Diary of an adviser  

Diary of an adviser: Charlotte Corr

Diary of an adviser: Charlotte Corr

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.

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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.