Having your cake and eating it

Adrian Kidd, an adviser for Unleash Advice Partnership, spends his week on the golf course, studying for his upcoming Long Term Care exam and eating the best carrot cake he has ever tasted. Meanwhile, in the office he speaks to several new clients as well as investigating new business opportunities

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Monday

Up at 5.30am today as I have a very important day - playing golf. I am playing with a client who has been on my books for a few years and I also deal with his brother and sister. The day is paid for by his corporate membership. I have some contact details of the club also as it could be a great place for a future seminar. We play 36 holes and the GPS on the buggy is not working in the morning so I do not play that well, especially as it is the first time I am seeing the course. Then it is a spot of lunch followed by another 18 in the afternoon where I play five below my handicap so pretty happy and all in all a fantastic day out.

Tuesday

My boiler broke yesterday so I am on the phone to one of my clients to see if he can help me out. I have someone over later on and order the part, with the labour it will only cost me £175 which is a real result.

It is another early morning, starting at 6.30am today but only to comply with a study plan I have. I am taking my Long Term Care exam in October, and with only a few weeks to get fully prepared I am studying before work. I deal with some calls and emails before heading off to a meeting with a client who works at Merill Lynch. We discuss the recent turmoil. We are on his way to his home as his wife's grandmother has some money saved in various places and some investments he feels may be inappropriate. It turns out she has a substantial sum and some stuff that is not suitable. As she is 86, we need to take this slowly and I do a non-invasive factfind and discuss with all parties what the money should be used for and what is required from it, if anything. It is a great meeting that ends up with me being fed and watered and his maid makes the best carrot cake I have ever tasted

Wednesday

I have two new enquires today that have turned into appointments. One for the potential equity release on a house worth £1.5m and another for a remortgage. I also speak to a girl I have lectured previously and I agree to help her with her CeFA papers as she says the teacher is "no way as good as I am". Always nice to hear. Also, she gave me some business last month which was extremely profitable for the clients and for me and she will be a good advocate for my business so it is worth the efforts.

Thursday

I get shown two opportunities today that could really add value to my business. One is highly niche that I will not discuss here but it could be a fantatsic way to be dealing with solely high income earners. The other is an opportunity to provide financial planning in an existing business in an affluent part of the country outside London. I look at the merits of these and the work and money that is required to make them work. I also designed a mail shot that is being sent away for compliance approval that I intend to mail out in the coming weeks locally. In the evening I go to the cinema with a friend and have a Nandos - credit crunch and all that.

Friday

Up at 6.30 am to do my revision, slightly ahead of schedule. I have a lot of my weekend mapped out around studying and running as weather is supposed to be great.

The boiler man is due today, so no more jugs of hot water from the kettle or wearing eight layers of clothes inside.

I have lots of paperwork to do today and I submit the last two weeks of business that I have done. I also have time set aside on Saturday to look at the possibilites for two investment clients, both of whom have in excess of £200,000 in cash. I get the nod from compliance about my postcards and put in the order to the printers. I also await the answers on two complex mortgage cases that a year ago would have sailed through. Hoping for an affirmative on both, which will be decent for me and the clients as despite the turmoil in property markets as they are looking to invest significantly in next six to months.

I also get my pre-approval through for my mortgage in France for a development I am buying in Evian with my best friend which is involved in leaseback. Should be good returns as the rent will cover the mortgage after year two, with the guarantee lasting for 12 years which should see some capital growth on the investment. Also buy some Diaego as a leveraged bet, having looked at it over last day or so as a defensive play against some of my other positions. Have not lost any money this week trading, so not bad at all.

Adrian Kidd is an adviser for Unleash Advice Partnership

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