini is the right fit for your situation and to give you a clear sense of what a full financial planning engagement would involve. What we cover in this meeting: • Your personal retirement goals and timeline • An overview of your current financial position • Your business and how it fits into your retirement plan • Any specific concerns or questions you want addressed • Whether Santorini’s approach is the right fit for you
Step 1: Get to Know You
The first meeting is a free, no-obligation conversation focused entirely on understanding you: your goals, your current situation, your worries, and what a successful retirement looks like in practice. There are no financial products discussed and no commitment to proceed. The meeting is designed to establish whether Santorini is the right fit for your situation and to give you a clear sense of what a full financial planning engagement would involve. What we cover in this meeting: • Your personal retirement goals and timeline • An overview of your current financial position • Your business and how it fits into your retirement plan • Any specific concerns or questions you want addressed • Whether Santorini’s approach is the right fit for you
Step 2: Gathering Your Financial Information
Once you decide to proceed, Santorini conducts a thorough collection of your financial data. This goes beyond a basic fact-find. We gather detail on every asset, liability, income stream, and financial commitment, including the value tied up in your business, to build a complete and accurate picture of where you stand today. Information gathered includes: • Pension values and forecast projections • Business value and ownership structure • Investment and savings balances • Property holdings and outstanding mortgages • Income, expenditure, and planned future spending • Protection arrangements and existing financial products
Step 2: Gathering Your Financial Information
Once you decide to proceed, Santorini conducts a thorough collection of your financial data. This goes beyond a basic fact-find. We gather detail on every asset, liability, income stream, and financial commitment, including the value tied up in your business, to build a complete and accurate picture of where you stand today. Information gathered includes: • Pension values and forecast projections • Business value and ownership structure • Investment and savings balances • Property holdings and outstanding mortgages • Income, expenditure, and planned future spending • Protection arrangements and existing financial products
Step 2: Gathering Your Financial Information
Once you decide to proceed, Santorini conducts a thorough collection of your financial data. This goes beyond a basic fact-find. We gather detail on every asset, liability, income stream, and financial commitment, including the value tied up in your business, to build a complete and accurate picture of where you stand today. Information gathered includes: • Pension values and forecast projections • Business value and ownership structure • Investment and savings balances • Property holdings and outstanding mortgages • Income, expenditure, and planned future spending • Protection arrangements and existing financial products
02
02
03
03
Step 3: Analyse and Assess Your Position
With a complete financial picture in place, Santorini’s team analyses your current position against your stated goals. This stage uses cashflow modelling software to stress-test your financial plan against multiple scenarios: early retirement, market downturns, business exit delays, health events, and changes in spending. The goal is to identify gaps, risks, and opportunities before they become problems. This stage produces: • A cashflow model showing projected retirement income across different scenarios • An assessment of whether you currently have enough to retire on your terms • Identification of key financial risks and how to mitigate them • A tax efficiency review across pensions, investments, and business assets
Step 3: Analyse and Assess Your Position
With a complete financial picture in place, Santorini’s team analyses your current position against your stated goals. This stage uses cashflow modelling software to stress-test your financial plan against multiple scenarios: early retirement, market downturns, business exit delays, health events, and changes in spending. The goal is to identify gaps, risks, and opportunities before they become problems. This stage produces: • A cashflow model showing projected retirement income across different scenarios • An assessment of whether you currently have enough to retire on your terms • Identification of key financial risks and how to mitigate them • A tax efficiency review across pensions, investments, and business assets
Step 4: Visualise to Realise, Building Your Financial Picture
This is the core of Santorini’s approach and the origin of the firm’s motto. Rather than presenting a financial plan as a document of numbers and projections, Santorini presents it visually, making your financial future concrete, tangible, and emotionally real. Seeing your retirement income, your business exit proceeds, and your family legacy laid out in a clear visual model makes the decisions that follow much easier. The Visualise to Realise meeting: • Presents your cashflow model in a clear, jargon-free visual format • Shows the financial impact of the key decisions you face • Identifies the single most important action to take to improve your position • Gives you confidence that your retirement is achievable and on track
Step 4: Visualise to Realise, Building Your Financial Picture
