Happy New Year! I hope you had a lovely Christmas break.
We have now turned our back on 2021 which proved to be another strange year. It felt like a year of a few steps back towards normality sprinkled with the odd step backwards. At least we appear to have started more positively with no lockdown and the schools still open. Fingers crossed it continues!
A brief look back
Last year was (perhaps surprisingly) a good year for global stock markets. The FTSE 100 rose 18.44% in 2021 whilst global stock markets (as measured by the MSCI World index) rose 22.94%. The exception to the rule was emerging markets which had a tough year.
The worrying trend is the inflation line which is creeping upwards. I have written about this recently here. Recently, the Bank of England has raised interest rates to try and counteract inflation increases. It will be interesting to see how this develops. In the meantime, the gap between interest available on cash deposits and inflation is growing. As a result, be wary of holding too much in cash…
Our business
In terms of our business, we have had a very good year. Some highlights include…
- Natalie starting as a client administrator. She has already shown to be a real asset to the business and I look forward to seeing how she develops herself and the role.
- Being voted onto the Personal Finance Society (PFS) expert practitioner panel. This is a voluntary three year term aimed at improving the delivery of financial planning in the UK through the sharing of best practice.
- Qualifying for the VouchedFor Top Adviser Guide 2022.
We have also taken on a nice steady stream of clients that fit the profile of those we work best with. We are continuing to build our business very intentionally to maximise the value to our clients, as well as ensuring our staff can live their best life too.
The year ahead
As with any year, it is impossible to predict what markets will do over the next 12 months. One thing is for certain, there will be good times and bad. Our job will be to manage the risks our clients are exposed and ensure that their financial plans and investment portfolios are managed efficiently and in support of the life they want to live.
Clear Vision in 2022
What about us? After a good 2021, I am equally as positive about the coming year!
We are focused on continuing to build our business in the right way, with a focus on quality and value. We will continue trying to deliver a valuable client experience for our clients and finding ways to ensure our clients are making smart decisions with their money.
We are looking to roll out a new back office system in the first half of 2022 which should help us with our operational efficiency.
We will continue to be flexible in terms of meetings. If you would prefer to meet face to face, we will try to be as Covid safe as possible. However, we will continue to offer virtual meetings if you prefer.
For those of you who have referred friends and family to us in the last 12 months, I’d like to give a huge thank you for trusting us enough to introduce us. It means a lot to me. We will be looking to help a number of new client families this coming year.
Whatever the next 12 months has in-store, we will be here to support, guide, encourage and work in partnership with our clients to ensure they remain able to live the life they want without any money worries.
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