Diary of an Adviser: Alex Shaw

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Diary of an Adviser: Alex Shaw

Monday

The week begins, if I can, with me doing the school run – dropping-off my two and four-year-old to nursery and school.  

I am determined to try and be a dad who is of some domestic use to his family and not let the work-life balance disappear off the scales.

Then it is off to the east coast to meet a disabled client who has downsized to live beside the sea and wants to invest the proceeds for capital growth.

Due to a considerable medical negligence settlement, she has a significant inheritance tax liability to address. However, due to the nature of her settlement and condition, she still potentially requires access to her invested capital in future, so we need to strike a balance.

Attending the meeting with me is a colleague from Progeny Private Law to assist with the client’s estate planning needs. This is where the integrated Progeny approach gives our client a truly collaborative service.

Eventually I make it into the office around 2pm.

Monday ends with me arriving at home just in time to be thrust a freshly-bathed boy, who gets through one round of ‘There’s a Monster in Your Book’ by Tom Fletcher, before falling asleep with a big daddy cuddle.

Tuesday

The morning starts with a 9am meeting with the Leeds Community Foundation, to assess how Progeny can help them further.

Later on, I find myself looking at presentation boxes and pens, which will form part of a new client service proposition, in partnership with our Progeny Private Law colleagues. I sit on the Progeny Group board, with a specific responsibility for our marketing strategy.

Wednesday

Today brings a review meeting with some clients who are about to retire, so we are performing a full cash flow modelling exercise to ascertain how realistic their plans look.

At-retirement planning is my favourite part of my advisory role. I still regard it as a genuine privilege to be paid to assist people in planning the rest of their lives.

I finish later than usual as we have a 6pm meeting with our finance director to go through the month-end figures in preparation for Thursday’s management meeting. 

Thursday

Today starts with a client services committee meeting.

The big discussion point today is the rolling-out of the Progeny app – a key piece in the 21st century proposition jigsaw.

At Progeny we are always trying to think of ways technology can assist even one of the most traditional of professions – it needs to be embraced as our friend, not feared as our rival.

In the afternoon it is on to the monthly management meeting, where one of the key discussion points is the progress of our latest IFA acquisition targets.

Friday

In the morning I board the 06.18 train from Wakefield Westgate, bound for London Kings Cross and on to meetings.

The first is with our marketing partners, covering our plans and targets for 2019, along with putting the finishing touches to our winter conference and Christmas celebration, where all Progeny senior employees and fee-earners will be gathered to have an informative, but fun, day and evening. 

I leave London earlier than usual, as I have a very important appointment at my son’s nursery for a pie-and-pea social event (this is Yorkshire).

I end the working week as I began it, doing that most important of jobs: being plain-old dad.

Alex Shaw is a director of Progeny Wealth

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