When we first started out, my wife and I decided that the first thing we wanted to do was buy a home. We felt that it would be a good base for us and would help us to get a foot on the property ladder.

I own a business and my wife has stayed home to raise our four children.

We love to travel and are very active on the arts scene but have also been committed to seeing our children through secondary school and university. It was important to us to make sure they start their lives on solid ground.

Twenty years ago, I remarried and my new husband and I started our lives together with debt from our respective divorces as well as a blended family of five children. We were both employed and were very slowly putting some money aside for our retirement. We were conscious of feeling like we were starting too late in the game to get a really good result.

I’m a numbers person. I’m a research scientist and I work with data and statistical information for a living. I thought for sure I’d be able to handle my own financial affairs but I have recently found that my emotions can definitely get in the way of making sound decisions.

I have recently separated from my husband of twelve years. He went to

live overseas for an incredibly lucrative job but after two years of regularly living apart, we just couldn’t keep the relationship going. It has been quite a dramatic change in circumstance, but

we still remain friends.

My wife passed away unexpectedly when she was just turning 59. We were both working full time and no longer had children at home. At the time, we were looking to retire at 62 and 65 respectively and were planning on spending our retirement traveling the world and learning about different cultures.