Diary of an adviser: Mike Pendergast

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Diary of an adviser: Mike Pendergast

Monday

After a quiet weekend mainly sorting out my garage, I spend the morning doing some data cleansing. We migrated over to Intelligent Office a couple of years ago and some clients who are not being regularly serviced need their data to be updated.

I then escape the office to see a client with whom I had done some one-off retirement planning for last year. He had responded to an email that we send every three months reminding clients we are always here if they need anything else.

Tuesday

I have two hats. I have been an Ifa for 26 years and qualified as an accountant five years ago, so we offer basic accountancy services to our clients as well.

One of our local clients, a publican, has a VAT visit today, so I go along to offer moral support.

The VAT man was due to be there for the day but, after seeing that everything was reasonably straightforward, he had a half hour chat and decided that would do. This has left me with seven and a half hours of additional unexpected time.

I then have a chat with the secretary of the local pool league we are sponsoring. I am yet to receive any new contacts through our sponsorship, but it is only week three of the season, so fingers crossed.

Wednesday

The day starts with the best part of an hour on the phone to the PAYE office dealing with a query. Finally, after speaking with five departments, the situation was rectified and our fees were justified.

I then have a meeting with a client who retired a couple of years ago and wants to start taking income from his plans now that he has exhausted his initial coffers.

As it is a sunny day, I manage to get a tennis game in. I have been playing in a local league for four or five years and depending on the time of year there are either one or two leagues.

Thursday

The morning begins with a meeting with a potential new client who is in the process of a divorce and has received a copy of her pension sharing order and wishes for it to be translated. 

The client is under the impression that she is being granted 100 per cent of her soon-to-be-ex-husband’s pension; however it transpires that the order only grants her death benefits. 

I send her on her way to speak to her solicitor to establish whether this is an error or if she is mistaken or misadvised. 

As with many divorces, her partner dealt with all the finances and she has not got a clue about this kind of thing, which is where we can help.

Various other meetings proceed during the day, followed by a theatre trip to ‘Les Mis’ in Liverpool.

Friday

I have a long morning meeting with a new client who has both financial advisory and accountancy-based needs.

One of the reasons I did the accountancy qualification was because the two professions are inextricably linked. An accountancy client will need regulated financial advice and vice versa.

In this case we will be dealing not only with PAYE, VAT and debt queries, but also mortgage and pension requirements.

Variety is the spice of life, even in the dull and dreary world in which we operate...

Mike Pendergast is independent financial adviser and managing director at Zen Financial

If you would like to write a week in your life as a financial  adviser, please contact:  melanie.tringham@ft.com

Mike Pendergast is independent financial adviser and managing director at Zen Financial. If you are interested in writing a Diary of an Adviser for us contact Ima Jackson-obot at ima.jacksonobot@ft.com