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Do You Suffer Number Shame?

Dominic Thomas 
Post written: March 2026  •  Published: June 2026
2 min read

Do You Suffer Number Shame?

I was buying food the other day and the bill was significantly more than I was expecting, I couldn’t believe how much it cost – my initial thought was “that’s expensive” but then realised there was an error. It turned out that the bill had included someone else’s food. However our waiter hadn’t realised and so I politely asked it to be checked. He noticed the problem. He then went away, returning with the machine again, but it was still wrong – it was too little. I’m not someone to take advantage of this, so I said that it was still wrong and explained why. We got there in the end.

This all came about for two reasons, firstly reliance on technology (that it’s always correct) this is probably due to our constant use and reliance on technology, for most of us that’s our phone. You will recall perhaps the most obvious data error that ruined the lives of Post Office submasters, who adamantly claimed that their numbers were correct, but the Fujitsu Horizon system, the Post Office, the legal system and then the Government said otherwise. It has taken far too long for this to be acknowledged and corrected – it’s still not resolved.

Secondly, mental maths is not most people’s strong point, most of us don’t check bills carefully, we don’t wish to appear pedantic, ‘tight’ or expose our mathematical ability. This is usually experienced when attempting to split the bill at a restaurant. Of course, there’s an app for that, but invariably this is only a case of dividing by two or three.

There has been growing concern about financial literacy, money is complicated and not understanding it has a lot of significant issues. These can be sufficiently explained and understood, but only really if there is willingness to learn. Money literacy is fairly limited if basic understanding of maths isn’t in place and this may be due to actual problems learning about numbers and/or the feelings we have about not understanding and the shame or embarrassment that can prevent us from attempting to do so. It’s fundamental that we can learn and encourage from a place of not knowing, without shame.

One of my lasting memories of primary school was during a maths lesson. This was decades ago in the 70s. I was 7 or 8, in a small village school. As we completed our sums, we queued at our Teacher’s desk to get our work marked. I was good at maths. I took my workbook to have it marked and was surprised at the red cross that was made against one of the answers. “Do it again”.  I returned to my seat, puzzled over the question, failing to see how I had got it wrong. I couldn’t and I wrote down the same answer. Nervously I returned again to the small queue of classmates. This time she got angry, “no that’s wrong! Do it again!” this process continued for perhaps another 2 or 3 times, each time I became more upset (as did she) and each time I presented the same answer. There was no attempt to explain where I had gone wrong. Eventually it occurred to her to do so and, in a moment of embarrassment, she realised that my answer was in fact correct and she apologised and gave me a sweet to cheer up the little boy who had since become tearful.

These moments last with us, for me it knocked my confidence considerably, it probably became foundational in my lack of trust of authority, but for whatever psychological reason, it made maths an endurance; associated with anger, failure and misunderstanding.

Clearly I have enough confidence to be able to be a financial planner. I went on at secondary school to take my Maths O’Level and AO’Level two years early, so I was decent at it by then, but the truth is that this early experience shaped things. In truth even then, she was a very “old school” feared teacher who wasn’t warm or engaging, but had to be experienced in the three classroom progression of a tiny rural village school.

Here is a clip from a film I really enjoy, Hidden Figures (2016), a moment of understanding:

Hidden Figures (2016) Directed by Theodore Melfi, Starring Taraji P Henson, Octavia Spencer and Janelle Monae. Produced by Fox 2000 Pictures

The FT have launched a financial literacy campaign with videos. It’s aimed at everyone – children and those who teach them as well as resources for adults. It’s worth checking out, if not helpful to you, perhaps to someone you know.

When I remember to say it, (regrettably not always) I am keen to reassure you and particularly any new clients that there are no daft questions. That our “room” whether physical or virtual, is a safe space for you to be you and ask the questions that you are nervous or even embarrassed to ask. Truly, I don’t get phased by questions, I may not have a satisfactory answer or perhaps not have one at all, but to me there is no judgement about a question. It is also my role to make things clear, so if I haven’t I need to do the work better or differently. So can I please reiterate that here and now.

There are no daft questions, you aren’t expected to know everything about money, or to be honest, terribly much. We all have different talents and experience, mine is trying to help you make sense of it, in the way a childhood hero Johnny Ball used to make maths alive in his “Think of a Number” show. Here he is

BBC Archives. Think of a Number (1977-1984)

References:

The Post Office Scandal: https://www.postofficescandal.uk/

Financial Times Literacy and Inclusion Campaign (FLIC): https://ftflic.com/

Johnny Ball Think of A Number: https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m001fy15

Hidden Figures (2016): https://www.imdb.com/title/tt4846340/  

What we do: https://www.solomonsifa.co.uk/what-we-do/

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Do You Suffer Number Shame?2026-06-19T15:52:32+01:00

How About Some Actual Intelligence?

