The joy of clients

Amongst all the doom and gloom of a shrinking economy, falling stock markets and higher taxes, it was good to be forcibly reminded this afternoon that the job of life and financial planning is both deeply rewarding and thoroughly enjoyable.

It was a pleasure and a privilege to be able to discuss the deepest and most personal thoughts of clients who came in for their annual review, and to work out with them how they are going to move forward in their lives over the next four to five years as they come up to retirement. Surely few other professions can offer such a wonderful combination of managing deep personal client relationships, listening and drawing out from their clients their deepest hopes and fears, developing financial statements and life time cash flows and putting together “what if” scenarios before setting out financial strategies and investment policies.

There was even icing on the cake. The clients e-mailed back to say how much they had really valued the experience and how it had opened up new windows and opportunities for them.