Towards the end of June I had the pleasure of attending a special conference for dads. The purpose was to help equip each other to be better in our role as parents.

Over many years the big insurance and investment companies have been portraying retirement as one big vacation where sensible savers can play golf or lounge about on sandy beaches, living their retirement dreams.

I went to a financial seminar recently and on returning to the car park at the end of the day, the number of fancy cars got me thinking about measuring success and whether the Financial Planning community is as bad at coveting material things to demonstrate success, as some of our clients are.

When I was considering what to write for my column, I thought you might be interested in hearing about the “No Spend Challenge” at Magenta.

Another year arrives and with it another opportunity to gear up your business for spectacular client service; sensational staff engagement; brilliant personal fulfilment; clarification and targeting of some amazing goals and dreams as well as turning in a splendid profit.

If I had a penny for every time someone asked me how I got into financial services I would be pretty rich by now.

What is CPD? According to the Personal Finance Society: “Continuing Professional Development (CPD) is activity undertaken to ensure members' skills and knowledge are up-to-date.”

Last year I read an article offering some advice to millennials from a millionaire, “if you want to buy a house, stop buying avocado toast.” Thank you Tim Gurner. I don’t think I’ve ever had avocado toast and I am yet to be a homeowner. 

Here we are again looking at the annual review from the Financial Ombudsman Service of complaints they have received and dealt with in 2017-18.

When I was growing up, my parents often told me: “It’s not what you know, it’s who you know”.

Although still in the early stages of my career, the people I have worked with, or met in the industry have been central to my development.