End of year reflections

With Christmas and New Year just around the corner, I’ve been taking some time to reflect on everything that’s happened in 2024. Perhaps you’ve been doing the same? It’s always valuable to pause and consider how far we’ve come, the lessons we’ve learned, and the moments - big and small - that have shaped the past 12 months.

It’s been a busy year here at Malvern Financial Planning, and I can’t thank you all enough for joining me on the journey. Without further ado, here are just a few end-of-year reflections from the last 12 months.

Growing the Malvern team

Many of you will have experienced firsthand the rollercoaster of emotions that come with running your own business - every day brings new challenges. Building a team can be particularly tricky, but I’m pleased to say it’s been one of this year’s highlights.

I was delighted to welcome my former colleague Nicole back. She’s unwaveringly focused, calmly efficient, and has a tremendous attention to detail. Having worked together in the past, I knew everything would immediately be safe in her hands.

We’ve also welcomed Oscar, who joined us after graduating in Maths from Birmingham University this summer. He’s jumped into the world of financial planning with genuine enthusiasm. It’s been great to see his confidence and skills grow already.

Many of you will know my longstanding colleague Lavinia, a trusted friend and team member who I’ve worked with for over 15 years. She’s been a great help this year but has moved on to launch her own financial advice practice. While I miss her as my right-hand lady, I can’t wait to see what she accomplishes next.

Coaching the next generation

Taking part in the Personal Finance Society’s Education Champions initiative has been another 2024 highlight. Financial education is something I think we all agree is important.

I’ve held a number of outreach sessions in local schools this year and I hope to help more young people to build money confidence in 2025.

I’ve run sessions covering credit and debt, financial scams, and moving on from school, and it’s been fascinating to see how interested the teenagers can be on everyday money matters. I hope I’ve planted a few seeds of curiosity in those who might find financial services an interesting career in the future.

Professional development

Being a good student is equally important to me as being an effective teacher, so learning and development has played an important role in my career this year. I’m delighted to share that I achieved a distinction in the STEP Certificate for Financial Services (Trusts and Estate Planning).

I’ve been helping clients to manage their estates for several years now, but this qualification gives me external recognition. It also helps to support what will no doubt prove to be an even more important part of financial planning following the recent changes in the Budget to pensions and inheritance tax legislation.

Saying goodbye

We unfortunately said some heartfelt goodbyes to some clients this year. It’s my responsibility to help clients protect their families, plan their retirement, and build a tax-efficient estate, so it’s inevitable that I’ll lose some of these clients over the course of my career. When that happens, I’ll usually work closely with their family members to act upon their lost loved one’s wishes and build on their legacy.

Of course, no policy, trust, or treasured family heirloom will take away the pain of losing a relative or friend. I just hope that by preparing for a client’s death when they’re very much alive we can make life that little bit easier for those left behind. With less paperwork, fewer emails, and phone calls back-and-forth to solicitors, my clients’ loved ones can hopefully focus on taking care of one another and honouring the person they lost.

Looking to the future

I’m feeling optimistic about the year ahead and I hope you feel the same. Malvern has aways been my home, my office is less than a mile from where I went to school, which means that many of you aren’t just my clients, you’re my neighbours too. With so many of you living and working just a stone’s throw away from my home and office, I feel privileged to be in a position to serve our community.

The work I do isn’t just about numbers, spreadsheets or budgets. It’s about your goals, challenges, and the people or passions that get you out of bed each morning to do what you do best.

What drives me is a desire to help my wonderful community take control of their finances and use their money for good.

I hope you’ll have experienced this mindset first hand during our meetings, calls and emails, even if we’ve not been working together for long.

Thanks again for being part of this year’s journey. I’m looking forward to catching up with those of you I’ve not seen for a while and continuing to support you in 2025.

And finally, a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!

Eugénie

Please note: The value of investments and any income from them can fall as well as rise. You may not get back the full amount invested. Past performance is used as a guide only; it is no guarantee of future performance. This post is for information purposes and does not constitute financial advice, which should be based on your individual circumstances.

Photo: The river Severn at Worcester on a very frosty morning with St Andrew's church.

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