The weekly Diary of an Adviser has been going for as long as I can remember, and is one of the most well-read features in the newspaper.
While the more important features might appear further up the newspaper, many readers turn to the weekly slot out of some curiosity to see what their rivals and colleagues are up to. Although clearly no breach of client confidentiality takes place, many advisers might recognise the misguided clients who had to be put back on the straight and narrow, or the providers who refused to deal with an adviser's query.
The format has stayed more or less the same over the years, with perhaps the exception of the column's name change from 'Diary of an IFA' following the Retail Distribution Review.
Many advisers choose to put in something from their personal life, discussing how they fit financial advising into their life of school runs and dog walks, as well as, for many, networking breakfasts and after-work drinks.
Perhaps the most controversial aspect is the amount of exercise some advisers claim to do. In one memorable submission, in one five- day week, the adviser engaged in two sessions of Spartan training and two additional pre-office personal sessions at the gym. On this occasion, I did ring the adviser to check with him, and he insisted it was true.
Melanie Tringham is features editor of Financial Adviser
