The Beekeeper

Dominic Thomas
March 2024 • 2 min read

The Beekeeper

There was a click of the call suddenly ending. She stared at the monitor, the sudden reality of what had just happened began to flood her body. Her account balance stared back at her; it was all gone.

If you have ever been scammed, you will understand the mixture of feelings – shame, embarrassment, anger and a deep despair. “It’s not personal” is a response that has a hollowness of the desensitised. Fraud is a very real form of abuse, abuse of the uniqueness of the human character.

The Beekeeper is an action film that plays to our very ordinary desire for revenge. It may not be your cup of tea, but I found it amusing and cathartic. My inability to understand why some people choose to rip off others without any motive other than greed is just part of my own hardwiring. It makes me very angry.

Jason Statham, a man ticking the box for the perfect assassin, whilst seemingly very able to not take himself or his roles too seriously, plays Adam Clay, a ‘Beekeeper’ which is some black ops Government-sanctioned sword of Damocles, who takes matters into his own hands in the pursuit to end the call centres that scam the vulnerable with their promise of fixing a computer.

Of course it’s daft, but satisfying if, like me, you achieve a sense of a ‘balance in the Force’ through fiction because our reality of justice is often deeply disappointing. It’s not for all, it knows its audience, but even if that isn’t you, the scene early in the story of how a malevolent call centre loots an intelligent elder of their life savings is worth the educational value and disturbance to your sensibilities. I would counsel you to learn about and be alert to this and similar scams. Money is never just money if you understand what it represents.

Here is the official trailer:

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The BeekeeperJemima Thomas2024-03-26T13:54:01+00:00

The small print

Daniel Liddicott
Sept 2023 • 3 min read

The small print

Have you ever signed a contract without reading the small print? If so, you may have missed some important details that could affect your rights and obligations. The small print, also known as the terms and conditions, is the part of a contract that contains the specific and often complex details of an agreement. It may include clauses on fees, penalties, warranties, exclusions, limitations, dispute resolution, and more. Reading the small print can help you avoid unpleasant surprises, protect your interests, and make informed decisions.

Prior to a house move last year, we were encouraged by the estate agents to consider using One Utility Bill, a company who (as their name suggests) amalgamates all of your utility bills into a singular monthly direct debit. Drawn in by the idea of easy setup and management, as well as a call with a convincing salesperson over the phone, we signed up to this service on a 12-month contract. We proceeded to provide meter readings through their online portal.

Our bills were fixed at a relatively high rate though, with the cost-of-living crisis being at the forefront of everyone’s minds, we were happy to know exactly what we were paying for the term, with expected rebates should we overpay against our usage.

Fast forward to the end of the contract, at which point we had decided to go directly to providers instead and had given our required 30 days’ notice. When informing them that we were leaving, we were informed that no refunds for overpayment would be given – something that was not made clear or even mentioned during the sign-up process.

Sure enough, further inspection of the Terms & Conditions showed that this was the case, though they had not been forthcoming with this information during the sales process and the T&C document was sent to us post-sign up. Had we read the small print, even after having just signed up, we would have been able to cancel the contract within the cooling off period.

We had been paying at least £100 more than we should have been each month. An expensive mistake to make.

Reading the small print may seem tedious and time-consuming, but it can save you a lot of trouble and money in the long run. Remember, a contract is a legally binding document that can affect your rights and responsibilities. Therefore, it is important to read it carefully and understand what you are agreeing to. Make sure that you know what you are getting into before you sign on the dotted line!

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The small printJemima Thomas2023-12-01T12:12:29+00:00

Is it time to give up driving Miss Daisy?

Dominic Thomas
July 2023 • 8 min read

Is it time to give up driving Miss Daisy?

Amongst the showers that interrupted the tennis, I spotted a piece on the BBC news site. The clickbait that caught my eye “People should plan retirement from driving”. The article is about families challenging the older generation with a question about their ability to drive. Pause on that for a moment. I once heard a joke that basically said that the two things you cannot criticize anyone for are their sexual prowess and their driving. In fact, the offence to challenge either appears almost equally and deeply hurtful.

The latest attempt by the regulator to ensure the right things are being done, (without being too obviously a new lick of paint such as FSA to FCA) is called “Consumer Duty”. A large element of this is about vulnerability. In short, are you more likely to misunderstand advice or be “taken advantage of” because you are either temporarily or permanently “vulnerable”. The term is of course open to interpretation, the intention though is very well meaning.

