We offer courses for all the following categories of employee:

  • New hire
  • Early career
  • Mid-career
  • Senior executives
  • Pre-retirement
  • Post-retirement
  • Redundancy

Firms that facilitate employee access to financial education have reported a number of significant business benefits including:

  • Improved staff retention
  • Reduced absenteeism and sickness rates leading to improved productivity – as financial difficulties are a primary cause of stress, illness, relationship breakdown etc.
  • Increased participation in company pension schemes, share schemes and other occupational benefits
  • Smoother introduction and acceptance of pension scheme changes, benefits and legislative changes
  • Reduced pressure on HR and pension resources
  • More consistent information provided to employees, reducing potentially costly misunderstandings (in financial and/or goodwill terms)
  • Greater employee satisfaction.

Active participation is the key feature of all our Planning for Life workshops. A flexible approach is taken within an established agenda, ensuring
that the detailed content of each session is covered, whilst allowing for the priorities and concerns of the group. A detailed course manual and supporting reference material are provided to each attendee, together with the contact details of the various speakers, so that they can direct any future queries to an appropriate adviser at a time of their choosing.

We adapt the core Planning for Life modules and materials for each individual client to meet their specific requirements. Clients may choose to offer the whole programme to their employees or select clinics and seminars on an ad hoc basis.

Course programme

The content of each course varies according to the programme selected and the needs of each individual firm. As an example, the following subjects would normally be covered as core elements of our standard two-day pre-retirement course. Please ask if you would like to see details of the content of our other courses.

  • DAY ONE

    9.30 am start
    Registration and Welcome
    Introduction: course programme, familiarisation with the course manual, resources etc.
    Retirement in perspective: an introduction to the concept of retirement, how it is changing and how individuals feel about this life change
    Occupational pension and benefits: an explanation of the pension scheme rules/options and any other potential retirement benefits to which attendees may be entitled
    State pension: the various state pensions, entitlement criteria, claiming etc.

  • DAY TWO

    Choosing a financial adviser: advice on how to identify, select and work with a good financial adviser or alternatively how to ‘do it yourself’ should you prefer
    Money management: taxation, wills, estate planning, AVCs, personal pensions, pension commutation, insurance, investment strategies, and risk management
    Life after work (home life): a look at the potential impact of retirement on relationships, dependants etc., and how to manage the transition
    Life after work (creating a new life): paid and voluntary work opportunities, building a portfolio of interests, creative use of leisure time etc.
    Course close 4.00 pm finish

Costs and further information

Courses, workshops and other services can be tailored to fit your firm’s budget and can be discussed and agreed on an individual basis.

To discuss your specific requirements and indicative costs or simply for further information about any aspect of the Planning for Life programme and associated services, please call or e-mail:
Mike Baggaley, Thomson Tyndall • 020 7100 3667 • mbaggaley@thomsontyndall.com

About Cooke and Burns

  • Established in 1979, specialising in the provision of Life Planning and Financial Education courses.
  • National coverage provided primarily to large multinationals and central government departments with large, diverse workforces.
  • Core programmes designed in conjunction with an occupational psychologist.
  • Utilise diverse delivery methods including presentations, group work and case studies.
  • Work in partnership with clients to develop a programme which suits their culture, objectives, employee profile, budgetary constraints etc. in order to provide the best solution possible.