The Challenge

Mitesh earned well but lacked a coherent system. Cash sat idle, some ISA money was in cash or a generic ready-made portfolio, and spending insight was thin (hidden betting outflows). His savings rate fluctuated and was unclear, and his emergency liquidity wasn’t ring-fenced or earning.

Our Solution (Architecture → Automation → Allocation)

Phase 1: Baseline & Account Architecture

• Financial map: consolidated view of assets, liabilities, cashflow; formalized target savings rate.

• Roles-based accounts:

  • Emergency Fund: Built a 3-month emergency fund earning 4.2% a year, vs. 0% in the past. Automated to grow to a 6-month emergency fund by April.

  • Cash ISA (Trading212): 4.1% for near-term cash efficiency (vs 0% at prior provider).

  • Daily Spend + Reservoir System: benchmarked discretionary spend; monthly allocations to travel, side-hustle, and emergency.

• Spending analytics: 3+ months of tracking; surfaced and contained hidden betting spend.

Phase 2: Cost & Cashflow Optimization

• Fixed-cost cuts: £300/mo reduction (internet, subs, cleaner, charity cadence).

• Variable spend rules: Reduced by 50% to reorganise fun spend based on his values.

• Savings rate redesign: from 6.56% (May) → 39.6% (Aug) via automation and caps.

Phase 3: Investment Implementation (UK)

• Platform shift: Opened Stocks & Shares ISA (Trading212); moved away from cash drift and generic ready-made allocations.

• Policy: Consolidated scattered investments into a simple global portfolio, aligned to his unique risk appetite.

• Funding: Automated ISA contributions, with limited room for discretionary investing.

Phase 4: Tax-Advantaged Compensation & Pensions

• Pension uplift: Maimised contributions via salary sacrifice from 10% → 17%, driving an estimated ~£170/mo tax saving.

• Income delta: Negotiated a 7.8% annual pay rise

Phase 5: Operating Rhythm & Guardrails

• Monthly review (≤60 min): savings rate, contribution success, net-worth delta, spend vs benchmark.

• “Do-not-touch” rule: changes require a documented reason and a 24-hour cooling-off period.

Financial Transformation

• Emergency fund: 3-month runway, automated to £6,000 by April at 4.2% (≈ £155/yr interest at today’s balance; ~£252/yr at full target).

• Savings rate: 6.56% → 39.6% within 3 months.

• Cost base: £300/mo fixed-cost reduction + 50% cut in ‘fun’ categories.

• Investing cadence: £625/mo into a global strategy inside S&S ISA.

• Cash returns: Cash ISA at 4.1% (vs 0% previously).

• Pension leverage: 17% contribution + ~£170/mo tax saving.

• Income: £5,000 salary uplift.

Life Impact Beyond Numbers

• A single operating system for money: automatic funding of goals, clear spending benchmark, and a monthly review ritual.

• Reduced decision fatigue and eliminated drift (no idle ISA cash; no unplanned bets).

• Confidence to negotiate compensation and raise pension contributions without lifestyle anxiety.

Disclosure: Educational only; not investment, legal, or tax advice. Clients should consult qualified professionals.

Testimonial

“I can't believe how much we've gone through so systematically. I have such a clear structure for how to manage and grow my wealth now. I feel more in control than ever before."

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• This case study is provided strictly for educational and informational purposes and does not constitute investment advice, tax advice, legal advice, or a personal recommendation. All implementation must be run by a licensed professional.

• No performance guarantees. Projections, return assumptions (e.g., 7%–8.7%), and interest/yield figures are illustrative only and not guarantees of future results. Past performance is not a reliable indicator of future results. All investing involves risk, including the potential loss of capital.

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