Dominic Thomas
Post written: March 2026  •  Published: June 2026
2 min read

How About Some Actual Intelligence?

It’s evident to anyone who has ever read a book without pictures, that the majority of world leaders are some of the most inept and corrupt people available from the 8.3 billion alive. There is a category of small-town fool that used to be the exception rather than the rule. Yet, here we are, all older, wiser, more politically aware of our choice of words and yet the United States is run by some of the most foolish people to self-identify as ‘leaders’. What I am always surprised by is the way that they are believed, followed and adored.

I know a number of you have enjoyed the deliberately slow pace of a barge holiday and some even own one, so I thought I’d share a true story that I learned recently which highlights the condition of blind faith.

A man had planned a family holiday on a barge, he had done some investigation into his route using ChatGPT (software) about the vessel, the route and the locks that he would encounter. He met with Ben, a young man who has been working on barges for some time and despite his youth was skilled in operating, maintaining and repairing a barge and was very familiar with the local canal network.

The man, wishing to display his newfound knowledge, asked about the route to the beautiful Roman city and drew attention to a stretch of five locks along the way. This seemed to make him anxious about the additional “work” and delay that it would cause him. Ben reassured him that it would take far longer, two days longer, to reach the first lock and this would be a small challenge, easily mastered and this would provide him ample confidence to tackle each of the remaining locks which were very similar and actually many hours and in some cases days apart.

He would not accept the young expert’s advice or reassurance, preferring to draw out his mobile phone and asking it for advice to go in the other direction. Ben listened, aghast at the nonsense that ChatGPT provided, listing obstacles and warnings that were in either in the wrong order or completely false. The man would not listen, choosing to rely on and believe the accuracy of his own ‘pocket expert’. Despite protestation and warning, Ben reluctantly bid him and his family farewell as they set off confidently in the wrong direction for their week long barge holiday.

In this age of individualism, it seems that many are happier turning to the ‘expertise’ of artificial intelligence, and placing a high degree of trust and confidence in the output. They fail to appreciate that artificial intelligence is largely pattern recognition software, cobbling together stolen (“scraped”) information from the web. We have begun to see the errors of this within financial planning already. Of misplaced faith in the ‘answers’ and lack of real understanding of the risks involved, creating a disastrous combination of confidence (and fear) in all the wrong elements. This is not simply going to create a minor delay or deviation, but a completely different result from the one intended, both much more expensive and disappointing.

Your financial plan is unique to you, based on your values, resources, skills and desired outcomes. This is what we have trained for, what we do all day long and have gained decades of experience at; meeting and helping countless people all trying to navigate their own financial journey. We may not be physically with you throughout every inch of your journey, but our skill is helping plot it, course correct, maintain and refuel, knowing when to put to harbour and when to set sail, to assess the conditions sensibly to minimise anxiety rather than to watch you head off in the wrong direction because of something you heard on the news, in the paper, online, in the pub or around your dining table or worse, from your phone. Beware of artificial intelligence, embrace and seek actual intelligence, or expertise, in a world that is complex.

References:

The Limitations of ChatGPT with Emily Bender: https://www.radicalai.org/chatgpt-limitations

The AI Con by Emily Bender: https://www.worldofbooks.com/en-gb/products/ai-con-book-emily-m-bender-9781847928610

Canals of Britain: https://canalrivertrust.org.uk/canals-and-rivers

History of Britains Canals: https://www.historic-uk.com/HistoryMagazine/DestinationsUK/The-Canals-of-Britain/

Inland Waterways Charity: https://waterways.org.uk/about-us/the-charity

What is financial planning: https://www.solomonsifa.co.uk/what-we-do/

Refer us: https://www.solomonsifa.co.uk/refer-us/

World Population: https://www.worldometers.info/world-population/

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How About Some Actual Intelligence?2026-06-17T19:02:39+01:00

High Clandon Vineyard – putting some quality fizz into your retirement

Dominic Thomas
Post written: May 2026  •  Published: May 2026
3 min read

High Clandon Vineyard – putting some quality fizz into your retirement.

