Create financial security that nurtures what matters most—your family’s unique dreams and values.

Meet Rachel & Tom

With two children aged 8 and 12, Rachel and Tom had built a life they loved—but they felt constantly torn between competing financial priorities. Should they prioritise university savings or pension contributions? Was private school worth the sacrifice to their own financial security? How could they teach their children about money while also protecting them from financial stress?

They had spreadsheets tracking everything from childcare costs to holiday budgets, but somehow never felt like they were making progress toward their bigger family goals. Rachel wanted to reduce her working hours to spend more time with the children. Tom enjoyed his career but wanted to plan for his own retirement and know that the family would be taken care of if anything happened to him. But every family financial decision felt like choosing between their children’s opportunities and their own dreams.

What they really wanted was a financial plan that didn’t force them to choose—one that honoured both their role as parents and their identity as individuals with their own aspirations.

The Challenge You Might Recognise

You’re juggling endless financial demands without a clear sense of what’s actually important. School fees, university funds, family holidays, home improvements, your own retirement—every month brings new expenses and decisions, but you’re not sure which ones truly serve your family’s long-term happiness and security.

You feel guilty about your own financial goals when your children have so many needs. You want to give your children every opportunity, but you also know that your own financial wellbeing affects the whole family. Finding the right balance between generous parenting and responsible self-care feels impossible without guidance.

You want to model healthy money habits, but you’re not sure what that looks like in practice.

How much should your children know about family finances?

When do you say no to expenses, and when do you stretch?

How do you teach them to value money without making them anxious about it?

A Different Conversation

When Rachel and Tom came to us, we didn’t start with their children’s university costs or their pension shortfall. We started with their family values: What kind of childhood did they want to create? What lessons about money and life did they want to pass on? What would success look like for their family in 10 years?

We discovered that flexibility mattered more to them than any specific financial target. They valued experiences over possessions, wanted their children to see them pursuing their own passions, and hoped to create financial security without sacrificing family time.

We built a strategy around those priorities: an education funding approach that didn’t compromise their retirement security, a career transition plan that would let Rachel reduce her hours gradually, and a family financial framework that gave them permission to invest in Tom’s retirement. Most importantly, we helped them create age-appropriate conversations with their children about money that reflected their values of abundance, responsibility, and intentional living.

Your Path Forward

If you’re constantly choosing between your family’s immediate needs and long-term dreams, you’re not alone. Raising children while building wealth requires a completely integrated approach that honours both your parenting priorities and personal aspirations.

You deserve a financial strategy that brings your family together. When your money decisions reflect your family’s unique values and dreams, every choice reinforces what matters most rather than creating stress about what you’re sacrificing.

Your family’s financial security and happiness don’t have to compete. Let’s create a plan that nurtures both, so you can give your children the greatest gift of all—parents who are financially secure and personally fulfilled.

The value of an investment with St. James's Place will be directly linked to the performance of the funds you select and the value can therefore go down as well as up. You may get back less than you invested.

Although this case study relates to a real-life example, where we have helped our clients by providing solutions to their financial problems, the names have been changed for confidentiality purposes.

The advice given was provided after a full evaluation of their specific needs, circumstances and requirements. The solutions provided may not be suitable for everyone and the information provided here does not constitute advice.