December 2015 – Merry Christmas

I wish you all a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year. As we approach 2016 I wonder where 2015 has gone – it seems that time has gone so quickly. It is a time when I will be thinking about those of my dear clients who are no longer with us and thinking of those now left on their own. There have been too many client funerals this year. When I have been driving home from saying goodbye to a client I realise what a privilege it has been to try to make a difference in their lives: January 2016 will see my 26th anniversary of being a financial adviser and throughout that time my main intention has been to help ordinary people see through the maze of financial planning. According to some recent comments I have not done too badly: “I haven’t mentioned it before but I don’t know what I would have done without you over the years, I am very grateful and I hope that you are going to continue for a long time yet.” [CFH] Well please rest assured that I intend to be around for quite some time, I have wonderful clients and being there when they need me is very important to me. This is not to say that there weren’t times during this year when I could have thought about it. 2015 has been particularly demanding with the constant changes in regulations, changes in pensions, keeping up to date with knowledge and professional development, reporting requirements, changes in technology, and ensuring that professional support staff are available to provide client service and support. However when I get comments like the one above it makes it all worthwhile. Focusing on the developments in technology: when I became independent in February 1992 my first business card had an email address and many people asked me what it was for! Now, almost 24 years later, it is the people without email and without internet who are being left out. It seems that every day another service is being delivered digitally. According to recent survey’s over 90% of the UK has internet and I find it difficult to understand how those without email and internet manage – they are certainly missing out. In order to enhance client service and embrace the benefits of technology our new client communication system, Personal Finance Portal (PFP), was launched this year and many clients are already loving what it offers. If you haven’t registered yet please do so as soon as you can so that you will not miss out. I wish you a happy, healthy, and prosperous 2016.