Why you're the hero of your life story

The names Edmund Hillary and Tenzing Norgay are synonymous with Mount Everest.

It’s nearly 70 years since the pair became the first to reach the peak of the world’s tallest mountain – a feat that’s testament to incredible endurance, skill and, above all, teamwork. 

Edmund Hillary was knighted for his achievement. And it’s been a source of contention ever since that Tenzing Norgay, a sherpa who was the most experienced climber on that expedition, never received the same level of recognition. 

For many years after though, whenever they were asked who got there first, the answer was always the same – they did it together.

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You’re the star

We’ve all seen a film where one of the supporting actors overshadows the main stars. Shakespeare in Love was a multi-Oscar winner, but the talking point more than 20 years later is definitely Judi Dench, who won her Academy Award for just eight minutes of screen time.

We know that you, our clients, are the heroes. Our job is to play the supporting role - helping you to get to where you want to be. Without Hillary, the intrepid explorer, nobody would have attempted the climb after George Mallory failed 30 years earlier. 

The difference this time was that Hillary had Tenzing by his side. Born in Khumbu, which lies near Mount Everest, Tenzing understood the mountain and had supported many failed expeditions as a porter. Hilary knew the knowledge Tenzing had built up over many years would make the difference in their attempt. He was right. 

That’s why you won’t find us making claims like ‘we’re the best financial planners, look at how great we are’. True, awards are nice to have, they can lend you a bit of credibility. But, ultimately, I now think they’re a bit of a distraction. 

Just like the company details you often find on the first page of a website - years of experience, types of qualifications and details of launch. This can often become meaningless. What matters most to our clients is knowing they’re working with someone who wants what’s best for them and their money.

Financial planning should make you feel like you’re the hero in your own story. Our job is to make sure everyone reaches their summit and returns to Basecamp safely. The minute it feels like you’re being upstaged by your supporting act – that’s when you know you’re with the wrong planner. 

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Giving your finances Momentum. How we support you

You’ll find yourself getting advice from many quarters at every stage in life. If you’re looking to buy a home, you’ll seek out a mortgage broker. Taxes? Find an accountant. Then there are solicitors, banks, and many other sources, formal and informal. It’s very rare that any of these are talking to each other, so having a financial planner that sees you as a the centre act helps everyone to see the big picture.

This year we’ll be talking more about Momentum, Barnaby Cecil’s new support service that we believe will give you even better joined-up advice and help you feel more in control of your financial future.

We’ve already created a wealth management system Navigate, our financial planning service WealthMap, alongside The App that lets you monitor your plan’s progress.

Momentum will give you access to our financial support hub, backed by our research team and a group of highly trained specialists. We’ll help you monitor your plan, using modern technology, reviewing your WealthMap plan and investments. 

And finally, we’ll be there for motivation and coaching. We’re only ever a phone call or text message away. At all times we’re there to make sure you’ve got full peace of mind. Stay tuned to find out more about Momentum in 2022.

Thinking back to Hillary and Tenzing, we can only imagine what it was like for them to stand at the top of the world, the first people ever to do so. 

For them, and the hundreds of expeditions that have come since, there’s always an unseen support team helping them reach the summit. Over 4,000 climbers have now reached the top of the world. 

That’s where we see ourselves as financial planners. Your guides behind the scenes, helping you achieve what you want from life, getting you to the summit so you can enjoy the view.