My name is Mike Farbrother. I have been a client of Polaris and Gregory Cooke for about two years. I was introduced by my son-in-law, who had used him for three or four years before that.

I retired when I was 60, and I had various pension pot sizes. I had a financial adviser before I met Greg, and I wanted to change the pension pot into some kind of annuity, but one that would provide an income. My financial adviser at the time was only talking about annuities, whereas I wanted something different.

The reasons I chose Polaris and Greg were that he was local to where I lived, he’d been recommended by my son-in-law, who’s an accountant, and I wanted someone a bit more enthusiastic, rather than a remote financial adviser, which is what I’d been dealing with for the last 10, 15, 20 years.

I find working with Greg very good. I find him enthusiastic; I find his attitude toward customer relationships, me, and his growing business full of energy and enthusiasm.

I feel much more secure with my financial future because I’ve got more control. Rather than a fixed annuity, I can ring Greg up and say, “Look, we have got this special event coming up; can you organise for me to have £20,000 out of my pot?” So, the enthusiasm of him talking to me about that and me being able to do that is good.

The three words I’d use to describe Greg are enthusiastic, energetic, and focused.

Working with Greg, I find him accessible. I can ring him up at any time, and he will get back to me very quickly if he’s not available. He lives locally, so that is another bonus, he understands my and my family’s situation and can offer advice and even suggestions about how I spend my money.

I’d recommend Greg and Polaris because of the direction they’re going. Greg in particular is taking more qualifications, he’s taken on more staff, and it seems to be a go-getting company, and he is a go-getting manager.