However, such discussions are rarely easy. Imagine being told that you are no longer fit to drive. So many of us cherish our independence, which is what our ability to drive represents. Indeed if you live in a rural area, your car may be your practical connection to wider society. Yet getting this wrong (which likely means a serious accident happened) will have devastating impact. There is a huge risk of causing offence, appearing patronising or controlling, yet this is “for your own good”.

So how will you know when it is time?

I have been struck by the wisdom of several of our older clients. Two incidents stand out. The first had the foresight to not simply visit local care homes, but she booked herself in for a week or so to see what the level of care was like. She wasn’t impressed and made other arrangements. The second possesses a grasp of self-awareness and a wisdom that I hope I achieve. He knew that at some point he wouldn’t know what he didn’t know. If that sounds a little Donald Rumsfeld, its intended. In short, he wanted me to take over the reigns so that his affairs remain in top notch condition.

Most of us are reluctant to become reliant on others. We generally place very high value on our own ability to make our own choices, we also have a tendency for overconfidence in our own abilities. Ask a room of people to raise their hand if they consider themselves a “better than average driver” the majority will raise their hand, which of course statistically doesn’t hold with logic. The majority cannot be above average.

So in our planning for you, we will increasingly be faced with ever more difficult conversations as we all age about how we protect ourselves from ourselves. Our role is to speak truth and consider your future in the context of all we understand. The BBC article is a sobering reminder that we cannot ignore things simply because it may offend.

Currently your driving license expires when you reach age 70. You retain the right to renew. I remember a short film by David Ackerman starring John Cleese called “Taking the Wheel” (2002) which is an amusing take on why his 90-year-old-mother refused to give up driving.

BBC ARTICLE

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Is it time to give up driving Miss Daisy?Jemima Thomas2023-12-01T12:12:30+00:00

Is your money an extension of your values?

Dominic Thomas
July 2023 • 12 min read

Is your money an extension of your values?

The financial services sector, like others, has been attempting to evolve over the years, moving with the times. I’m not talking about technology; but the people and culture. The regulator has had things to say about culture for some years, but usually too little too late and with no real weight behind it.

Sentry at your door

One of the things you may not be aware of is who we do not use. As your adviser and confidant, I take my role seriously. One aspect of the role is being a bit like a gatekeeper or ‘bouncer’. Some might say I possess the right thuggish look for this! What clients end up with is hopefully a well-screened experience, but you almost certainly don’t know how that is done and how much dross has been screened out, why should you? It’s my job to do this and time is too limited to bore you with all the detail.

So, cutting to the chase – price, functionality, financial resilience, performance and philosophy are all perhaps obvious elements. Culture is much more subjective. Whilst this can include ‘greenwashing’, I also consider elements of what, who, why and how things are done. Rare is the day that you will ever hold a ‘Prima Donna’ investment. Stars are for astronomy not your investments.

Leadership

We are all familiar with the reality that the wrong people are generally leading the world rather badly. Good leadership is vital, sadly the culture within financial services is often intoxicated by its own sense of importance and ‘leadership’, which often gives way to belief of possessing better skills and a Midas-touch. Performance-fuelled and rewarded and then re-awarding itself like an ever-consuming sycophant.

Nobody is without failings, but some people seem to believe that they can behave with impunity. An error of judgement or mistake is one thing, but constant repetition is another. One of the many problems with success is that people tend to ignore details, yet it is the detail that is likely to be the undoing.

Money, power and sex … or rather abuse

Money and power tend to keep those benefitting from it quiet. Sometimes a lowly observer has to point out the Emperor’s predicament. We can all be fooled, but I am often surprised how easily this is achieved.

You could read the article by Marriage, Cundy and Caruana Galizia in the Financial Times on 8^th June 2023 for detail about the behaviour of one of its members, (well several actually). However, the network will generally seek to protect and deflect blame, minimising any wrongdoing as ‘misunderstanding’.

Big fish, small pond

You can make the choice with your money to follow these people or not. However, I have no intention or interest in helping increase the personal fortunes of those whose behaviour privately, publicly and corporately appears self-serving. If you prefer to help these particular millionaires (or billionaires) become richer, that’s your choice, but it’s not mine. For me, money should be ‘used’ not ‘played with’ to impress parents who clearly gave up providing enough attention at the beginning.