There are lots of approaches to retirement.  One that certainly captures the imagination is the course that has been charted by Bruce and Sibylla Tindale who in 2003 decided to move from Cobham to East Clandon, opposite National Trust property Hatchlands Park with magnificent views of London. They bought an equestrian property, which had development potential and it was hoped that the surrounding grounds would fulfil Sibylla’s desire to create a garden from a blank canvas.  Sibylla was initially met with problematic chalk soil, however she quickly recognised that this problem was an opportunity (a common trait for entrepreneurs). They had the land, soil, geology and weather for a small English vineyard. Originally from the Constantia Valley in South Africa, this was a challenge that she was ready for.

They set about establishing an acre of vines, with friends helping to plant Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and Pinot Meunier, the combination used in Champagne. At the time, English sparkling wine was in its infancy but starting to make an impact. Today they produce between 1,800 and 2,500 bottles each season. There is a very obvious emphasis on quality, artisanal expertise, patience and thoughtfulness, which is drawn from both of their careers in London – Bruce, who eventually ran PA Consulting and Sibylla who worked at Unilever. As a result, they have picked up a stack of awards and Sibylla is one of the five founder members to develop local Vineyards, helping form the Vineyards of the Surrey Hills.

If you haven’t tried English Cuvee, which is the finest champagne without the ability to use the term, you have missed an opportunity, which I would encourage you to correct. Laid down for four years or more, the High Clandon Cuvee goes toe to toe with some of the greatest Champagnes from Taittinger or Moet & Chandon. Indeed, much like The Paris Judgement (1976) 50 years ago, a blind taste between French and American, Sibylla formed “The Battle of Waterloo – Battle of the Bubbles!” a challenge between the French Champagnes and the English. You can join the blind taste testing event with Oz Clarke at the vineyard.

Bruce and Sibylla tend the vines themselves, this is their passion and skill, both having studied wine extensively at Plumpton College in Sussex, not far from Lewes. The Cuvees are as individual as each year, and named thoughtfully to reflect their tones. The most recent Borealis reflects the fortnight in 2024 when Surrey was treated to several nights of nature’s display.

High Clandon also has a rather magical wood where the Perigord truffle has been found, in fact the estate currently claims the largest single truffle find in England at 604g. Sibylla and her delightful cocker spaniels Persephone and Juno are avid truffle hunters having had training in Italy and, as you may imagine, this adds to the experience of a wonderful time at High Clandon.

The Tindales have created a magnificent business from their passions, building upon a lifetime together since University. Their estate has an incredible wildflower meadow which encourages rare blue butterflies and plenty of honey bees. It is full of sculptures from local artists to peruse (and consider relocating to your own garden!). Expect a warm welcome, deep knowledge and a delightful time celebrating excellence in the small local vineyard, competing with the best of the best.

Sibylla is passionate about life, it’s a real joy to spend time with her, learning about their winemaking process is fascinating and she’s an avid historian, with a nose for the truth including busting (or bursting!) a few of the myths around Dom Perignon. Sibylla holds special gatherings at the vineyard which include a regular charity Jazz event each summer. You can secure yourself a tour at High Clandon and maybe an attempt at sabrage in true Napoleonic fashion!

Our boutique office on the Cobham Park Estate is only 15 minutes from High Clandon, so why not take advantage of combining a visit to review your financial planning. You are already familiar with the required patience, pruning and harvesting of your investments. Every year is unique with its own challenges and results; we are here to design, craft, implement and maintain your plan for a life well lived and a moment to pause, reflect and celebrate your story and the legacy you are creating.

Website: https://highclandon.co.uk/visit/

Vineyards of Surrey Hills: https://www.surreyhillsvineyards.co.uk/

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High Clandon Vineyard – putting some quality fizz into your retirement2026-05-27T13:59:53+01:00

Do I have enough? Reflections on Adviser 3.0

Matt Loadwick
Post written: May 2026  •  Published: May 2026
2 min read

Do I have enough? Reflections on Adviser 3.0

Last week I attended Timeline’s Adviser 3.0 conference along with Daniel & Jemima. I also attended the conference last year, in what was my first experience of a financial services industry conference. I was pleasantly surprised by the brightness and energy of the event (it was ‘carnival’ themed after all…) and this year was a similarly vibrant occasion!

We had the privilege of attending some thought-provoking talks from industry leaders, kicked off with Morgan Housel, the author of Psychology of Money (Dominic has handed out a good few copies of this book and we have some left – so please email [email protected] if you would like a free copy – it’s a good read!).

