Monday
The morning starts with some exercise with my three spaniels, who keep me fit and alert.
My wife Tonia heads off to her office and I spend half an hour catching up on overnight emails and looking at market/economic events before heading into the office. At the office I have a telephone meeting with an existing client to discuss his income and capital requirements for the coming months and how we will achieve these.
A quick bite to eat at the desk and then a meeting to hopefully agree the ‘go live’ date for our investment portal. This has been a significant software investment by the business, which will deliver great benefits to our clients.
Next, it is paperwork and report writing before heading home for a long dog walk.
Tuesday
It is an early start to get into the office and prepare for our quarterly board meeting. These meetings are a great way to step back and make sure the structure and focus on quality and development of the business is maintained.
We are also discussing the charities that Leodis Wealth will support over the next 12 months and the events we wish to sponsor.
Later, I head 20 miles south to meet a client and review his pension arrangements, which we have been managing during his working life and now he is in retirement.
Ensuring a comfortable standard of living with plenty of golf is the objective. It is a relatively early finish as they live only a few miles from me. So I take the opportunity to cook dinner – always beneficial to stay in the good books – enjoying a nice glass of Marlborough Sauvignon as I do.
Wednesday
I am out with the dogs ahead of an early start to go to Teesside and meet a couple who run a successful business. In 2003 I set up a small self-administered pension scheme for them and used this to buy their business premises, using capital and borrowings. The borrowings are long gone and today is a discussion about exit strategies from the business.
Arriving back at the office, it is straight into a meeting with our compliance manager to discuss the business’s annual compliance plan.
I get home with tomorrow’s paperwork and have time to go out for a few miles with the dogs, leaving the phone at home so that I can unwind.
Thursday
Today sees me heading to Cockermouth to meet a client who has dealt with Leodis since I joined, but has always had other investments elsewhere.
He had a large holding in his previous employer, which was pregnant with gains and has taken many years to diversify. Now we are discussing an investment strategy to complement the income he receives from the pension fund we manage on his behalf.
It is a very productive meeting and a beautifully scenic drive. I do love Cumbria and the variation in my work.
Later on, it is home to some emails and paperwork before walking the dogs and continuing to expand on my culinary repertoire.
Friday
This morning, I have a meeting at short notice with a law firm that introduces work to us. The firm has a new client it wants to introduce to me.
Friday afternoon I am back at the office to interview a potential new adviser. We are always in the market for quality advisers with great client relationships.
I have one last meeting to discuss sustainability plans. As a business we are keen to reduce the large amount of paper we are using and want to work out the best way we can do this. Then it is time for team drinks before we pack up for a much-deserved weekend.
Simon Cocking is a director of Leodis Wealth
