Rethinking retirement: it’s not the end, it’s a new beginning

13 November 2025

Retirement is a new beginning, not an end. A CRP helps advisers give flexible, ongoing guidance for evolving client goals.

Article last updated 14 November 2025.

Why today’s retirees are rewriting the rulebook and how a centralised retirement proposition (CRP) can help advisers keep pace with changing goals

At 65, Elaine wrapped up her corporate career and moved to the coast but she didn’t stop working. Within a year, she was teaching part-time, setting up a consultancy and volunteering at a local arts centre. For Elaine, retirement wasn’t a wind-down. It was a reset and her financial plan needed to keep up.

Stories like Elaine’s are increasingly common and they challenge the traditional assumptions that still underpin much retirement advice. Today’s clients are living longer, retiring differently and redefining what it means to stop working. That means advisers need tools and structures that can evolve just as their clients do.

A centralised retirement proposition (CRP) provides that foundation by helping advisers deliver consistent, flexible advice that reflects the reality of modern retirement.

The changing shape of retirement

The traditional model of retirement, which marked a clear end to working life followed by a slower pace and access to a pension, is becoming less relevant.

Today, retirement is more likely to be phased, fluid and personal. Some clients want to travel, others to start a business or support their families. Many continue working in some form, whether for income, fulfilment or structure. According to the Office for National Statistics, more than 1 in 10 people aged 65 to 74 in the UK are still working, and the number of over-50 entrepreneurs continues to rise.

Clients are also staying healthier for longer. That brings more opportunity for reinvention but also more complexity. Income needs may rise and fall. Priorities may shift, from growth to preservation, then back again. Retirement journeys are no longer linear.

The advice challenge: planning for uncertainty

These evolving lifestyles make retirement advice more dynamic and more demanding.

Spending patterns are no longer predictable. Some clients front-load their income to fund early adventures, while others delay drawdown if they return to work. Goals may shift after a health event, family change or change of heart.

In this context, a static plan quickly becomes outdated. What’s needed is a flexible, structured approach that supports regular reviews, personalised drawdown strategies and scenario testing. A CRP gives advisers a consistent framework that can adapt to whatever comes next.

Clients don’t just want advice at retirement. They want guidance through retirement.

A tale of two retirement journeys

Consider two clients, both aged 60, both with £600,000 invested.

Ravinder, a former management consultant in Leicester, plans to take a two-year break before returning to part-time work as a medical coach. In the early years, she wants to draw income to travel while she’s able, then ease back once her new earnings begin. Her longer-term goal is to preserve capital and leave a financial legacy for her children.

Martin, a retired engineer in Aberdeen, prefers simplicity. He wants a reliable income, low volatility and the reassurance of a well-structured plan. He’s not planning to return to work, and leaving an inheritance isn’t a priority.

Their paths are very different, but their advice framework doesn’t have to be. A well-designed CRP supports both clients, allowing advisers to personalise recommendations within a consistent, scalable structure.

How a CRP supports evolving goals

A CRP doesn’t lock clients into rigid strategies. Instead, it provides a structured foundation for personalised, goal-aligned advice, especially when plans evolve.

Key features include:

Flexible drawdown strategies for front-loaded, back-loaded or variable income needs.
Regular reviews to reflect lifestyle changes, spending shifts or unexpected events.
Cashflow modelling to test ‘what if?’ scenarios and assess sustainability.
Portfolio alignment with strategies that adapt from growth to income to preservation.
Clear documentation to track evolving goals and support Consumer Duty compliance.

A CRP creates space for meaningful conversations while ensuring consistent risk management and suitability checks. It gives clients confidence that their plan can grow and adapt with them.

Why this matters for advisers

Clients don’t just want advice at retirement. They want guidance through retirement. A CRP allows advisers to move beyond transactions and become long-term partners by helping clients navigate uncertainty, take opportunities and adjust course when needed.

It helps advisers:

Deliver consistent, high-quality advice at scale.
Build stronger relationships over longer timeframes.
Demonstrate long-term value beyond investment performance.
Align with regulatory expectations around suitability, understanding and support.
Position themselves as true retirement specialists, not just product providers.

In a world where retirement is more like a pivot than a full stop, advisers who adopt a CRP are better placed to stay relevant, responsive and trusted.

Conclusion: plan for what’s next, not just what’s ending

Retirement is no longer the end goal. For many, it’s a reinvention. And just as clients’ lives evolve, so must the advice they receive.

A CRP equips advisers to meet this moment by offering a structure that supports individual goals, changing plans and long-term confidence. Because when retirement is just the beginning, your clients deserve a plan that’s built to go the distance.

To find out more or speak to a member of our team, please get in touch.

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