Morgan’s focus is on how human behaviour affects financial outcomes, as opposed to thinking of finance as a science. He’s an excellent communicator, utilising the art of storytelling to get across his sharp and incisive points. Reflecting on his session, one of the points that resonated with me was the poignant question put to the audience, “do I have enough?”

This hugely important question is key to financial success, and our satisfaction with life itself. Morgan sees this reflection as something that should be exercised regularly. It is not some state of enlightenment that we all reach (as great as that would be); rather it’s an ongoing process of reflection, a process that I intend to do more regularly!

With a view to helping advisers connect better with potential clients of all ages, Dr Paul Redmond delivered an insightful and entertaining talk about generations – from Baby Boomers all the way through to Generation Alpha (who have now been succeeded by Generation Beta).

Dr Redmond sought to highlight common trends in each generation, things that arise through shared experiences of technology, culture or societal expectations; all of which are, of course, forever evolving. I was particularly struck by his assertion that in a world where technology has become ever-present, we have lost the experience of boredom, which has in turn had a negative impact on our attention span. The line from Dr Redmond’s slide said rather neatly, “A wealth of information leads to a poverty of attention. Attention is our biggest barrier to success.”

I came away from the conference feeling inspired and full of ideas, which is exactly what you’d hope for from an event such as this. The financial services industry doesn’t always have the best reputation, but the best of the industry offers some excellent people full of bright ideas, who give cause for optimism about the future.

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Do I have enough? Reflections on Adviser 3.02026-05-22T15:11:52+01:00

When did Bringing Up Baby get political?

Dominic Thomas
Post written: March 2026  •  Published: May 2026
4 min read

When did Bringing Up Baby get political?

I was intrigued by a headline in the New Scientist “The Real Reason Birth Rates Are Declining Worldwide”. We are all aware that this has become a rather politicised topic, particularly amongst the right wing, who when pushed want to tax women who don’t have children and make it harder for mothers to work, instead staying at home to raise the children. A return to the archetypal post-war era and infused with regressive politics, religious ‘doctrines’ and patriarchy, all dressed up as “traditional family values”.

The declining birth rate is an important issue in the context of a world population approaching 8.3 billion. As populations age, the theory is that elderly people need more care and medical help, which is increasingly expensive and invariably paid by the State (taxpayers). This impacts Government tax policy and planning. The increase in life expectancy places further pressure on the durability of State pensions, which whilst to some extent paid for whilst working, are generally paid from current taxes, not previous ones. Whilst your State Pension is a record of your National Insurance contributions, that is all it is, there is no pot of savings, merely an account of what you paid and the theory of what you are entitled to. An ageing population also means reduced available housing stock.

These issues have an impact on us all, but particularly on younger people who struggle to find work well paid enough to get themselves onto the property ladder. Unlike most of us, they also had to take on student loans to get a Degree (or two) which increases their personal tax rate by 9%. These very real and practical challenges mean that notions of starting a family often make little financial sense, but it’s dangerous to make too many generalisations. The reasons behind the delay are more nuanced, according to Paula Sheppard (lecturer in Evolutionary Anthropology) from her research at Oxford University.

Global birth rates were 5.1 in the 1960s but have fallen dramatically to around 2.3 today. In Europe it is much lower, at 1.4 to 1.6, even lower in Japan (1.2) and South Korea (0.75). The required ‘replacement rate’ is 2.1 babies per woman.

Sheppard’s research poses the question, “why are people deferring having children?” we may all be able to cite plenty of reasons, but this is research, evidence and data on a grand scale and then subject to interrogation, nuance and insight.

It would seem that much of the research to date leads to the need for secure relationships, University educated women tend to want their partner to be more hands on in the joint care of children and to have a degree of financial security. This cuts to the rub of that “work/life balance” thing, a terrible phrase and somewhat lacking meaning. However in essence, this is about the need for flexible work for both parents. For others housing, or more accurately, good housing in a community with good schools is important.

It is the full time job of politicians, particularly the nasty ones, to conflate these issues rather than consider them methodically. Pointing at problems and blaming it all on the changes in society since the war. The world has moved on, sadly a lot of people have not. Change is invariably frightening and used as a tool to elicit your vote.

What Sheppard points out in her piece in NS, is that predictions from data are invariably fraught with problems. Fertility rates had been ‘worryingly’ low before WW2, we then had the unpredictable ‘baby boom’.

