Financial Planning Kildare
I remove the fear around money and make it something you can get excited about
My name is Gwen. I am a Certified Financial Planner.
I work closely with my clients and together we put a plan in place that is specific to them. My aim is to give a full financial plan which will help clients achieve their desired future goals and lifestyle.
I will help you to assess your current situation and clearly identify your objectives for the future. I will work with you closely to design a plan tailor-made to your current situation and I will help you design a strategy to implement this plan.
I remove the fear around money and make it something you can get excited about.
I want you to make financial decisions with confidence and to address any concerns you may have about your financial future.
I will take the fear out of planning for your future.
Take our quick assessment to help get an idea of where you are and a plan for where you want to be.
These plans include not only investments but also savings, budget, insurance and tax strategies; every aspect of your financial life.
What is the Financial Plan roadmap?
Why financial planning matters in real life
Financial planning is not only for people with large investment portfolios or complicated financial affairs. In practice, it is often most useful for households and business owners who want a clearer view of where they stand now, what is working well and what needs attention next.
For some people in Naas, Newbridge, Maynooth or the general Kildare area, the starting point is a pension that has been left untouched for years. For others, it is a mortgage that feels too expensive, a growing family that now depends on one or two incomes or savings that are sitting in the wrong place without any real purpose, earning little or nothing. A good financial plan helps connect those moving parts, so that decisions are made in the right order.
That matters because financial choices rarely sit on their own. A pension contribution affects your take home pay. A mortgage switch can improve monthly cash flow. Life cover may matter more once children arrive or when a household depends heavily on one income. Savings goals can compete with school costs, transport costs and general rising costs of groceries or home improvements or plans to reduce working hours later in life. Looking at one product on its own can be useful, but stepping back and looking at the full picture is often where better decisions begin.
Financial planning gives structure to that bigger picture. It helps identify what matters most now, what deserves attention later and what can wait. In simple terms, it is about turning uncertainty into a practical plan. Having someone like Gwen look at all the figures helps you get some idea of how to make the best of what you have got, regardless of the figure.
What a financial plan should look at
A proper financial plan should do more than focus on one policy or one account. It should look across the areas that shape your financial life and help you understand how they connect.
That often includes:
- income and household spending
- short term savings and emergency funds
- pension contributions and retirement planning
- existing savings or investment arrangements
- mortgage position and overall borrowing costs
- life cover, serious illness cover and income protection
- plans for children, education costs or family support
- tax efficiency where relevant
- long term goals such as retirement timing, business succession or reducing debt
Not everyone needs detailed action in all of those areas straight away. What matters is understanding which ones are helping, which ones are being neglected and which ones should be reviewed before they become more expensive to fix later. Having a plan in place will give you a lot of comfort.
That is one reason many people begin with a broader planning conversation before making changes to pensions, mortgages, life protection or savings and investments. The plan provides context, and that context helps decisions make more sense.
When people usually decide to put a plan in place
There is no perfect age to start financial planning, but there are several points in life where it becomes more relevant.
Early career and first home years
This stage is often about budgeting, saving habits, deposit planning and understanding what level of mortgage may be realistic for you. It can also be the point where someone starts a meaningful pension contribution rather than relying only on the State Pension in later life.
Family and protection years
When children arrive or a household becomes more financially stretched, people often begin to think differently about cover and longer term planning. At this point, the plan may focus more on protection, school costs, holidays, mortgage resilience and making sure short term and long term goals can run side by side.
Career growth, business ownership and higher earnings
As income grows, the questions often change. Are pension contributions high enough? Are older pension arrangements still suitable? Could tax relief be used more effectively? Should surplus cash sit on deposit, reduce debt or be directed elsewhere? Money does not need to sit in a deposit account to be accessible for when you might need it, so lets make it work for you.
Pre retirement years
In the years leading up to retirement, planning usually becomes more detailed. People want to understand what level of income may be available later, how private pensions and the State Pension fit together, whether borrowing should be reduced and what lifestyle may be realistic once work changes.
Later life and legacy decisions
Later on, the focus may move toward drawing income in a tax-efficient way, reviewing investment risk more carefully, helping adult children where appropriate or making sure your financial affairs are arranged clearly for the future.
What a first financial planning meeting can help clarify
A first meeting does not need to end with a major financial decision. In many cases, the main value comes from getting well organised and identifying the questions that matter most.
A useful first conversation can help clarify:
- what you already have in place
- what the main gaps are in your current setup
- what your priorities should be over the next 12 to 24 months
- which areas need a full review and which ones may only need monitoring
- whether your current arrangements still match your goals and stage of life
This is particularly helpful for people who feel their finances have grown bit by bit over time without ever being joined up. One pension here, one mortgage there and some savings in the background can leave people with activity, but not always with any real direction.
A financial plan gives that direction. It does not remove every decision, but it can make the next step clearer.
A joined up plan is often more useful than separate decisions
People often arrive with one immediate concern. They may want to review a mortgage, increase pension contributions or put life cover in place. Those are all sensible starting points, but the best result often comes from understanding how one decision affects the rest.
For example, someone may be keen to increase pension contributions because of tax relief, but if there is no emergency fund in place and monthly cash flow is already under pressure, that may not be the first move to make. Another person may be focused on switching mortgage provider, but if income protection is missing and the household depends heavily on one salary, protection may deserve some attention at the same time.
That is where financial planning becomes more than just product selection. It becomes a framework for decision making.
