Steve Dobinson

From building our savings to drawing an income, the support’s evolved with us.

My name is Steve Dobinson, I’ve been a customer of Robson Laidler for 20 years, and Neil Cowie looks after our affairs.

Me and my wife got in touch with Robson Laidler because we were unhappy with the company that were looking after our investments and affairs, and we were looking for somebody who we felt we could get closer to and who would be closer to us and take a much more active role in helping us plan for retirement.

They were recommended to us by a business associate of mine. A lot of these things are done by verbal reference, aren’t they? That person knew that I was unhappy, they knew because I talked about trying to find somebody different, and they got in touch and said, “Why don’t you give these people a call and see if they can help?”

I find Neil and the team to be very reassuring, very well-informed, and very consistent in the advice that they give – and materially, it has been successful advice that they’ve given to us over the years.

20 years is a long time to be working with somebody, and our requirements have changed over that time. We’ve found them to be very flexible and authoritative on giving us advice through the different stages of our lives and with the different saving and investment priorities that we’ve had.

Three words I would use to describe Neil and the team at Robson Laidler are honest, trustworthy, and authoritative.

The advice that we’ve had from them has contributed to us having a very reassured and relaxed feel about our retirement income situation.

The transition to retirement will always be challenging, so the main help that they have been to us is in telling us, on numerous occasions, that we’re going to be okay, that we have got enough to see us through, and we can start spending money instead of trying to hold onto it and build it for the future.

There’s no doubt that the most consistently good advice that they have given is not to panic or get nervous when things look gloomy in the investment market and when stocks and shares are stumbling and tumbling. You’re in it for the long term, and if you stay on the course you’re on, you’ll see results come out at the end of it.

I would have no hesitation in recommending Neil and the team at Robson Laidler to anybody who was wanting to plan for their retirement, looking to get decent return on their investment, and looking for somebody who will take an active interest in their affairs.