What remains clear is that people will continue to defer having children whilst housing and finances remain substantial challenges.

For your amusement – the trailer for the film Nine Months (1995) Directed by Chris Columbus starring Hugh Grant and Julianne Moore. The actors were both 34 at the time of filming.

References:

The Qualitative Research (published September 2022):  https://www.mdpi.com/2076-0760/11/9/409

Paula Sheppard: https://sites.google.com/site/paulajsheppard/home

New Scientist: https://www.newscientist.com/article/2516629-the-real-reasons-birth-rates-are-declining-worldwide/

Global fertility rates: https://ourworldindata.org/fertility-rate

World Data Bank: Global Fertility Rates: https://data.worldbank.org/indicator/SP.DYN.TFRT.IN

UN Global Fertility Rate Report 2024: https://www.un.org/development/desa/pd/sites/www.un.org.development.desa.pd/files/undesa_pd_2025_wfr_2024_final.pdf

World Population – visualising the data: https://worldpopulationreview.com/

Age of the first time buyer in the UK: https://www.ethnicity-facts-figures.service.gov.uk/housing/owning-and-renting/age-of-first-time-buyers/latest/

Land Registry data on first time buyer purchase price: https://www.gov.uk/government/news/uk-house-price-index-for-december-2025

Your National Insurance Record: https://www.gov.uk/check-national-insurance-record

Your Feedback & Any Questions:

Email to [email protected] with the blog Post Title in the Subject Line

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When did Bringing Up Baby get political?2026-05-18T08:42:03+01:00

What are the Twenty Lessons?

Dominic Thomas
April 2026  •  3 min read

What are the Twenty Lessons?

Most marketing people will advocate using a number as a way to increase engagement – seven ways to improve your marketing, five things you need to know about… and so on, as humans we seem to love a list, preferably a short one that’s a prime number. Timothy Snyder’s book On Tyranny has the subtitle “Twenty Lessons from the Twentieth Century” which caught my eye as worth my attention.

There is no denying that we live in challenging times, where truth has become harder to reach and there are so many powerful vested interests determined to treat us like mushrooms, kept in the dark and fed on…

Truth is a big deal in financial planning. It’s the partner of trust, without both – any advice provided needs some considerable investigation. My sector is not known for its transparency, trust or grasp of truth. We have powerful regulation which attempts to ensure that we are. Yet, over the last two decades in particular, I can attest to the fact that many of the advisers I meet are decent people, who are keen to share best practice, have a degree of vulnerability about their need to improve knowledge and admit that they don’t know everything. Most of those I meet, I believe to be trustworthy and genuinely want to help both advisers and clients to make money and investing better understood.

There is even a software package called “Truth” that aims to reveal the truth of your ambitions for your financial decisions.

Sadly, not all are truthful, many will claim to provide financial planning, but are really selling investments, building the engine before even knowing what is required. It’s not easy to tell from a website or indeed when you meet them. There are still a few who are only interested in extracting your wealth for their own benefit and they are occasionally caught.

Aside from the charlatans, who I can do little about, other than pay my regulatory fees which cover their failings and deal with the consequences of mistrust, my main concern is a lack of thinking. Not about products and tax legislation, or indeed sensible solutions, but the eagerness to embrace anything that appears to save time. It is easy not to think, to simply accept narratives of large, powerful players or persona’s and what they say from their platform.

It seems to me that good financial planning is all about helping uncover your values and helping you to achieve and maintain your lifestyle. The one you really want, not the one that vacuous individuals display for you to envy and strive for. All choices come with a consequence and there is a price for every decision – who you love, where you work, live, what you eat, how you exercise, what you read and so on. To pretend that political decisions have no bearing on these things is to fail to appreciate the fragility of the freedoms you currently enjoy, which are certainly under siege. The belief that taxes are always bad, that there are those who don’t deserve help, that we are all ‘self-made’ and need a heavy shot of ‘resilience’, is to miss the point and purpose of what it is to live as a human in a thriving, peaceful community, To be critical is not the same as to criticise.

We can all point to problems, but the real skill is to address root causes, invariably this is envy and greed. Something that is on constant display in our scrolling. Add in a dose of fear and mistrust, a sprinkling of inflammatory words and the rabbit hole opens up to swallow, perhaps consume.

In the context of a ‘good life’, we need a good society and a functioning democracy; something that it seems many advisers forget as they chastise yet another Chancellor whilst failing to pause to consider the source of their information. None of us get it right all the time, but an attitude of thoughtful reflection about vested interests is one that I encourage.

