After years spent caring for her mother, Emily is embracing a new chapter filled with travel, community involvement and time for the things she loves, secure in the knowledge that her financial future is being looked after.
For Emily, life has always been rooted in the Kent countryside. Born into a farming family, she grew up surrounded by orchards, hop fields and fruit farms. It’s no coincidence that Kent is known as the fruit bowl of England.
Although the family farm has since been sold, her home still overlooks fields and the countryside.
It’s where she feels most at home. She loves being outdoors, taking her dog for walks, and remains closely connected to the farming community.
“I’m from a farming background; my parents had always farmed – we’re kind of country folk.”
The past few years have brought a significant change in Emily’s life.
For many years she cared for her mum, gradually taking on more responsibility as her mobility declined. Her mum moved into a property next door, and Emily supported her through her final years. When her mum died, Emily found herself facing a very different life.
“It was a massive change, and I’ve had to readjust.”
That adjustment has taken time. Now around two years on, Emily feels she is beginning to find her feet again.
That means making space for the things she enjoys and perhaps most importantly allowing herself to look ahead.
Taking the worry out of investing
Emily encountered Cooper Parry Wealth when she was helping her mum manage the proceeds from the sale of the family farmhouse. It’s a relationship that has given Emily confidence during a period of significant change.
At 85, her mum had never really had significant amounts of money to invest. Suddenly there was a substantial sum that needed to be looked after.
“I wasn’t familiar or confident in investing, so finding the right person to help was important to both mum and me.”
For Emily and her mum, choosing who to trust with their money was as important as investment performance. They wanted to feel comfortable with the person sitting opposite them.
They explored other firms but found their traditional approach rather stuffy and at times intimidating.
After her mum’s death, those investments passed to Emily.
“It was a very strange sensation – I still think of it being mum’s money and she’s not here.”
Having someone she trusts to help manage that money has made a significant difference.
Emily admits that the world of finance can feel intimidating, particularly when you don’t consider yourself an expert.
“It’s a frightening world, finance if you’re not familiar with it. You don’t want to feel foolish because you don’t understand something.”
For Emily, that personal relationship is important. “Darcy takes the time to explain things clearly and gives me the confidence that my investments are being managed with the right level of risk that I’m comfortable with.”
“Over time I’ve gathered a little bit of knowledge around investment, but Darcy makes it so easy and it’s not just a worry,”
She also deliberately avoids watching the markets too closely. Markets have experienced plenty of volatility over the years. From the war in Ukraine to other global events, Emily has seen markets move through more than a few dramas since she first invested.
“But I know it’s a long-term thing,” she says. “I feel confident in Darcy. She knows what she’s doing. We haven’t done anything too risky.”
And that for Emily is the point. She doesn’t want to spend her time thinking about investments. She wants to spend it living.
A life that feels like hers
With her finances quietly doing their job in the background, Emily can concentrate on things that make her happy.
She’s involved with her local parish council, something she’s done for more than a decade because she believes in giving something back to the small village where she’s lived all her life.
She remains closely involved in the farming community through the Weald of Kent Ploughing Match Association, the National Fruit Show and local shoots.
Emily’s now looking forward to spending more time travelling, particularly with a daughter in New Zealand.
After years of putting someone else first, Emily’s starting to discover and enjoy what comes next. There’s no grand five-year plan and certainly no desire to spend her days pouring over investment statements. Instead, Emily wants the freedom to enjoy the countryside around her, spend time with friends and family, travel and continue doing the things she loves. All whilst knowing that her finances are being looked after.
“I feel very comfortable and confident about my financial situation – it’s there in the background and I get on with my life. I’m financially secure for the future. I’m very happy with the situation as I’m in safe hands.”
For someone who’s spent so much of her life caring for others, that feels like a pretty good next chapter.