Accomplished liars

Having been around the sector for over three decades, it won’t surprise you to learn that I do not believe regulation or legal action really makes a difference to characters who simply do not care about anyone else. They will of course utter feeble words about lessons being learned, seeking help, blah, blah … whilst standing beside a spouse who has yet to comprehend the depth of the offence … but this is all too predictable. They haven’t changed behaviour and its naïve to think they will.

They bullied or charmed their way into the spotlight. A lifetime of bluff and overconfidence has resulted in them becoming highly skilled liars. However, they are permitted to thrive by others pretending that everything is somehow OK, when it clearly is not. I don’t mean we should all pass judgement on each other’s choices, but ‘the network’ allows it to thrive. Of course, this is not simply within financial services, sadly most walks of life from the pulpit to the bull pit, the shop floor to the studio, the Boardroom to the changing room.

Another way

Your money is remarkably powerful – it endorses, promotes, approves and rewards. This is why I take great care in how it is invested and the philosophy behind it. As a client, you back our small firm that rewards its staff fairly and takes each person seriously, helping each to build their own lives on their own terms.

Click here for FT piece

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Is your money an extension of your values?Jemima Thomas2023-12-01T12:12:31+00:00

The big C

Dominic Thomas
June 2023 • 10 min read

The big C

If you have a television, it’s likely that at some point you will have watched an episode of ‘A Place in the Sun’ or the BBC’s ‘Escape to the Country’. You know the format – a 30-minute programme that would take 10 minutes to watch if it wasn’t for the constant of reminder of what you have just watched. I never really understand why despite each property being unknown, one is specifically described as a mystery house. These are popular shows (to put it mildly). We Brits are obsessed with house ownership and most of us hold onto a fantasy that ‘somewhere else’ is probably a better place to live.

I learned recently that one of the presenters of ‘A Place in the Sun’, Jonnie Irwin, who turns 50 this autumn, was diagnosed with terminal lung cancer in 2020. He has talked publicly about his illness and recently appeared on a podcast for insurance company AIG. Sadly, he does not have critical illness cover and is now on a mission to encourage people to get some. He believes it would help if advisers could ‘humanise’ the insurance, sharing stories about how it works and what their experience has been.

I think he has a point, and certainly in his professional life, he is adept at helping people imagine a better future for themselves. However, imagining a bleak future is obviously uncomfortable, something most of us try not to do preferring to leave this to dystopian books, films, TV shows and music. We simply prefer to ignore or deny uncomfortable truths, thinking “it will never happen to me”.

I’m 54. I don’t know if it’s unusual, but I have already lost many friends my own age to cancer. I’m guessing you know at least one person that has too. I have critical illness cover; I provide it for the team here as a standard benefit. It’s not cheap and frankly, I hope it’s a waste of money, because if it isn’t, then there has been a major, unwanted life event.

Over the last three decades, I have had to deal with various claims against cover that I arranged for clients. Not all of them died, some have recovered very well and whilst not forgetting the experience, it isn’t top of mind.

Given my background and when I started in financial services, selling products was what I was trained to do. Rightly or wrongly, I have been somewhat reluctant to use sales ideas that make people feel uncomfortable within my own business. I often haven’t shared the details of fairly harrowing stories of things that might prompt you taking out more cover (or some). I hate being manipulated and I struggle with the tension of using a true story that is designed to encourage you to get more insurance (even if we do remove commission). For that, I apologise. I have a drawer full of stories and with permission, I will share a few, not with the intention of getting a sale (we don’t even arrange protection policies these days – we refer you to a specialist broker); but to ensure you give this proper consideration.

I hope that Jonnie and his family find the miracle they seek.

If you would like to talk about financial protection, please get in touch. If you already know what you want and need, then head over to our professional connections page and give Cura a call or email.

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The big CJemima Thomas2023-12-01T12:12:32+00:00

Ponzi – only in America right?

Dominic Thomas
June 2023 • 8 min read

Ponzi – only in America right?