This broader view can be especially helpful for households across expensive Dublin commuter areas and Kildare towns where income may look strong on paper, but ever rising living costs, school costs, commuting costs and mortgage pressure still make planning essential.
What to prepare before a financial planning review
You do not need perfectly organised paperwork before making contact, but a few details can make a review more useful.
If possible, gather:
- recent mortgage statements
- pension statements, including older workplace pensions if available
- details of savings and investment accounts
- information on life cover, income protection or serious illness policies
- a rough outline of monthly income and major outgoings
- notes on your goals over the next few years and over the longer term
Even a partial picture can help start the process. The aim is not to produce a perfect financial file before speaking to someone. It is to create enough clarity for a worthwhile conversation.
Questions people in Kildare and Dublin often ask about financial planning
Is financial planning only for wealthy people?
No way. Financial planning can be useful for anyone who wants clearer decisions about budgeting, pensions, borrowing, protection or longer term goals. The value often comes from putting priorities in the right order rather than from already having significant wealth.
Should I look at pensions, mortgage and protection together?
In many cases, yes. These areas affect one another. Pension contributions influence disposable income, mortgage repayments shape monthly flexibility and protection matters if others depend on your income. Looking at them together often gives a clearer picture than treating each one separately.
How often should a financial plan be reviewed?
A plan is usually worth reviewing when something changes, such as a new job, salary increase, house move, family change, business development or retirement getting closer. Even without a major life event, a regular review can help keep the plan aligned with current goals.
What if I have started late?
Starting late is common and does not mean planning has lost its value. It simply means the next decisions matter more. The focus may shift toward realistic contribution levels, debt position, timing and making the most of the options still open to you.
Do I need to know exactly what I want before I ask for advice?
No. Many people know they want more clarity, but are not sure where to begin. That is a perfectly reasonable starting point. A planning conversation can help define the right questions before it moves toward specific solutions. We will generally ask questions that you had not considered.
Frequently Asked Questions about Financial Planning in Kildare
Why would you advise someone to check on their financial wellbeing?
It’s important for you to feel good about your money and your current financial situation. Whether that be everyday expenses, holidays, unexpected events, saving for a house, planning for your future or your children’s it's important to keep your finances in check, so you can make the most of what you have. Being prepared as much as possible will give you peace of mind.
When should a person look at putting a financial plan in place?
There is no specific age at which you should put a plan in place. Whether you are just starting out in your career, saving for you’re your first home, planning for retirement, or managing your finances in retirement, financial planning can be put into place anytime.
Is the financial plan designed for specific person?
Simply put financial planning it for everyone including you.
Throughout our stages of life we will have different goals we want to achieve but to achieve these we must plan. From students, and young professionals, to families with children, those in retirement or post retirement the plan is designed, and tailor made to your current situation.
Once the plan financial plan has been implemented and you meet with your clients should they review this often?
I would always recommend reviewing your plan yearly as things can change throughout the year, unexpected events can occur such as death, redundancy, and the birth of a child that will have an effect on your life and you must take these into consideration when planning for the future.
What is the Financial Plan roadmap?
Many thanks for your interest in our Financial Planning Services.
I am looking forward to working with through your financial journey.
The full financial plan will:
- Analyse and evaluate your financial status
- Develop and present financial planning recommendations and/or alternatives
- Implement the financial planning recommendations
- Monitor the plan going forward
If you have any of the following please bring details with you to our first meeting.
- Life/Protection Policies
- Pensions, present and past
- Savings/Investments
- Loans/Credit Cards/Mortgages
- Inheritance/windfalls
- Any other relevant details
The Process:
Step 1 – Initial call 20 minutes - complimentary.
Step 2 – Complete Fact Find and set goals and targets.
Step 3 – Follow up 2 weeks later – Meeting- to present provisional plan and to clarify any queries.
Step 4 – Final follow up 3 weeks later – Meeting with the full printed plan and targets addressed.
Reviews: Reviews will be carried out yearly or half yearly as required.
Costings:
Full Plan €600.00
Review €250.00
What does a financial broker or retail intermediary do in Ireland?
A financial broker, also described by the Central Bank as a retail intermediary, advises consumers on products such as mortgages, investments and insurance and can also help arrange those products. That means financial planning can include both guidance and practical next steps, depending on your needs and the scope of the review.
Can financial planning include pensions, mortgages and protection together?
Yes, all of it. For many people, that is the point of the process. A financial plan can look at retirement saving, mortgage commitments, savings habits and protection needs together, so you can decide what should be prioritised first.
Is there tax relief on pension contributions in Ireland?
Yes. Revenue allows income tax relief on qualifying pension contributions, subject to age-related percentage limits and an earnings cap. This is one reason pensions often form an important part of a wider financial plan.
What should I do if debt or rising repayments are putting pressure on my finances?
If repayments are becoming difficult, it helps to act early rather than waiting for the pressure to build. MABS is a free and confidential service for people with debt or money management problems, and mortgage borrowers in difficulty are generally better off engaging with their lender as early as possible.
How often should I review my financial plan?
A review is often worthwhile after major life or financial changes, such as buying a home, changing job, becoming self employed, having children or getting closer to retirement. Even without a major change, a regular review helps keep the plan relevant.
Useful related pages
Next steps
Financial planning works best when it is practical, personal and grounded in real life. Whether you are reviewing your pension, thinking about mortgage decisions, trying to protect your family or simply looking for a clearer direction, a joined-up plan can help you make better decisions with more confidence. If you would like to talk through your current position, get in touch with GCFS to arrange a financial planning conversation.