It seems that not a day goes by without hearing of another complaint in the press about appalling financial advice from the Banks.
You know the type of article. A couple in their 70s went to the Bank they have used for 40 years to invest their lifes savings. They asked for advice on a safe place to put their hard earned money, and the nice smiling salesperson showed them just the place for them.
Of course with the downturn in the market, it turns out that the £200,000 they invested is worth half that and the elderly couple are quoted as saying ‘We put our trust in our bank, and they have betrayed us’. This is accompanied by a picture of the couple looking into the camera looking bemused and sad.
It makes my blood boil…
Here’s a link to another piece on this subject.
It is very simple really; Banks do not deserve our trust. In fact, the whole culture of these corporate monsters is one of greed and a who cares attitude.
Of course they have been found out big time recently as to the obscene bonuses they pay themselves, but somehow I get the feeling that if we looked at them in 10 years time, we would still have these stories.
At the core of the problem is that Bankers (like MPs?) judge us by their own standards. I dont think words like integrity enters their heads. One of the best quotes I have seen on the definition of class (meaning decency) is:
‘Being able to, but choosing not to’.
But they can and they do!
When we take on a new client that we agree to work with, this word ‘trust’ is at the forefront of their thoughts. No matter how much we impress them at our first meeting, we know that we need to deliver.
I am proud to say that (the odd error aside!) we do deliver, and therefore earn the trust that has been shown in us and how we operate. We have many endorsements from clients on our website, and we are very proud of them.
Climbing down now from my hobby horse, I saw an article in a newspaper headed ‘Keep calm and carry on’. This was a poster from the Second World War, but it’s probably very apt for these times.
And so finally, I reached the end of my 50th birthday celebrations.
This was a visit to the Lake District last Saturday with two friends John & Paul. I had bought tickets for a very popular beer festival in Loweswater at the Kirkstile Inn.
Wow it was good!
The beer was excellent, and us blokes did bloke things like walking, eating and drinking and taking the you know what out of each other.
As we walked I was asked how my book was coming along about Robert The Bruce. I replied fine etc etc, and we got back to the B&B. Putting a kitty together for the evening, John, being Scots, put his Scottish £20 note in. On the back – a picture of The Bruce.
Then, on arriving at the marquee where the festival was, we sat ourselves down next to 3 people on the rough benches and looked at the selection of beers on the list. Getting talking to the these people, by the 4th half I think, the subject got around to hobbies and what we love doing. My book came up and of I went telling this stranger all about The Bruce and his life story.
He listened very patiently, and I got to a point where for the life of me I could not remember the name of a particular place where the Scots and English had a major skirmish.
‘O that was Glen Trool’ he said! I looked at him in amazement wondering how on earth he knew that. ‘Well’ he said, ‘I happen to teach this subject to my pupils as this period of history is my specialty’.
You could have knocked me down with a feather!
Coincidences, they seem to be all around.
