A note on…….Keeping in touch.

One of the questions we’re most frequently asked is “How often will we see you?” or “When is it ok to get in touch?”.

Our starting point is that our communication protocol must take into account your personal preferences. The building blocks, as we see them, are:

1. It’s an interaction between two people working together towards a common goal;
2. Because we like (or at least respect) each other, our communications should always be productive;
3. The frequency of them should never be an issue. Instead, it’s how meaningful they are and the extent to which they help you stick to your plan;
4. And, finally, communications should be carried out in the context of an agreed protocol.

Communications should, loosely, follow an annual cycle built around a deep and meaningful annual meeting where we check that goals and/or family situation, etc., have not changed.

That also gives us the opportunity to reinforce our belief in, and your commitment to, your plan. We can also measure and note our progress towards your goals as confirmed in the “Planning Priorities” questionnaire you completed.

We will not “report” quarterly; nothing will happen investment-wise in 90 days to have a bearing on your long-term plan.

In addition to this annual meeting, we can either:

A – Ask you “How often do you see yourself needing (or even wanting) to hear from me? And about what?”, and act accordingly.

or

B – Propose our own protocol, as follows:We will have a telephone/Skype/Zoom meeting six months after our face-to-face meeting, just to check in.

1. 1. We will have a telephone/Skype/Zoom meeting six months after our face-to-face meeting, just to check in.
   2. In the meantime, you must call me, any time, for any reason whatsoever. Please don’t hesitate.
   3. I’ll certainly call you if something’s happening that requires a decision from you. This will rarely happen, as our whole philosophy is based on not reacting to current economic/political/market events.
   4. When there are events that I think most of you will be concerned about I’ll email you all, as long as we have your permission.
   5. For example, if markets are “correcting” (down 10-20%) I’ll usually send out a little note of some sort, but the markets usually turn so quickly this might be a moot point.
   6. Or, when we enter bear territory (down 20%+), I’ll do some first aid, remind you we’ve been here before, that your plan is solid, that you earn the higher returns equities offer by braving the downturns. I’ll also recommend you buy more equities before the sale ends.

In addition, I read a lot of good commentary which I’ll share with you via our blog and weekly updates, as long as you’ve signed up to them. Click here if you haven’t: https://www.townclosefp.co.uk/sign-up/

Other than that, there won’t be much. We’re deliberately relaxed, informal, friendly and, most importantly of all, open, in both directions. Does that sound good to you? Or should we tweak it?

We’re working with you to help you ignore the noise and avoid the clickbait “you should be doing something different” culture. We do this by focussing entirely on your plan, not the outlook for markets / politics / economies.

And that helps us look after you, to keep you on the straight and narrow and to avoid The Big Mistake.

future proofing your finances

advice@townclosefp.co.uk 

Town Close are expert financial planners. Our goal is the same as yours – to help you do the things that are important to you in the time you have remaining.