This week’s adviser is making adjustments for lockdown, but the horse still needs mucking out
Monday
This morning I get up around 6:30am to muck out my horse, Frank, who is stabled five minutes down the road.
Prior to lockdown I was getting up at 5:30am to muck out before work, but at the moment I am getting a lie-in and have time to ride out before work too.
Once I get back to the ‘home’ office, and after sorting through my emails, I have my regular Monday catch-up with Emma, my client manager.
We also touch base most days to discuss any urgent cases so we know the priorities for the day, for example, a client who needs some capital to assist with a house purchase imminently.
Tuesday
I had a rewarding meeting today. I was able to share some news with a couple, whom I had initially met pre-lockdown, that they could both afford to retire now – something they were not expecting. They went off to write their resignation letters and open a bottle to celebrate.
Wednesday
We have our virtual ‘tea break’ today – a weekly video call with the wider team. It is a chance to have a catch-up, and each week a guest speaker will talk about a particular area of the business or topic.
I am going to be a guest in a few weeks together with my colleague Sam Gratton. I was ‘born and bred’ at Old Mill, having joined at 18 ahead of my university studies.
Since then I have progressed my career through Old Mill from an administrator, through paraplanner, and I am now a financial planner/IFA.
Thursday
I start my day catching up with Emma on a couple of cases.
I then prepare for a meeting with a couple who want to understand the implications of surrendering their endowment policy early to repay their mortgage. We had prepared a detailed analysis showing their options, the implications and how they should proceed. It was agreed they should surrender the endowment early and repay their mortgage now.
Friday
I have a follow up call with a client today regarding protection needs, highlighted as a result of the client’s financial plan I had prepared and presented at the start of lockdown.
Lockdown has made the client revaluate matters, particularly the importance of the role of the stay-at-home mum. This has been a common theme with a lot of my clients; I think the pandemic has given people time to reflect, evaluate their lives and take stock of what is important.
I also call a couple of my older clients to check in and to give them the reassurance that I am here if they need me.
Lockdown has been a huge learning curve for so many people – I struggled at first because I am very much a people person, however I have gradually started to appreciate other things, such as the additional time I have.
