Life doesn’t always go to plan. Unexpected challenges can test even the strongest families. But as Charlene and Trevor have discovered, having the right financial decisions in place, and the right people alongside you, can make all the difference when life takes an unexpected turn.
Charlene and her husband, Trevor, have experienced more than their fair share of adversity in recent years.
Charlene has been battling pancreatic cancer, while Trevor unexpectedly lost his job following the closure of the paper mill where he worked. With health and employment challenges placing additional pressure on the family, having financial security they could rely on became more important than ever.
Fortunately, when Charlene and Trevor first arranged their life insurance through Apex Advice, their cover was structured with level premiums. This meant their premiums remained stable, helping keep their cover affordable even as their circumstances changed.
For Charlene and Trevor, their relationship with their Apex Advice adviser has been about more than simply having insurance in place. Their adviser has been there to guide them through the changes life has brought, helping them understand their options, providing reassurance when things have been uncertain, and making sure their financial arrangements continue to work for their family.
That same long-term approach has also shaped how they think about their children’s financial futures.
Throughout his working life, Trevor has consistently contributed to his KiwiSaver. Year after year, he stayed the course, gradually building his savings to around $350,000.
But perhaps the most inspiring part of their story is the lesson Charlene and Trevor passed on to their children. When their eldest son started working at 17, they made an unusual decision. Rather than asking him to pay board, they encouraged him to contribute 8% of his income to KiwiSaver instead.
Some friends questioned whether they were making the right choice. They felt their son should be paying board and learning financial responsibility in a more traditional way.
Charlene and Trevor saw it differently.
They believed that helping their son build long-term financial security would give him opportunities that far outweighed the short-term benefit of collecting board.
Eight years later, that decision has paid off.
At just 25 years old, their son has been able to purchase his first home, using his KiwiSaver savings to help make home ownership a reality.
Now, Charlene and Trevor are taking the next step. They’ve arranged a KiwiSaver review with an Apex Advice expert to look at Trevor’s KiwiSaver, as well as their son and daughter’s portfolios.
It’s another example of the role an adviser can play over the long term: not just helping with one financial decision, but walking alongside a family as their circumstances, priorities and goals evolve.
For Charlene and Trevor, the decisions they’ve made haven’t always been easy or obvious. But with the right guidance, a long-term mindset and consistent action, those decisions have helped create stability through difficult times and opportunities for the next generation.
Their story is a powerful reminder that financial wellbeing isn’t built through one big decision. It’s created through small, consistent choices made over many years, with trusted guidance along the way.
Because sometimes, the greatest value of financial advice isn’t just what it helps you put in place today. It’s where those decisions can take you, and your family, years down the track.
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