In this book, Snyder draws some uncomfortable lessons from history which have a very current application. He is under no illusions about the problems, but offers some thoughtful hope for facing what needs to be confronted. Snyder is a man who has committed his life to understanding the context of why we tend to war, how to spot the signs and what to do about it. Here are his twenty lessons.

References:

Order a copy, preferably not via Amazon: https://www.worldofbooks.com/en-gb/products/on-tyranny-book-timothy-snyder-9780804190114

Timothy Snyder website: https://timothysnyder.org/

Yale History Department: https://history.yale.edu/people/timothy-snyder

FCA latest fines in 2026: https://www.fca.org.uk/news/news-stories/2026-fines

The sort of bad advice before proper fee charging ushered in from 2013: https://www.thisismoney.co.uk/money/investing/article-1669499/The-true-cost-of-bad-financial-advice.html

What we do: https://www.solomonsifa.co.uk/what-we-do/

 

 

What are the Twenty Lessons?2026-04-10T18:01:22+01:00

Can you solve a Rubik’s Cube?

Debbie Harris 
April 2026  •  2 min read

Can you solve a Rubik’s Cube?

I spotted a video on social media recently posted by Guinness World Records where a group of people from Hong Kong were building the world’s largest Rubik’s Cube.

Fascinating though it was (I was riveted!), I did have to chuckle at the pointlessness of it – what on earth is the use of making a giant Rubik’s Cube that requires at least four people to move the pieces and solve it … surely the beauty of the ‘simple’ Rubik’s Cube is that you can hold it in your hand and complete it at your leisure.

[Side note – you may also have seen children as young as nine or ten attempting to break the ‘fastest solve’ world record too – they do it in less than 10 seconds! I am embarrassed to admit that I have never ONCE in my life even completed the Cube, so these folk – with their youthful dexterous digits – have my utmost respect!]

Anyway – back to my point about the seemingly pointless ‘scaling’ up of this particular project – it caused me to reflect on ‘growth’ in general.

As you know, Solomon’s has been ‘growing’ over recent years and we appreciate that some clients may be wondering whether our service standards will drop; whether we will become more automated; whether we’ll lose the personal touch (that we and you value greatly).

I would like to take this opportunity to reassure you that we have not ‘scaled at speed’ – our growth has been steady and organic; which has enabled us to maintain all the best bits of what we do here.

We can all probably attest to the fact that firms scaling up usually end up losing some things but gaining others and I am very proud of the fact that here at Solomon’s we are working really hard to ensure that our growth has been thoughtfully and carefully managed so that you (our clients) remain at the very heart of everything we do.

The proof in the pudding is ultimately whether or not you have noticed any changes for the worse – if you have, this would be incredibly useful feedback for us – so do please drop us a line.

We are continuing to grow – steadily and mindfully – as we are looking to serve clients for generations to come.

If you can think of anyone who might benefit from having a conversation with us about their financial planning – please do send them our way.

Can you solve a Rubik’s Cube?2026-04-02T10:16:51+01:00

What is Trust?

Dominic Thomas
March 2026  •  3 min read

What is Trust?

At the heart of every good relationship is trust; when it is broken, the relationship will struggle. Sometimes it is possible to repair it, often it is not. A recent event I attended in London for financial planners offered up a talk by Rachel Botsman, author of What’s Mine Is Yours: The Rise of Collaborative Consumption (2010) a provocative title if ever there was, and more recently Who Can You Trust (2017) and more recently still How to Trust and be Trusted (2025).  I have not yet read her books. She is a celebrated podcaster, lecturer at Oxford University and with a Fine Arts Degree, an artist. Significantly she is a “global authority on trust” though quite what this is based on is unclear to me.

Anyway, she provided an interesting talk, some challenges and posed the argument that managing risk is not the same as managing trust and many financial advisers think they are doing one, whilst actually doing the other.

She described these issues as two lenses – risk being about certainty, control, compliance and protection, whilst the lens of trust being uncertainty, confidence, empowerment and possibility. She made some really insightful points about what advisers might do to help our clients reduce or understand risk, whilst also improving trust. In essence, this came down to capability (competence and reliability) fused with character (integrity and empathy).

