I hope you’re all enjoying your Summer. At TCFP we feel the year whizzing by with lots to be getting on with.
Personally, it’s become increasingly clear that the less I involve myself with, the thicker I spread myself, the more gets done and the better we work together. That’s the theme of the year so far.
The key part of running TCFP is to trust, and keep out of the way of, your colleagues. They know their work best, so it’s important to simply give them space and support to get it done. Management is very light touch at TCFP.
We have a great team; I ask a lot of them and they deliver every time.
On the front line there’s me, Mark and Ian who is now a Chartered Financial Planner. He achieved this in half the time Mark and I took, well done him.
Thanks to the team around us, the three of us can focus on what really matters – to listen, have the conversations with you, think about your bigger picture, see the angles and put together a coherent financial plan. These are our true skills and what we get most enjoyment from.
But it’s the engine room that needs to be in tip-top shape to allow your plan to bear fruit. This is where Sarah, Lainey, Siobhan, Hayley, Katie and, now, Fran swing into action.
Fran has joined Katie and Mark in Bristol. She brings a wealth of experience (and common sense we’re told!!) having worked in different professional services firms.
Later in August, we will be blessed by the return of Siobhan from maternity leave. Rumour is she’s looking forward to getting back here too.
And we took on our first (paid) Summer intern, Maizie. The great news here is that those 16-year- olds you see hanging outside the chicken / chip / vape shop are NOT indicative of the age group at large. Which gives me great comfort because it’s those 16-year olds who will be deciding how the country is run when I’m in my dotage and beyond.
Then there’s the supporting cast, without whose wise counsel and special skills we’d be stuck in the mud. In no particular order they are Stacey, Dale, Stephen, Steve, Roger, Alan, Chris, Billy and Paul.
That’s quite a team to look after 235 families with around £155,000,000 in non-property assets.
Our first two Client Focus Groups have given us much to think about and act upon. All of which will lead to a better service for you; here’s a summary:
- The TCFP client portal and app is up and running and being rolled out – it’s amazing and will change how we interact with you;
- Our new Resources page helps us share everything that needs thinking about when it comes to financial planning. Have a look here: https://www.townclosefp.co.uk/resources/ (not quite the finished article);
- We’re working on a note for you to share with your young relatives to help them think about the right things, set off in the right direction and keep on track. And it comes with the offer of a free consultation;
- And a whole host of procedural stuff I won’t bore you with.
And still to come:
- Your TCFP client portal needs fully populating with your financial plans, forecast graphs, etc.;
- A couple of client events – “Wine & Intellect” seem popular;
- The TCFP “Organigram”;
- A legacy folder;
- A lifestyle guide/questionnaire;
- Our first “Retirement Income Seminars”;
- Our third Client Focus Group in October.
In short, we won’t stint on doing our level best to give you more bang for your buck and improve on what we do and how we do it, whilst involving you as we go. In many ways, TCFP is yours as much as it is mine.
It’s difficult to accurately measure how you feel about us and what we do. You’re all very complimentary when asked! So I take great store in (and offer humble thanks for) the increasing number of referrals you are making.
Actions speak louder than words, and being introduced to your friends, colleagues and family is, to me, clear evidence that we’re going about this the right way.
That’s all for this missive. I’ll leave you to bask in the glory of England’s men’s Cricket World Cup win and the certainty (!!) that the Ashes will return to the UK in the upcoming Tests.
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.