It was great to see so many of you at the IFP Annual Conference last month. For me, catching up with people is what it's all about and my head was buzzing by the end of it! I'm now looking forward to the Scottish Conference on 18 November in the lovely Radisson Blu hotel in Edinburgh. It's a smaller event than the one we enjoyed at the Celtic Manor, but no less entertaining and with a great line up of speakers and delegates which always give it such a unique atmosphere. The content is new and refreshing, culminating in an emotional story of the triumphs and tragedies of climbing Mount Everest. If you're attending, I look forward to seeing you there. By the time you read this you may already be attending or have come and if so I hope you found it of great value.
I'm sure it hasn't escaped your attention but starting on 24 November is the sixth Financial Planning Week campaign. Financial Planning is what we're all about. It's not just the IFP team at Redcliff Street in Bristol that should be out there spreading the message, it's all of us. So, I'm here to encourage every one of you to get involved in some way, to help get the Financial Planning message out to the general public and be as BIG, BOLD and SUCCESSFUL as we can. After all, the more people know about Financial Planning, the more likely they are to contact Financial Planners for advice. You may or may not recall, but one of my personal 'missions' is to make Financial Planning available to everyone and not just the wealthy.
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Financial Planning week is for everyone. It encourages those with more complex needs to seek professional help. It offers others the facility to ask questions and get help and guidance that they wouldn't normally have access to. But in my mind, one of the most important benefits is imparting knowledge for people to help themselves. Basic Financial Planning doesn't need to be offered by a CFPCM professional, much as sometimes we would like to feel we are indispensable! During Financial Planning Week we can really make a difference to people's lives. Information on where to start, what they need to include in their budgets, how to plan ahead and tips on simple things people can do to improve their finances lie at the heart of what Financial Planning Week is about. Could you offer a few hours to open your doors to the public and run free Financial Planning surgeries? If so then let us know. We can support you with marketing help, put you in touch with others if it can form part of a larger event, or any other help, just ask. And remember, it's not one way traffic. This is the best opportunity we have to boost our own marketing initiatives and promote what we do too. The eyes and ears of the media and the country are on us more than at any other time during the year so let's make the most of it!
Rebecca Taylor FIFP, CFP^cm
IFP President Institute of Financial Planning