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Having an open and positive conversation with Martin Taylor about his Invest Blue client experience was wonderfully straight-forward. And it’s a conversation that would’ve been impossible several years ago. For a very long time, Martin despised talking about money. In fact, it made him feel nauseous.
Unfortunately, when it came to managing money, Martin never had good examples set for him as a younger person and was surrounded by those living beyond their means.
Sadly, debt had been part and parcel of Martin’s life for as long as he can remember. Becoming a father at just 17 contributed to the debt spiral. The idea of a debt-free future was ‘completely unimaginable.’ And buying a home one day? Forget it…. that was out of the question.
Or so he thought…
Meet Martin Taylor, a homeowner.
When we chat, Martin (39) is surrounded by boxes having just moved into his dream home with his partner Emily. He sounds on top of the world to have achieved such a fantastic and long-held goal. And it turns out that he has Emily to thank for the all-important introduction to Armidale-based financial adviser Rob Pollard.
Emily was a client of Rob’s and suggested Martin speak with him.
For Martin though, talking about money came with plenty of emotional baggage. “I would become pretty despondent and aggressive about finances when the topic was raised. I had a really weird hang up about it. Emily and I were in a relatively new partnership at the time, and I felt sick about the fact that there may come a day when we would share our finances as I had so much debt.”
In the end, Martin felt he had nothing to lose in meeting Rob. Naturally, Martin was trepidatious, but Rob made things easy. Martin explains.
“Rob just said, ‘Mate, let’s just have a chat.’ He was super approachable and genuine. He was caring, calm, gentle and supportive and he maintained confidentiality like no-one’s business. Rob was just phenomenal, and I could not sing his praises more.”
The pair worked closely together and took a slow and steady approach.
“With a very level head Rob looked at my goals and we established clear strategies to help me get there. Being accountable for my finances was the first step and every time I paid off a credit card, I’d call Rob to let him know. He’d make a big deal of it and really celebrate my achievements,” Martin says.
Longer-term goals were also plotted out. Aged 32 at the time, the plan was for Martin to be debt free by the age of 40 and in a financial position to one day buy a home.
With so much emotional weight linked to money, I can’t help but wonder whether Martin considered a debt free future even possible? “Yes and no,” he says. “I could see it on paper. I knew that it was realistic but a part of me questioned whether I could stick to it. I have self-doubt and can be critical of myself so I never thought I would ever get there. Once the ball was rolling with one credit card paid off and then the next, I realised we were heading in the right direction. I worked at paying off loans and cards one at a time. To see those zero balances was pretty amazing.”
Martin says he owes a lot to Rob.
“If Emily hadn’t convinced me to go and see Rob I would probably have just continued to spiral in and out of debt”
That simple decision not only changed his life but the lives of his three children too.
“Rob is definitely now in our circle of important people in our lives. I’ll forever be grateful to him. He literally changed my life and my family’s life. The decisions we made together will forever impact my children’s future.”
As a nurse, caring for others is intrinsically linked to who Martin is but when it came to guiding him on the path to financial freedom and independence, the shoe was on the other foot. Rob Pollard was (and is) the one offering the care and support. Much changed along the way for Martin as trust grew.
That fear and discomfort in talking about money slowly dissipated and conversations, be they with Rob or Emily, are now had openly and with confidence.
As Martin looks around his beautiful home, a once ‘pie in the sky’ dream has been realised. He describes the house as ‘absolutely perfect’ and ‘so much nicer’ than he ever thought possible. He, Emily and the kids look forward to simply hanging out there. It’s their very own and brings a sense of security that Martin once thought unobtainable.
“Living my best possible life has always been about achieving stability for my family and improving the future for my family – that’s what Invest Blue has done for me.”
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What you need to know:
This information is provided by Invest Blue Pty Ltd (ABN 91 100 874 744). The information contained in this article is of general nature only and does not take into account the objectives, financial situation or needs of any particular person. Therefore, before making any decision, you should consider the appropriateness of the advice with regards to those matters and seek personal financial, tax and/or legal advice prior to acting on this information. Read our Financial Services Guide for information about our services, including the fees and other benefits that AMP companies and their representatives may receive in relation to products and services provided to you.
These clients have agreed to share their stories. Everyone’s situation is different, so their choices and outcomes will be different to yours. Consider your circumstances before deciding what’s right for you.
After working for many years as a teacher and special educator, Jenny was able to fulfill her dream of an early retirement and travelling the world.
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Jenny Abraham
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