Only freedom will do

Tilly_MFW_in_6_YRS

Evening Mr E, sorry to hear you're feeling a bit low. I imagine it's a collection of everything - work, new baby, wanting to provide etc etc.

I've only seen two IFA - the latest one drove me mad, but did give good advice. The previous one, who we met at our home, I told to leave.

Introvert vs extrovert is such a can of worms - neither one is better than the other. I would much rather listen to someone who thinks before they speak, is clear and direct, not full of sales waffle. I would be much happier to pay for sound advice, if I could see that someone had put a considered range of products forward, which met my needs.

Don't be downhearted, sleep well (Miss Juliet, please give mum and dad a good night) and pencil in some time to do career research. Courses, costs. Could you join a company where this training would be provided?

Best wishes Tilly x x

AlexLK

Ed, you are doing very well to be thinking about your finances and career at all given that you have a small baby. If it makes you feel any better when my son was your daughter's age, my wife and I could think about nothing other than getting through to the next day. She was on maternity leave and still in quite a bit of pain. I could hardly cope with getting out of bed, never mind running my business, my parents were paying the mortgage and some of our other bills, as well as sometimes even coming around to cook for us. To be honest, our life was an utter shambles for that first year. Therefore, I don't think it's unreasonable for me to say you are doing really well.

As for the potential career change, I think you may be thinking about the "financial advisors" that people come across in banks? I think you'd make a good IFA and plenty of decent ones are not the "car salesman" types. Whilst I have never dealt with one personally, my parents have and I have briefly spoken to one on my parents' behalf on a few occasions who doesn't seem of the shouty extrovert ilk.

edinburgher

Tilly_MFW_in_6_YRS wrote: »

Don't be downhearted, sleep well (Miss Juliet, please give mum and dad a good night) and pencil in some time to do career research. Courses, costs. Could you join a company where this training would be provided?

Not too much sleep, I had the 'Saturday lie in', Mrs E and I have got into a great routine of getting one morning 'off' a week. Feeds at 03:00 and 06:00 for me, she's currently grumbling in her little chair. I adore the sleeping grin that follows a quiet 'it's ok!' in her ear with a kiss on the forehead, she has inherited my smile :A

The training options are probably quite varied, but I have made a conscious decision to try and self-fund for at least a few modules to show willing. Even 'trainee' roles require some experience, so I need to get over that hurdle somehow. In addition, I want to get a feel for the subject before talking to recruiters etc. If I don't enjoy it (I think I will), I'd rather waste £££ than end up in another crappy job on far less money.

Goldiegirl wrote: »

But that wasn't the worse thing. Everytime his mobile rang, the person on the other end would ask how he was, and he'd boom 'I'm fantastic'! He was so bumptious, I'd pass the time imagining setting about him with a baseball bat.:rotfl:

Goldie, it makes me feel eminently sane to hear someone as balanced and respectable as yourself considering physical violence. My equivalent would be the small gong that is struck every time our call centre meet their targets. Yes, cliches are the order of business :rotfl:

AlexLK wrote: »

As for the potential career change, I think you may be thinking about the "financial advisors" that people come across in banks? I think you'd make a good IFA and plenty of decent ones are not the "car salesman" types. Whilst I have never dealt with one personally, my parents have and I have briefly spoken to one on my parents' behalf on a few occasions who doesn't seem of the shouty extrovert ilk.

Alex, I think my view has been coloured by the fact that the IFA I know best is (while caring and dedicated to their family), a bit of a spiv. Think shiny clothes, boasting, BTL, general showoffery

Basically, all I need is the confidence that I know the topic. As Mrs E has pointed out, a lot of my concerns at the moment are related to the fact that I am not interested in the world of IT. This makes me guilty and makes me doubt myself. It's a different ballgame when I am comfortable with the subject matter.

A bit of study will no doubt help me get into the groove. As I have discussed with Mrs E, the only way to ensure that my plan fails is to do nothing about it through fear of failure!

