Blog

“Never be afraid to try something new. Remember, amateurs built the ark. Professionals built the Titanic.”  Amateur, competent, professional. The amateur always props up this list. Unfair. Amateurs bring energy, passion, and conviction into whatever they do. Put your money away, it’s just for fun. It’s the taking part that counts. Kids are great examples. Getting their help with gardening or painting can create mayhem, carnage. Secretly though, parents love to see them get … Continued

“Out of clutter, find simplicity. From discord, find harmony. In the middle of difficulty, lies opportunity.” – Albert Einstein.  We had our garage roof replaced last week. Not newsworthy I know, but it highlights the impact of what appears to be a simple decision – replacing a garage roof.   Discovery – finding out what is in the garage.   Reflection – why is it still in there?   Realisation – it’s all got to come out!   One of … Continued

‘Picky or Difficult’ – We Prefer ‘Picky’.  We think of ourselves as a people business, but how do we prove it? If people think of themselves as simply a number or item in a spreadsheet, then we’ve failed. The good news is that’s not what our clients tell us. Each year we participate in the largest global financial services client’s survey. It gives us priceless insight into what clients really think, value, and dislike about what … Continued

The only thing guaranteed in life is change… except from a vending machine!  During lockdown, my clothes began shrinking causing me to examine our washing machine for signs of tampering. So, I joined my lovely wife’s healthy eating regime. More vegetables, fruit and fish all cooked from fresh, raw ingredients, less red wine, more water, more exercise. A couple of months later I feel so much better – fitter, slimmer and with more energy.   Dietary habits are changing. Vegetarian roots go back to the formation … Continued

“When you change the way you look at things, the things you look at change.” – Max Planck Some people think the world can never change, but it depends how you look at it. Sometimes, perception eclipses fact. The Mercator Projection was created by Gerardus Mercator in 1569 and provides the map of the world … Continued

Kintsugi – the Japanese art of putting broken pottery pieces back together with gold in the belief that by embracing flaws and imperfections, you can create a stronger, more beautiful piece of art. It reflects much of what is going on right now. How do we make the best of things, will we ever get … Continued

Challenge: Explain (simply) recent market dynamics and possible outlook. So here goes. Recent regulation, the snappily titled MiFID 2, created the requirement for discretionary fund managers and advisers providing portfolio management services to inform clients if their portfolio value falls 10% or more during a quarterly reporting period. But to what purpose? For us the … Continued

We wanted to provide an insight into our behind-the-scenes thinking and planning as markets deal with the potential coronavirus (Covid-19) impact. We have been in contact with our investment partners to make sure we stay fully informed of their views and any plans they may have under consideration. The world is watching with concern the … Continued

‘Don’t let the tax tail wag the investment dog’ What does this mean to investors looking to maximise their enjoyment of life? What does it mean for you? I came across a prospective client recently who had a well funded pension, hundreds of thousands of pounds with a well known investment house. The only problem … Continued

I met a very impressive young man last week. His name is Daniel, he travelled to Scotland from Colorado Springs to speak at my church’s leadership conference, and he is the associate pastor of a church with a regular attendance of over 12,000 people. He presented a memorable series of talks displaying great wisdom, articulation, … Continued