Friends

It’s embarrassing to talk about money

When I started as a financial adviser I avoided talking to friends because I thought they’d be uncomfortable giving me the personal information I needed to advise them.

Experience soon changed my attitude. Over the years many friends became clients because of financial problems elsewhere but by which time their issues had escalated. Small problems that could have been sorted had become bigger, more expensive problems. Friends got close to retirement before realising their pensions were inadequate. Friends had health problems without insurance cover. Friends had unbalanced insurance with cover they didn’t need and no cover on things they did need. Or were making crazy investment decisions. Or were paying tens of thousands of dollars more on their mortgages than they should have been.

OK it might have been their fault for not asking for advice earlier. But I felt bad because I didn’t take the trouble to offer help either. I was just as embarrassed as they were. Hence this special page on our website.

Nobody will put as much effort into helping you as a friend will. Sure – you have to give away some personal information but you’re already doing that to your doctor, your bank, your pharmacist, your accountant and your lawyer.

But investigate first. Have a good look through our website first to see what we actually do. But if you like what you see and you think you’d benefit – then for goodness sake ask. Remember that your main protection isn’t all the rules and regulations that we have to follow. It’s that we live and work within a small community and within a tight circle of friends. If we screw up then you’ll know instantly!

– Glyn