Tracey Board, co-founder of Raymond James Ribble Valley, advises on how you can achieve your dreams by having a tailored financial plan
I was really pleased to be nominated for the Women in Finance awards this year along with 767 women across 31 companies in the UK. These nominations celebrate the achievements of women working in financial services and aim to inspire and empower women to join an already dynamic sector that is constantly working to become more inclusive and accessible.
Financial Adviser of the year shortlist
So, you can imagine my delight when I was shortlisted as a finalist in the category of Financial Adviser of the year for the Northwest, along with seven other women.
As part of the process, I was asked to write a bio of my career and what makes me
a ‘stand out’ candidate. Many people in the area know that I am co-founder of Raymond James, Ribble Valley and have seen the business grow from a team of two – myself and the Branch Principal Wayne Hayhurst, when we were working on our kitchen tables back in 2010 –
to a team of 20 with the business buying the premises of the former Longridge NatWest Bank, during a time when the big corporations were, and continue to move away from face-to-face client relationships.
The longstanding relationships we have built In The local communities are at the heart of our success
Meeting Financial Goals
We have built our client relationships from the ground up, this has been through literally knocking on people’s doors, introducing ourselves and letting them know we were building a business in the Ribble Valley, to help people meet their financial goals. The longstanding relationships we have built in the local communities are at the heart of our success.
In my current role, I am responsible for business development and reaching a wide number of female business owners, professionals and investors to advise them and educate them on how to plan for their futures, arrange their assets and develop exit/retirement strategies.
I manage a large portfolio of clients, mainly females with the aim to ensure that they are on track to meet their financial goals, save tax and understand any shortfalls they have, or conversely, to give them the confidence that they can spend more, to live the life they truly desire.
Route 66 Moments
I am also there for support and guidance at vulnerable times, such as through divorce, when widowed or any drastic life changes. There was one particular instance in my career, that completely changed my outlook and made me realise how important my role is and that is my ‘Route 66’ moment.
It is so important for me to gain the trust of my clients and I become attached and involved in their lives. It had been one client’s lifelong dream to travel the Route 66 across America. They had the means to do this but not the mindset to spend or the confidence to eat into their savings. They had been ‘careful’ with money throughout their lives and ‘were not used to spending’ and as a result accumulated a large amount of wealth.
I would tell them to book the trip and explain that they could and should enjoy the hard-earned wealth they had amassed. Eventually, they did book the trip after a few years of procrastinating, and I was as delighted as them. The month before they were due to go, my client passed away from an aggressive form of cancer, it was heart-breaking. It was then that I realised it was my duty to ensure my clients got chance to take their ‘Route 66’ whatever that may be.
High-Tech Cashflow planning system
Our advice is not ‘finger in the wind stuff’, we have the technology via a state-of-the-art cashflow planning system, to be able to demonstrate to our clients exactly what they need to be saving and investing to fulfill their financial goals or how much extra my clients can spend year on year.
Team of Financial specialists
We have a team of in-house specialists, to help build our clients a tailored financial plan and bespoke investment portfolio, that is built around their individual goals and circumstances, whilst considering elements such as tax, annual allowances, current or future income needs, risk tolerance and risk required.
Nothing makes my job more than satisfying than working alongside my clients, helping them reach their life goals and living the life they dreamed. Please don’t hesitate to get in touch with me and the team at Raymond James for an initial consultation or simply to pick our brains.
You can imagine my delight when I was shortlisted as a finalist in the category of financial adviser of the year for the North West
