monabri wrote:Oh, and be wary of "independent" financial advisors.
Tied advisors, ie. the ones who work for so-called wealth managers and who offer only restricted advice, pushing their employers' or other restricted ranges of products, are the ones to be extremely wary of...
Independent financial advisers (IFAs), offering whole of market advice, not so much, and many can be very good.
Speaking generally re IFAs:
Shop around and test the water to find one you think is suitable, but if you decide you need 3rd party professional advice then don't be afraid of turning to IFAs. NB The Independent part of the name is essential, so do not overlook that. And consider the difference between one-off transactional basis advice vs. ongoing advice. The former might be useful in order for someone to get a "plan" in place than can then be self-managed. But, you'd get far more out of any IFA, and be much better equipped to select an appropriate one if you first make a good effort to increase your own knowledge of the subject matter you're seeking advice on. And if you do that sufficiently, and you're competent and cool-headed, then there's every chance you wouldn't need to hire one...
In the OP's shoes, I'd certainly be quitting work, the numbers look pretty solid, and in Rituximan's last paragraph it looks like he's begun to outline a skeleton plan to support that. It's not obvious that Rituximan would need an IFA, as by the sound of it he's already got investment experience running significant amounts and could fill in the knowledge gaps given some effort.
My suggestion would be to take your time to do this, avoid acting in haste, and properly equip yourself with a solid plan you feel you've thoroughly kicked the tyres of first. Knowing this is being worked on by you, and knowing the end goal, should take most pressure off re stresses in work, as you'll be able to mentally re-categorise that as "stuff I don't really give a sh!t about any longer", as will certainly be the case once you've left and have begun leading a life shaped how you want it freed of employer influence.