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Live Like You’re Retired: A Tribute to Stuart Knight

On 27th December 2024, we lost a great man and a true character in the financial advice profession, Stuart Knight. Stuart wasn’t just a colleague; he was a friend, a mentor, and an inspiration to many. At just 59 years old, his passing is a stark reminder that life doesn’t always follow the timelines we imagine.

Stuart spent his career helping others plan for retirement — often painting a vivid picture of what a fulfilling, financially secure life could look like. He was instrumental in ensuring his clients thrived in their golden years, yet tragically, he didn’t get to enjoy his own official retirement. And that, for me, is the wake-up call.

How often do we, as advisers, focus so intensely on the future — for ourselves and for others — that we forget to live in the present? Life, as we all know deep down, is not a rehearsal. Stuart’s untimely passing has brought that truth into sharp focus for me.

This year, I’m making a conscious decision to live more like I’m retired. That doesn’t mean stopping work or hanging up my adviser’s hat, but it does mean shifting priorities. I’ll be ticking off bucket list items, spending time with friends, laughing until my sides hurt, and letting go of unnecessary worries.

Stuart was a man who knew how to enjoy life. He loved his hometown of Croydon with a passion that was infectious. He didn’t need an exotic destination or an extravagant lifestyle to find joy; he found it in the people, places, and simple pleasures around him. That’s a lesson for all of us.

As financial advisers, we spend our days ensuring others are prepared for the future. But Stuart’s story has taught me that the future isn’t guaranteed. Retirement might be the goal we plan for, but it’s not promised. And if it doesn’t come? What memories will you leave behind? What stories will people tell about you?

So, to my fellow advisers: Don’t wait for retirement to start living. Go on that holiday you’ve been putting off. Make time for your loved ones. Laugh more, worry less, and embrace the everyday joys that make life meaningful.

Stuart’s legacy isn’t just in the lives he helped shape through his work; it’s in the way he lived — fully, authentically, and with a zest for life. He will be deeply missed, but his story is a powerful reminder for us all to seize the moment.

📰 Articles & Blogs

Marketing, Masquerading As Investment Expertise [4 minutes]. The truth behind Wall Street's annual stock market forecasts.

On Bubble Watch [10 minutes]. Howard Marks emphasises the importance of investor psychology in assessing market conditions.

Navigating the Decline of a Client’s Mental Capacity [6 minutes]. Essential strategies to safeguard clients and advisers.

5 "Self-Persuasion" Questions To Connect With Prospects [15 minutes]. Helping clients to articulate their own motivations for financial planning.

What Clients Really Care About [2 minutes]. Insights from client feedback surveys that reveal what truly matters to clients.

Why Technology Makes Modern Financial Planning More Human Than Ever [3 minutes]. The art of financial planning lies in understanding the human emotions that drive our financial decisions.

🎧 Podcasts

TRAP 62 - Planning Your Best Year Yet [97 minutes]. The TRAP pack discuss their plans for 2025.

How Are You Getting Value Out Of ChatGPT As A Financial Advisor? [30 minutes]. Thoughts on using AI as a thinking partner that can revolutionise the way you work as a financial adviser.

📚 Book Recommendations

Weapons of Math Destruction by Cathy O'Neil. This insightful book reveals the hidden biases shaping our lives and the critical decisions being made without our knowledge, often with devastating consequences.

🖼️ Visuals

Visualizing the Global Population in 2035, by Generation

The Pyramid of S&P 500 Returns (1874-2024)

Visualizing Major Asset Class Returns in 2024

🍿 Videos

Dan Haylett – The Science & Skill of Spending Money in Retirement

At HUM London 2024, Dan Hallett discussed the importance of shifting from a savings habit to a spending mindset in retirement. Understanding clients' fears and behaviours can enhance financial planning.