There were some good lessons that I shall think on and attempt to shape for your benefit. As ever, I tend to be circumspect about what anyone on a stage or platform tells an audience. I was perplexed when she posed a couple of questions. Firstly, she put up three logos – Tesla, Meta and ChatGPT and asked the conference hall delegates to applaud for which they thought was the most trustworthy of the three.

Then she put the images of the CEOs of the same companies (Musk, Zuckerberg and Altman – three white men) and asked us to boo for the one we felt least trustworthy.

I can only speak for myself, but none of these men strike me as remotely trustworthy. They are all billionaires and have well documented histories of breaches of trust and legality, seemingly appearing to be above the law. It may not surprise you that I booed rather loudly for Elon Musk, when Botsman returned to ask people why they had made their selection. As you can imagine, I had a few very choice words to say on the topic. There were a few tuts from my 400 peers (quite a lot of them are Tesla ‘owners’) and she simply said “I was hoping not to get political”.

Whether you agree with my opinion of him or not, I don’t think I brought the politics into the room, it was already quite deliberately there. Maybe I misunderstood the assignment (it wouldn’t be the first time). Anyway, I could have said – well I don’t like him because he bought Twitter and made it a mouthpiece for extremism. That he won’t disable or remove the ability of his AI Grok to turn pictures of you and yours into pornography. I could mention his funding of far-right political parties around the world and here in the UK, or his many misogynistic statements, or replacement theory, his involvement with Trump and short-sighted arrogance with his childish ‘slash and burn’ DOGE antics. He appears to use his own children as human shields and manages to persuade women to have more with him, treating them like transactions. There are questions about his technological involvement in elections and despite his vast wealth, he uses it simply to fund excess and rocket tests rather than solving real problems here on earth. He complains about immigrants, despite being essentially a white South African that never opposed apartheid and is now in permanent exile. No I don’t like him and his interference, lies and utterly inappropriate commentary about “the state of Britain”. Yes I did see him do a Nazi salute and refuse to pretend it didn’t happen. It seems that the biggest ‘sin’ these days is naming things (like racism) as they are rather than actually being so.

So, ok – maybe I did bring the politics to the forefront, but I didn’t bring them into the presentation.

But this is about trust and integrity right? I think the ability to challenge narratives with the aim of shining a light on truth wherever it leads and however exposing it may be, are part of having integrity.

Rachel offers up a number of tests that we can try out exposing how our search for familiarity may offer up inaccurate trust signals, but that these are foundational in our early development. We look for familiarity in others to help us trust, backgrounds and appearance (even looking similar to ourselves) all play a part in this and form an unhelpful confirmation and desirability bias that facilitates trust, without any ‘real’ information. This also goes to the heart of AI and the trust being placed in systems that regurgitate familiar, not necessarily truthful answers.

Interesting though. I wonder what you think?  I’m genuinely curious.

Anyway, I will be adding to Rachel’s coffers at some point to read her work in more detail, it’s certainly interesting and relevant for the moment and she is an engaging communicator.

Ref: https://www.rachelbotsman.com/

https://www.sbs.ox.ac.uk/about-us/people/rachel-botsman

What is Trust?2026-03-06T11:09:26+00:00

How would you Cope?

Dominic Thomas
Feb 2026  •  3 min read

How would you Cope?

Amour

It’s the award season for films and one previous winner is the French film Amour (2012). It’s beautiful but a really tough watch about a topic that many of us will experience.

George (Jean-Louis Trintignant) and Anne (Emmanuelle Riva) are a retired couple, they have been married for decades and are enjoying their retirement in Paris. Anne used to teach piano and has helped launch several professional careers.

Life changes dramatically for them when Anne has a stroke and the couple navigate all it entails. This is a brutally frank depiction of living with a degenerative condition. They experience a mixture of responses and support and have some firm views of their own.

The sudden upheaval shifts their focus from the finer things of life to the basic tasks of surviving as comfortably as possible. Fortunately they have ample financial and emotional resources to weather the initial challenges and are able to look back appreciatively on their long life together.

When we create your financial plan, we emphasise the importance of living on your own terms and having those experiences that you can whilst you are fit and healthy enough to do so. When we have a decent level of health we take these things for granted, often ignoring the warnings from health experts and our good fortune.

None of us know how long we will live, but it’s also the case that we don’t know how long we can live with good enough health. The ONS data for 2024 showed that in England 531,953 people died, the bulk of them (69%) were over 75 as you might expect, but 26% were 50-74 (yes, so 5% were under 50). The data doesn’t tell us how unwell they were or for how long; we do know most causes of death but not the duration of the decline. Strokes account for nearly 10% of deaths each year.