This is the core of Santorini’s approach and the origin of the firm’s motto. Rather than presenting a financial plan as a document of numbers and projections, Santorini presents it visually, making your financial future concrete, tangible, and emotionally real. Seeing your retirement income, your business exit proceeds, and your family legacy laid out in a clear visual model makes the decisions that follow much easier. The Visualise to Realise meeting: • Presents your cashflow model in a clear, jargon-free visual format • Shows the financial impact of the key decisions you face • Identifies the single most important action to take to improve your position • Gives you confidence that your retirement is achievable and on track
Step 4: Visualise to Realise, Building Your Financial Picture
This is the core of Santorini’s approach and the origin of the firm’s motto. Rather than presenting a financial plan as a document of numbers and projections, Santorini presents it visually, making your financial future concrete, tangible, and emotionally real. Seeing your retirement income, your business exit proceeds, and your family legacy laid out in a clear visual model makes the decisions that follow much easier. The Visualise to Realise meeting: • Presents your cashflow model in a clear, jargon-free visual format • Shows the financial impact of the key decisions you face • Identifies the single most important action to take to improve your position • Gives you confidence that your retirement is achievable and on track
04
04
05
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Step 5: Make It Happen, Implementing Your Plan
Once the plan is agreed, Santorini handles implementation. This includes pension restructuring, investment portfolio construction, tax planning recommendations, protection reviews, and, where relevant, coordination with your solicitor and accountant on business exit planning. The implementation fee is capped at £2,000, regardless of complexity. Implementation typically includes: • Pension consolidation and restructuring • Investment portfolio setup aligned to your risk profile and goals • Tax planning to maximise retirement income efficiency • Business exit preparation, including timing and structure of asset extraction • Protection review to close any gaps in life or critical illness cover
Step 5: Make It Happen, Implementing Your Plan
Once the plan is agreed, Santorini handles implementation. This includes pension restructuring, investment portfolio construction, tax planning recommendations, protection reviews, and, where relevant, coordination with your solicitor and accountant on business exit planning. The implementation fee is capped at £2,000, regardless of complexity. Implementation typically includes: • Pension consolidation and restructuring • Investment portfolio setup aligned to your risk profile and goals • Tax planning to maximise retirement income efficiency • Business exit preparation, including timing and structure of asset extraction • Protection review to close any gaps in life or critical illness cover
Step 5: Make It Happen, Implementing Your Plan
Once the plan is agreed, Santorini handles implementation. This includes pension restructuring, investment portfolio construction, tax planning recommendations, protection reviews, and, where relevant, coordination with your solicitor and accountant on business exit planning. The implementation fee is capped at £2,000, regardless of complexity. Implementation typically includes: • Pension consolidation and restructuring • Investment portfolio setup aligned to your risk profile and goals • Tax planning to maximise retirement income efficiency • Business exit preparation, including timing and structure of asset extraction • Protection review to close any gaps in life or critical illness cover
Step 6: Keeping You on Track, Ongoing Reviews
A financial plan is not a one-time document. Life changes: your business grows or contracts, markets move, tax rules shift, and your goals evolve. Santorini conducts regular ongoing reviews to ensure your plan stays aligned with your current situation and future ambitions. The ongoing annual fee covers all review meetings and interim support for any financial decisions you face between reviews. Ongoing service includes: • Annual financial planning review meeting • Cashflow model updated with current values and any changes in circumstances • Investment portfolio rebalancing • Interim support for major financial decisions (e.g., refinancing, business sale, inheritance) • Access to Matthew directly for questions between review meetings
Step 6: Keeping You on Track, Ongoing Reviews
A financial plan is not a one-time document. Life changes: your business grows or contracts, markets move, tax rules shift, and your goals evolve. Santorini conducts regular ongoing reviews to ensure your plan stays aligned with your current situation and future ambitions. The ongoing annual fee covers all review meetings and interim support for any financial decisions you face between reviews. Ongoing service includes: • Annual financial planning review meeting • Cashflow model updated with current values and any changes in circumstances • Investment portfolio rebalancing • Interim support for major financial decisions (e.g., refinancing, business sale, inheritance) • Access to Matthew directly for questions between review meetings
Step 6: Keeping You on Track, Ongoing Reviews
A financial plan is not a one-time document. Life changes: your business grows or contracts, markets move, tax rules shift, and your goals evolve. Santorini conducts regular ongoing reviews to ensure your plan stays aligned with your current situation and future ambitions. The ongoing annual fee covers all review meetings and interim support for any financial decisions you face between reviews. Ongoing service includes: • Annual financial planning review meeting • Cashflow model updated with current values and any changes in circumstances • Investment portfolio rebalancing • Interim support for major financial decisions (e.g., refinancing, business sale, inheritance) • Access to Matthew directly for questions between review meetings
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06
What our clients say.
