by Patrick Garrett After almost 20 years of full-time work in the IT industry, 41-year-old Darren Cotterill had saved enough to make the decision to quit his job in June 2016 to spend time with his young family and fulfill some long-term personal goals relating to health, learning and money management.
With a sufficient nest egg in place, Darren hopes that this financial freedom will enable him to eventually return to work in a new role with the flexibility to enjoy a better work/life balance. So, how and where he invested his savings was a very important decision for Darren to enable him to pursue this dream.
We love Darren’s story, in part because he has added funds to his account since originally investing, which means he trusts our service, the best show of support we could ever ask for.
What had your investment management strategy been up to this point?
I used a financial advisor several years ago, but I found the constant push for investment properties was unaligned with what I wanted, which was more diversification. I felt the fees were really high compared to the value I felt I was getting.
What are the main benefits you’re looking for in an investment service?
I want to grow and protect my savings in a smart way that provides growth above inflation and also protects my assets by being diversified. I also felt that I had paid high fees for poor service in the past, so I wanted to keep my costs low.
Were you hesitant to use an automated investment management service?
I’m from the IT industry, so I wasn’t too worried about an automated service, but I did start small to see if the service was reliable and did what it said it would do, both in terms of the technology and the investment management and reporting. I’ve since added more funds to my account as it’s performed as advertised.
What are your primary goals for your investments with Six Park?
I want long-term growth above inflation and diversification to help protect against losses. Whatever I choose for my next career will be how I pay my bills. With my savings, I’m investing for 20-30 years, and Six Park is a simple way to achieve the investment diversification I want.
So why Six Park?
Apart from the diversification and low cost, I trust the people managing the service. Also, it didn’t take long to get the ball rolling and set up my portfolio, and because the reporting is easy to use, it’s freed up time for me to do other things.
The communication from the company has been great. They update me regularly on my portfolio, which gives me confidence that someone is showing an interest in my account without the huge overhead costs you have with a financial adviser.