If you have been around for a while, then you have probably heard the term ‘Ponzi scheme’. It was coined after Charles Ponzi over 100 years ago. In essence, it’s a con. One where the investment genius pretends that investment returns are high, to a very-willing-to-believe-it public. The scheme takes in new money from investors and uses part of it to pay the original investors, but too much, which suggests high returns and of course all those drawing money are ardent advocates. It’s a bit like the State Pension scheme (oops, didn’t mean to say that surely?).

Anyway, someone pretending to be your friend whilst actually thieving from you is a long-established human condition, yet a smart suit and decent offices will often convey the impression of something of substance (dare I mention cryptocurrency?).

The largest Ponzi crime to date is that of Bernie Madoff, who managed to fool well known investors around the world, including one who shares a name with a warm bedtime drink. The realisation of duplicity is sadly for many too much to bear and many take their own lives having lost a fortune. Netflix have a docudrama mini-series about Madoff which is reasonably informative. His fraud is the current record breaker, estimated to be in the region of $50bn-$65bn.

Ponzi schemes don’t simply happen in America; they are everywhere where money resides. Two men were recently charged in UK courts. First there was Jonathan Allard, from Wandsworth, who had a rather splendid address in Canary Wharf. He took £3.7m from 43 investors who were lured by returns that appeared to be between 9% and 12% a year between 2013 and 2017. He is now serving a 7-year prison sentence, sadly most of the stolen money was spent on ‘fast living’.

Then there is Anthony Constantinou who makes Allard look positively cheap. He was convicted of a £70m fraud and sounds like a generally terrible example of humanity. His crimes occurred between 2013 and 2015 by his company Capital World Markets (CWM). He is described by those that know him as a ‘Wolf of Wall Street’ type character; sleazy and grotesque in his misguided sense of machismo, the sort of traits that get some people to the top of politics. Like most similar characters, he was unable to face his wrongdoing and is currently on the run. His scheme promised ludicrously high returns of 5% a month. If you spot him, do inform Scotland Yard.

Whilst not Ponzi schemes, there have been examples of financial advisers taking money from client investments as ‘ad hoc fees’ or simply not investing it, fabricating investment statements so that investors are unaware of the fraud. Recently the Director of Nexus IFA in Portsmouth had her FCA permissions removed, and the company subsequently placed into administration for alleviating clients of around £2m into her personal bank account. This was discovered by Nucleus, an excellent platform that we have used for years, who noted ad hoc adviser fees of £1,895,040 from a single investor. Large ad hoc fees were also taken from four clients with holdings at 7IM (another good platform company). Ad hoc fees are not the regular ongoing fees, but one-off, agreed fees with clients for specific work. The case is ongoing.

Whilst I don’t believe that any system is totally fool-proof, one of the advantages and reasons that we provide access to our own secure portal and those of providers is so that details can be cross-checked, not simply by us, but by you too. Sadly, we live in a world where the pressures of living and/or a background of dysfunction can and will lead some people to steal.

If you are concerned about a friend who may have been subject to a scam or fraud, please get in touch. One of my roles is to stop any get-rich-quick and too-good-to-be-true rubbish from reaching you.

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Ponzi – only in America right?Jemima Thomas2023-12-01T12:12:32+00:00

The Cold Shoulder?

Daniel Liddicott
May 2023 • 3 min read

Call me (or rather, don’t)

Public service announcement: News broke yesterday of the Government’s plan to ban all cold calling related to the sale of financial products. This measure was already in place on any sales cold calling related to pension products, however the government is now due to extend the ban to cover any unsolicited calls of this kind.

The idea is that when this measure is put into place, anyone receiving an unexpected sales call regarding anything from insurance to investments will know that the call is not genuine and is indeed an attempted scam.

You might say that this is a case of better late than never. The government stated that “fraud costs the UK nearly £7bn per year”. Financial scams have the potential to be hugely damaging and significantly life-changing.

Back in our Spring 2021 edition of Spotlight, we published an article about Emmeline Hartley, who was happy to share her story of being the victim of such a scam (see page 10!).

So, in light of this, you can rest assured that should you receive a cold call of this nature, hanging up the phone immediately is a perfectly justified course of action. Or should you have the time and inclination, you could take the would-be fraudster on a wild goose chase for the details that they will never obtain from you. Or you could try putting them on hold. Just a couple of ideas.

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The Cold Shoulder?Jemima Thomas2023-12-01T12:12:33+00:00

Who do you trust?