Sunday looks a lot brighter

gallygirl

edinburgher wrote: »

I have been hatching a plan to start studying with the aim of re-training as a financial planner

You've just had a baby and your brain is capable of hatching plans? Mucho respect .

AlexLK wrote: »

If it makes you feel any better when my son was your daughter's age, my wife and I could think about nothing other than getting through to the next day.

^^^ That is the norm for a few months old. I've no doubt Ed you're living in a state of sleep deprived lunacy most of the time - there is a 'look' you'll come to recognise in other new dads - a kind of hungover, startled, can't quite drag your brain into the present look :rotfl:.

Are you talking about being an IFA? If that's the case then you would be perfect - why on earth would anyone want a brash and loud IFA? I want an IFA who listens quietly then goes off to think about what has been said and plans accordingly on my behalf, not someone who comes waltzing in knowing in advance which of his 'great' products he's intending on flogging.

I've only seen two IFA's - one was good but gave up soon after seeing me (entirely unrelated I'm sure ), the other sold me the product I wanted but I knew more about statutory redundancy pay than he did (a bit worrying as it was redundancy cover I was looking for and I'd done around 15 minutes research!).

Don't sell yourself short Ed. Why do you think people on here have been suggesting this for months?

elantan

Hey Ed,

Just catching up, you have a lot going on just now dont ya ?

Can I book as your first customer when you qualify?

MyBestJumper

Hi Ed,

I'm gonna come out of lurkdom. I've read through your full diary over the course of the past few weeks and what an interesting and informative read it's been.

Firstly, congratulations on the birth of Juliet. Beautiful name. So thrilled all is going well.

Sorry to hear too that work is so completely carp for you. I know that feeling very well and don't envy you one bit. Fwiw, and to add my voice to the general chorus, I think you'd make an awesome financial planner. I may not understand everything you've written on this thread but you have certainly gone a long way to demystifying things and making me realise both that I can understand investments etc (as in it's not some dark art) but more specifically what the gaps in my knowledge are and the questions I need to ask. I'm currently having a revolution in thinking and it's partly down to you so no selling yourself short please

Oh, this conversation was ages back but I'm another INFJ, there seem to be a few of us.

Best of luck with the plans, you've got a lot of people on your side

elantan

MyBestJumper wrote: »

Hi Ed,


Oh, this conversation was ages back but I'm another INFJ, there seem to be a few of us.

Best of luck with the plans, you've got a lot of people on your side

Apparently we are the smallest group, I somehow doubt that ... or maybe its because we all like the same stuff so can be found in the same online places

Secret_Saving_Squirrel

Everyone else has said it all, but I hope things look brighter tomorrow and you are doing brilliantly. Not many of your age even think about the future. X

edinburgher

I'm currently having a revolution in thinking and it's partly down to you

Excellent, I hope it is bloodless!

Seanymph

Time for me to pipe in:

1) You don't have to do anything for a couple of months you know, if you don't want to. You have just had a baby. It's perfectly ok to just sit and look at her for a while, and organise your life in a week or so. I know you are a fella and feel all that 'must provide' motivation - but truly, if you just sit with your Mrs and littley for a while everything will sill work out ok. Be gentle with yourself.

2) My ex FIL is in finance. Proper pukka 'In Finance'. And I personally wouldn't trust him to pay the milkman. He does very nicely thankyouverymuch. But he even got one of his departments to sell the wrong product to my ex husband, which cost us money, but made more for the company! Blokes an !!!!. IF I had enough money to need to use a professional that whole cigar smoking champagne before dinner bumptious !!!! would be the last person I'd want to walk off with any portion of my hard earned money.

I don't see how NOT being him can be a bad thing?

Sure there were idiots lining up to be fleeced by him (famous, rich AND stupid) - but there must be a market for the thinking individual who wants to be treated with respect.

I don't know why I just raved about him - but the last thing you need to do is emulate what others are doing. You need to do something they aren't.