Client Testimonials

Brian Frost

Brian Frost and his wife Margaret have had a long relationship with Birchwood Investment Management Ltd. Birchwood has looked after their investments for 15 years and in that time the Frosts have not only seen their money grow: they have also enjoyed watching Birchwood develop into a highly successful business.

After working as a head teacher, a local authority schools inspector and finally as an HM Inspector of Schools, Brian decided to take early retirement in the summer of 1993. The package of support provided by his Civil Service employers included a three-day “ready for retirement” course, during which Birchwood’s Trevor Simms gave a presentation on financial issues.

Brian liked what he heard and, with a substantial lump sum available to invest, he arranged a follow-up meeting with Trevor for himself and Margaret. He explains: “Trevor took away our ideas and thoughts about what we would like to invest and produced a plan for us. We have been very happy with the results.”

The Frosts carried on working on a self-employed basis until 2003, with Margaret training as a lay inspector of schools to work as part of a team led by Brian to bid for contracts to carry out school inspections. Now they divide their time between their home and extensive garden on the Wirral and travelling abroad.

Thanks to a generous Civil Service pension, the Frosts have been able to leave what Brian calls “a marvellous investment” to steadily accrue. He says: “It is money for a rainy day, which gives us financial freedom for the future.

“For example, if one of us ever needs a new hip, we’ll be able to pay for it to be done privately. It’s reassuring to know that there is a substantial figure there in case we need it.”

Brian has nothing but praise for Birchwood. He says: “Their service is superb. Whenever I ring them, they are most helpful and always come up with an answer. They keep me in touch with the performance of my investments with regular statements and their quarterly bulletins on financial matters are useful too.

“When we first joined Birchwood in 1993, it was a much smaller concern. It has been good to watch it grow into a successful business and I have never found any of their advice to be less than excellent.”