Why do I do what I do?
You may wonder what motivates a financial planner? This is part of my story. Down to my parents not making plans!….
Why Financial Planning?
Veronica originally trained as a building surveyor, before moving into Financial Services as an Adviser in 1994. The decision to make this move came about some time after the death of her parents, when she saw how beneficial it would have been for them to have put plans in place with Inheritance Tax in mind. They probably didn’t know what arrangements could be made, or perhaps simply thought they’d get around to it in time, but knowing how hard they’d worked all their lives to provide for their family, Veronica was certain they wouldn’t have been thrilled that the tax man claimed around a third of their estate. It brought home to her, that even the well-educated and seemingly canny, may not take what could be very simple steps, to reduce this tax liability.
In the Family
When her parents died, Veronica and her sister had to take over the family firm, although she was still working as a Surveyor. The company had initially specialised in end grain block paving, high quality parquet floors for prestige buildings such as the Houses of Parliament. Her father and his team had also developed an innovative anti-skid surface, which laid on roads, bridges, (including Tower Bridge), and on factory floors, proved highly successful safety improvement. Safety and care run in the family.
New Directions
When they sold the business, Veronica took time out to bring up her family, before launching her Financial Services career with Royal Sun Alliance in 1990. She then joined an independent firm, before setting up her own company. In 2014, on retirement of her fellow director, she moved herself and her clients to Facts and Figures, which later merged with another firm to become Talis Independent financial advisers, enabling her to spend more time on the work she enjoys and values – advising clients on optimising assets, limiting liabilities and putting in place financial peace of mind.