You may be reading this and thinking – come on Dominic, could you be a bit more cheery and less pessimistic. In truth, I doubt the data will really encourage anyone to make the most of this short time on earth, what may be encouraging is the confidence you can take from a well-crafted financial plan, based around your values and hopes about the future.

It’s the ‘living with regret’ that I think most people struggle with, realising a little too late that they had other choices. Your plan can be a bit like a sliding doors moment, a what if …

Let’s ensure that you live your life on your own terms as far as possible, and whilst we are at it, let’s tell everyone that this is the real purpose of a decent financial planner, not simply to find a better ISA or pension. Those are the tools not the purpose.

It makes a lot of sense to also talk through the difficult issues of personal crisis and life changing health issues.

The charity The Stroke Association report that on average around 400 people a day in the UK have a stroke. That’s about 1 every 3 minutes.

Here is the trailer for Amour which took best film in a foreign language at the Oscars and BAFTAs in 2013. This may be a good way to prompt some discussion about the subject and how we might think about it together in relation to your plan.

Click here to tell a friend about the power of a proper financial plan.

References:

How many deaths in the UK?

What is the data for Stroke in the UK?

What is Critical illness cover?

What is Estate Planning?

Who do Solomons help?

How would you Cope?2026-03-24T16:25:22+00:00

Four Years for What?

Dominic Thomas
Feb 2026  •  2 min read

Four Years for What?

It has been four years since Putin sent the Russian army to invade Ukraine. The world paused and implemented sanctions, forcing up the price of gas, fertilizer and oil. Supply chains have struggled and added to inflationary pressures, the West has funded the Ukrainian resistance in the belief that this is a line which we cannot allow a despot to cross for fear of escalation, which threatens NATO nations and ultimately our own freedom.

Thousands have lost their lives, the Russian population which is typically around 146m has seen many of its younger population reluctantly conscripted into the fight. Ukraine with a population of something like 37m is far smaller but evidently very determined under the leadership of Volodymyr Zelensky since 2019. Most would be quick to point to his good leadership, Trump was quick to be Trump (see the video for yourself – linked at the bottom).

The war is dominated by the use of drones, which seems straight out of a sci-fi film. Money normally generated by Russia for energy has fallen by around 27% since the invasion, this revenue props up the Russian armed forces. Russian crude oil finds its way to Turkey, China and India often via tankers that aren’t insured (according to Reuters).

As of now, Russia occupies about 20% of Ukraine and continues to bombard her cities. There are approaching 3.7million internally displaced Ukrainians with nearly 7million having left the country, and over 53,000 casualties. It is estimated that 12.7million need humanitarian help.

Sadly there does not seem to be any obvious end to the war, despite over 1.3m Russian casualties and perhaps as many as 325,000 killed. The largest number of deaths in European war since WW2. The Russian economy is barely moving with GDP of 0.6%, despite statements to the contrary, the Russian invasion isn’t going well, and certainly wasn’t the quick military exercise that Putin expected. Ukraine has lost around 140,000.

We cannot control despots but we can support a nation’s independence and stand against a despot. Indeed this has been in part reflected in our own energy prices. However, the price of freedom is invariably expensive and to date, none of us have paid with anything more than a higher utility bill, not our lives. What is disturbing is the sycophantic praise heaped on Putin by a particular politician in turquoise. A man who doesn’t seem to value or appreciate freedom, but admires a bully.

One of my favourite bands (U2) recently launched a new short album, “Days of Ash” as ever poignant and political (in the sense of standing up against injustice). Here is the track “Yours Eternally” from the EP with Ed Sheeran and Taras Topolia. Yes we all use the platforms we have.

References

Global Conflict Tracker: https://www.cfr.org/global-conflict-tracker/conflict/conflict-ukraine

Drones dominate the war: https://www.reuters.com/business/aerospace-defense/drones-dominate-ukraine-battlefield-four-years-into-fighting-2026-02-24/

Centre for Strategic and International Studies – data: https://www.csis.org/analysis/russias-grinding-war-ukraine

U2: Days of Ash: https://www.u2.com/news/title/u2–days-of-ash-new-ep-out-now

The suits in the White House “press conference” where you can witness the ineptitude of the current US administration https://youtu.be/z2s2pogllis?si=WRRzwAuo0GMt5M1W

Four Years for What?2026-02-25T09:21:14+00:00

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