First appointments, leadership development programmes and calls from new advisers are part of this consultant’s busy week.
Monday
I am up at 6:30am for a commute to our head office in Preston from South Staffordshire for a second day of training as part of the leadership development programme. Today we focus on developing people skills and coaching.
I enjoy this course, not only from a development perspective, but also as I get to meet and socialise with other advisers who I would not usually come into contact with. It is always good to put a face to a name.
I end the day by taking my dog Bella for a walk in the sun.
Tuesday
The morning began with a first appointment in Shrewsbury, with a previous client’s sister, who wants to know if she qualifies to release equity. Being referred for my customer service is always nice and increasingly common.
A quick lunch on the go and I head to meet another client who wants to pay off his interest-only mortgage. He has no way of doing so and wants to see if equity release would help his situation.
He wants the option to be mortgage-free and let him remain in his own home. Releasing equity could save him £300 a month.
I spend the rest of the day calling clients to update them, then follow with a gym session.
Wednesday
A later start to the day means I can go to the gym before I start work. I try to visit the gym three to four times a week as it helps keep me focused.
I then have a management review where I discuss action plans and strategies. This is followed by a meeting with two new starters who I give guidance to, with the aim for them to reach ‘competent adviser status’ in a reasonable amount of time.
Following this I visit a customer who wants to release around £30,000 to pay for a necessary hip operation privately. Her whole family also attended the appointment, which I would always advise on when making such a big financial decision.
The afternoon consists of finishing meeting notes and completing admin for tomorrow’s appointments, then a walk round the park with my dog.
Thursday
I am awake early to visit a lovely couple in Telford for a second appointment – they want to release funds to help their grandchildren get onto the property ladder. Over the years, this has become an increasingly popular reason for releasing funds.
This afternoon, I prepare and attend a meeting with my manager Paul, with a customer who has early onset dementia. When we believe the customer has a vulnerability, someone in the management team, or a vulnerability champion, will always attend the meeting too.
I end the day with a call from a new adviser who has just written his first sale and wants me to assist him with inputting all the details onto the system. I find it rewarding helping new advisers.
Friday
Today is largely an admin day in my home office as I prepare for the following week ahead and complete paperwork.
Mid-afternoon I call several customers who released equity around five years ago to ask if they are interested in a free review of their plan. This enables us to see if we can reduce their interest rate, to find out whether they wish to release any further funds, and if equity release still meets their requirements.
I am delighted that Costa del Staffordshire has seen the best of the British weather today, so I end the week with a visit from my son and we head out on a bike ride around the local area.
Paul Stanford is an independent equity release consultant at Key Retirement
If you would like to write a week in your life as a financial adviser, please contact: melanie.tringham@ft.com
