I catch up with my colleagues, work through emails and other correspondence and make sure I am prepared for what will be a busy week.
In the afternoon I have an in-house meeting with a young married couple who are both GPs. I work predominantly with medical practitioners through our affiliation with the British Medical Association (BMA). Chase de Vere is the only firm of IFAs accredited by the BMA.
We review their requirements for income protection and life assurance. Also, as the husband is self-employed, there is a need for locum insurance.
Tuesday
I head to Llandudno, on the North Wales coast, where I am giving a presentation at a GP surgery. I have arranged this as part of their weekly team meeting. All six GPs at the surgery attend, one of whom is an existing client. I focus on upcoming pension changes, which are a huge concern for many medical professionals.
On the way back I meet with an existing client in Wrexham, Clwyd, for a six-monthly review. This is a retired lady who has been a client for some time. She is keen to show me photographs of the Caribbean cruise she treated her family to over Christmas. I remember helping her take some profits from her investments to pay for it. The meeting is very pleasant and we agree on one small change to her portfolio.
Wednesday
I have three meetings with medical professionals and all are focused on upcoming changes to the pension Lifetime Allowance (LA).
All the clients have breached the new LA, or will shortly, and we discuss available protections and future pension planning. I judge all cases on their merits, although it is often sensible to build further pension provision and face a possible tax charge rather than stopping benefit accrual.
In the evening, I host a retirement planning and inheritance tax seminar just north of Chester. I am pleased that 20 GPs and hospital doctors attend, many with their partners. It goes well and 13 immediately want to arrange a further meeting.
Thursday
I am in the office catching up on administration and preparing for next week. I am grateful for the administration support of Ania Kania and Leon Williams from our Manchester office, which makes my life a fair bit easier.
I have a one-to-one meeting with my manager Steve Hearn. These are always very useful, not least because Steve is so positive and supportive. We discuss the clients I have seen, my upcoming plans and any help I might need.
Friday
I head to the Countess of Chester Hospital where I meet with a medical professor to conduct a full holistic review. The main priority we highlight is the need to review protection policies. I get signed letters of authority so I can access the policy details and will take this away and review his options before reporting back. We also consider retirement planning. While he is in the NHS Pension Scheme, his wife, who is also at the meeting, has no pension provision and so we will look to address this.
I spend the afternoon in the office before heading home in the evening. I take my wife Jacqui and 12-year-old son Finlay to the cinema before getting a takeaway on the way home, which I will enjoy with a glass of wine. A relaxing way to end a busy and productive week.
Andrew Jaworski is an IFA at Chase de Vere
