Thank you to everyone who joined us for The Pension Reality Check at Squerryes Winery Restaurant.
It was a fantastic evening and a real pleasure to welcome so many guests to such a beautiful venue. Squerryes provided the perfect setting for a relaxed and practical conversation about pensions, retirement planning and the questions many people start asking themselves in their 40s and 50s.
The aim of the evening was simple: to help make pensions feel clearer, more understandable and less daunting.
Judging by the conversations in the room, the questions asked during the Q&A session and the feedback we have received since, it is a topic many people are keen to understand better.
Why we held the event
For many people, pensions sit in the “I’ll sort that one day” pile.
They may have a workplace pension through their current employer, older pensions from previous jobs, or several different pots with different providers. They may receive the occasional statement, but still not have a clear idea of what those pensions could actually provide in retirement.
That can create a quiet sense of uncertainty.
- Am I saving enough?
- What might my pensions be worth?
- When could I afford to retire?
- Should I be doing more?
- What happens if I leave things as they are?
The Pension Reality Check was designed to help people start answering those questions in plain English.
A relaxed and practical evening
Throughout the evening, our presenters talked through some of the key issues people need to think about when planning for retirement.
The focus was not on jargon or complex technical detail. It was about helping guests understand the bigger picture, including:
- why retirement planning matters earlier than many people think
- how different types of pension can work
- why old workplace pensions should not be forgotten
- how much income people may need in retirement
- why the State Pension may only be one part of the picture
- the importance of reviewing pensions, investment choices and future goals
- the decisions people may face as retirement gets closer
The Q&A session was one of the highlights of the evening, with thoughtful questions from guests and practical answers from our adviser panel. It was clear that many people are thinking seriously about their retirement plans, but are not always sure where to start.
That is exactly why evenings like this matter.
Conversations over food and sparkling wine
After the presentations and Q&A, guests had the opportunity to enjoy food, a glass or two of Squerryes sparkling wine and informal conversations with the Citrus Financial team.
This is always one of the most valuable parts of our events.
Sometimes people do not want to ask a question in front of the whole room. Sometimes a short, informal chat afterwards is what helps them make sense of what they have heard and think about what they may want to do next.
We were delighted to see so many guests staying behind to speak with our advisers and ask questions about their own circumstances.
Congratulations to Melanie
As part of the evening, guests also had the opportunity to enter a prize draw to win a bottle of Squerryes sparkling wine.
Congratulations to Melanie, who was our winner.
Thank you for making it such a success
A huge thank you to everyone who attended and helped make the evening such a success.
We are also very grateful to the team at Squerryes Winery Restaurant for helping create such a welcoming setting, and to everyone at Citrus Financial who worked hard behind the scenes to plan, promote and deliver the event.
The feedback we have received so far has been extremely positive, and we are pleased that so many guests found the evening useful, informative and enjoyable.
Missed the event?
If you were unable to attend, we’ll be running our next Pension Reality Check in Tunbridge Wells this October.
To register your interest to here about future events click on the link below.
Approver Quilter Financial Services Limited. 25/06/2026