Dominic Thomas
Jan 2023 • 5 min read

Who do you trust?

To my mind we have always lived in a world of false information. Stories and myths, urban legend all exist to serve someone’s perspective. Since the days of modern ‘propaganda’, we have been warned of careless talk and the enemy around the corner. In the last few years, largely though not exclusively due to the arrival of the internet, facts and mis- or rather disinformation coexist. We have to decipher and frankly that is not as easy as it should be. Most conspiracy theories contain an atom of something that seems to be plausible, but is then expanded and extracted.

This week we have witnessed more political folly as Government attempts to reign in some of its own that have crossed the line of reason. When we see extremity we tend to regard things as ‘obvious’.

I present Richard Rufus, former Premier League defender for Charlton Athletic, indeed in 2005 he was voted “Charlton’s greatest ever defender”. Like many a sports celebrity and Premier League player, he was well remunerated. High profiles and substantial income in our current culture, come hand in hand with an expensive lifestyle and costly habits.

After a career in football, many players struggle to adapt to life outside of the spotlight and without the same financial rewards. Few are able to continue to earn anything like their player wages. Whatever the reasons, like many players, celebrities and frankly most people, Mr Rufus appears to have spent most, if not all of his income. Whatever savings he had were clearly not sufficient to support his lavish lifestyle, which he was unwilling to relinquish.

A lavish lifestyle provides the appearance of financial success, but what is visible is largely immaterial. I’m often struck by how many people have a car that costs north of £60,000 yet have very little savings; who spend on cars and holidays more than they save for their future … but I digress!

Mr Rufus turned his hand to financial scamming. Not the sort of arms-length, call centre scamming, but the up close, personal relationship, scam your family and friends type of scam. The detail of which can all be found online following the Court’s decision to find him guilty of a £15m fraud which has resulted in a seven year prison sentence. Defender turned offender.

I don’t know Mr Rufus, I have no axe to grind. He wasn’t a financial adviser and reports indicate that the process of the scam was much like the advice you might seek from a friend at the pub … or more likely gastro pub or bistro. The mechanics of the scam involved foreign currency (often the case), no legitimate regulation (also often the case) and persuasion with what the eyes see and what the ears wish to hear. “It clearly works for him, look at his lifestyle”.

The fact is that at the heart of this there are problems that are universal. Firstly, few if any of us wish to reduce our lifestyle, however you define it. Most people are not good at holding onto the money that they earn, inherit or win. Most of us are not good at discerning the cost of a lifestyle either now or in the future. It’s far easier for us to account for how we would spend an imaginary lottery win than how much it will cost us to live as we are for two, three or four decades once we are retired, or frankly what we spend each month now. We are all tempted by the illusion of get rich quick solutions, starting your own business, writing a best- selling book, setting up a social media account where the ‘likes’ are followed by pounds, or of course the next big one, cryptocurrency or whatever you fancy.

The truth is much harsher. It’s a long, slow process, full of setbacks as well as successes. As for advice from friends and family … well I don’t know them, actually scratch that, I do know some of them, you refer them to us … but suffice to say that qualified, regulated, impartial, non-judging, prudent, long-term, evidence-based, evidential advice is likely to be of greater value with no vested interest in whether you holiday in Bournemouth or the Bahamas; Charlton or Cuba.

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Who do you trust?Jemima Thomas2023-12-01T12:12:38+00:00

Life assurance – not all it seems

Dominic Thomas
Dec 2022 • 11 min read

When life assurance is not all it seems

Life assurance is one of the few solutions to the question ”how can I help?” when posed to a family that has just experienced permanent, life-changing loss. Over the three decades that I have been advising clients, this is, without doubt, one of the most challenging.

Most of us live as though we have an abundant supply of tomorrow. Rarely does anyone really wake and decide that life assurance (or any financial protection) is the major task to get done today.

Death is of course a subject that literature and our culture regularly address, yet in those intimate spaces of our lives, it’s a topic rarely discussed, perhaps one of the last taboos. This was never more starkly revealed to me when (many years ago) someone told me not to talk of death and Wills because he believed that it would make it a reality. Naturally he never became a client (I only work with mortals).

