Summer and Celebrations

Dear Readers, ?? Thank you for being part of this journey! This newsletter has now surpassed 1,200 subscribers — a milestone worth celebrating. I’m eagerly looking forward to what lies ahead.

Client work

As summer settles in, client inquiries have eased. Although I may be thinking about financial planning while enjoying time off, I doubt that clients will be doing the same. It’s the work we do that enables clients to enjoy worry-free holidays.? (As regards financial planning anyway!).

I’m delighted that many incoming queries are from younger self-employed individuals. This pleases me immensely as our retirement pot (UK-specific) is mainly up to ourselves to manage. ?Employees may benefit from employer contributions, but what about the self-employed? They bear the entire risk without employer contributions.

That’s the reality we currently live in, so I emphasise the importance of having a plan in place for both pension arrangements and the correct insurances.

If you need a good adviser, I know of someone!

During this quieter period, my creative side has flourished. I’m an advocate for sensible use of technology to enrich the client experience. I’m fully aware it can feel daunting for a potential client to get in touch. ?With this in mind, I am working on lowering the threshold by creating an easier and less stressful method of initiating contact.

MOE Foundation – Certified Coach

After an intensive 6 weeks, I am now a ‘certified coach’. It’s been a great experience and I have learned a lot, including about myself! ?My view of what a coach is has certainly changed. I wasn’t sure what to expect, but I didn’t expect the tough work and time commitment involved.

I expected case study work as homework. However, I found out that I was the homework. Whatever issues and problems I experienced in my life were the subject of the coaching sessions as a “coachee”. It was an enlightening experience which I perceived as incredibly positive. Especially, perhaps, as I’ve had a lot of resolve with my own sticking points and issues. One tangible result was increased personal productivity.

The Trading Game

After recommending Gary Stevenson’s Youtube channel I went ahead and purchased his book on Audible. I’m roughly halfway through and can report it’s a great listen. There are mentions of financial instruments I was unaware of, and you are given a sense of what happens in those trading centres in the heart of the City.

You can find the book on Amazon and Audible.

Resources

I keep having conversations with advisers who follow my content and want to know about life as self-employed. Alan Smith wrote an article about his top tips to new planners and entrepreneurs. After two decades in business I feel he is far better suited to dish out advice.

My Advice to Financial Planners and Entrepreneurs:

https://www.dhirubhai.net/pulse/my-advice-financial-planners-entrepreneurs-alan-smith--ckkae/?trackingId=S6w7AsYyTAWmZpYfTqZxnQ%3D%3D

Alina Khan a senior reporter at Financial Times penned an article about Financial Education and the frustrations around going around in circles. I somewhat feel we are getting there because of reporters like herself beats the drum for further education. It captivated the audience on Linkedin with people jumping into the comments section.

https://www.ftadviser.com/your-industry/2024/07/25/we-seem-to-be-going-round-in-circles-when-it-comes-to-financial-education/?utm_medium=social&utm_source=linkedin

Completely unrelated to finance and any topic I have covered previously. At times I get a glimmer of nostalgia back to my DJ days. I’m enjoying James Hype’s latest set at Drumsheds. James Hype is originally from Liverpool and has been working hard over the last decade (and I assume his whole life). Before he became famous, I remember discovering him and having a brief interaction on Facebook – my claim to close fame!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tOSFP-LbsLY&t=1159s

Apparently, Drumsheds is a new club venue in London. Perhaps one to check out when another celebration is due?