Our purpose is to give you a clear path to follow, which will give you clarity and confidence so you know that you will have enough in retirement.
He opened my eyes to the possibility and gave me the confidence to take the leap.
Jon Langford
Matt didn’t come across as a normal financial services type of person.
Phil & Sharon Middleton
When I think about my finances now, I don’t worry.
Sue Johnson
Real clients. Real Stories.
Bob and Pete kindly shared their experiences of working with us - no scripts, no prompts, just honest stories.
Bob Moul
Pete Henson
Get in touch today.
Leave us a message below about your situation, and we'll get back in touch with you shortly.
What our clients say.
Our purpose is to give you a clear path to follow, which will give you clarity and confidence so you know that you will have enough in retirement.
He opened my eyes to the possibility and gave me the confidence to take the leap.
Jon Langford
Matt didn’t come across as a normal financial services type of person.
Phil & Sharon Middleton
When I think about my finances now, I don’t worry.
Sue Johnson
Real clients. Real Stories.
Bob and Pete kindly shared their experiences of working with us - no scripts, no prompts, just honest stories.
Bob Moul
Pete Henson
Get in touch today.
Leave us a message below about your situation, and we'll get back in touch with you shortly.
Frequently Asked Questions
About Santorini’s Financial Planning Process
Frequently Asked Questions
About Santorini’s Financial Planning Process
How much does the financial planning process cost?
The planning fee is £2,000 for individuals and £2,500 for couples. This covers all work through to the delivery of your financial plan. Implementation is a separate capped fee of maximum £2,000. Ongoing advice is charged at an annual fee starting at 0.75% of assets under management, with a minimum of £3,750 and a maximum of £20,000 per year. The first Get to Know You meeting is free.
What is Lifestyle Financial Planning?
Lifestyle Financial Planning is an approach that starts with the client’s personal goals and life vision, not financial products. Rather than asking “what can I afford?”, it asks “what do you want your life to look like?” and then builds a financial plan designed to make that life achievable. Santorini uses the Kinder Institute’s Life Planning methodology, combined with advanced cashflow modelling, to deliver a plan that is both personally meaningful and financially rigorous.
What is cashflow modelling?
Cashflow modelling is a financial planning technique that projects your income, expenditure, assets, and liabilities over your lifetime, taking into account inflation, investment returns, and changing circumstances. It allows you and your financial planner to see whether you are on track to achieve your retirement goals and to stress-test your plan against different scenarios, such as retiring earlier, living longer, or experiencing a market downturn.
Do I need to have a business to work with Santorini?
No, but business owners are Santorini’s primary specialism. The firm is particularly well-suited to business owners aged 50–60 with assets of £500,000 or more who are approaching retirement and may need advice on business exit planning. If you are not a business owner but your financial situation is complex and you need a comprehensive, goals-based financial plan, contact Santorini to discuss whether it is the right fit.
Last updated: October 2026