LIFE ASSURANCE – BAD SISTERS

I was intrigued by a series on Apple TV called ‘Bad Sisters’. I enjoyed the series, but wanted to address the premise of the drama – which confused me initially. I will not ruin the story at all by simply saying that a claim against a life assurance policy is being challenged by the adviser, which in my world does not reflect the truth.

A WASTE OF MONEY?

Advisers arrange financial protection (life assurance, critical illness cover and income protection). These are all policies that everyone takes out hoping to never have to claim on them, because to do so means something awful has happened to you. We all actually want the cover to be a ‘waste’ of your money… though using as little of it as possible to secure the right, most appropriate balance of cover.

MAKING A CLAIM

In the event of a claim, it is the insurer that assesses the legitimacy of a claim against the policy terms. In the case of life assurance, it is fairly evident if a claim is valid (the assured has died). In more nuanced cover (income protection and critical illness), the assured is alive and unwell, the question is therefore “is the condition being suffered covered?”. In both circumstances fraud is not uncommon, though I would suggest it is pretty rare and most claims are paid out fairly swiftly and appropriately. An oversimplified for instance, is that a broken arm is not grounds for a claim for a critical illness or inability to work long term, the loss of an arm, however may be grounds, particularly if you are a surgeon.

BROKER BEWARE…

The series, whilst set in Ireland and therefore not regulated by the FCA, has the insurance broker Claffin & Sons investigate a claim for life assurance. Whether in Ireland or here in the UK, this is an alarm bell for authenticity. The small family run insurance broker is reluctantly run by son Thomas Claffin after his father committed suicide. Early on it is evident that all is not well, a database of no policies and concern about the collapse of the business. This is not how things work, unless fraud is being committed.

I can assure you that in the event of a claim, I and probably any adviser will be eager to get you funds from the insurance claim as this is probably the most obviously meaningful aspect of our work, protecting you and your family when disaster strikes, providing funds to make the financial pain disappear. Advisers will certainly want to ensure that a claim for the more complex cover is worth claiming for (broken arm example), but will then seek to hassle the insurer for agreement and payment of funds to you the claimant. Some insurers are better than others in terms of efficiency, but we have never had a valid claim refused.

Claffin didn’t arrange cover, they simply committed fraud, taking and living off the premiums and hoping that their clients didn’t make a claim. That is fraud (honestly I am not spoiling the excellent series and plot).

A PAPER TRAIL WELL DOCUMENTED

You will have a policy document with an insurer and be paying monthly premiums or in some circumstances, annually. These will show on your bank statement and are not paid to the adviser or broker. Even with all the mergers and subsequent name changes for the insurance company you are paying, you will receive a plethora of correspondence, the main challenge being to keep up to speed of who say Commerical Union, Clerical Medical, Friends Provident, Skandia (and so on) now are. You have a unique policy number. If in any doubt get in touch. If you are unsure if you have enough financial protection or perhaps too much now, please ask.

As for the series by Sharon Horgan, I thoroughly enjoyed it. My purpose here is not to suggest otherwise, merely to explain how an insurance claim would work in practice. Here is the trailer for the series, with a cast that includes….

You can read more articles about Pensions, Wealth Management, Retirement, Investments, Financial Planning and Estate Planning on my blog which gets updated every week. If you would like to talk to me about your personal wealth planning and how we can make you stay wealthier for longer then please get in touch by calling 08000 736 273 or email info@solomonsifa.co.uk

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Life assurance – not all it seemsJemima Thomas2023-12-01T12:12:41+00:00

NOWHERE SPECIAL

TODAY’S BLOG

NOWHERE SPECIAL

The backdrop of a constant flow of awful news, was given some temporary relief through film. “Nowhere Special” is a marvellous little film from Director Uberto Pasolini and I think it’s quite an important one. There is some wonderful acting and storytelling. Uplifting, because against this tide of awfulness, there is the ability to see a different life, to walk in the shoes of someone else. Yet it is most definitely a tale of sadness.

In a nutshell, John (James Norton) is a single parent, raising his primary-school aged son Michael. John has a terminal illness and is attempting to find a family that will adopt his son.Certainly, it’s a horrible situation, one in which I am reminded that life gets turned upside down by changes to health. The only good thing about cancer is the opportunity it usually provides to prepare for death in a way that most of us do not.

Toby, (one of my closest friends) died from cancer in 2006. That’s already fifteen years ago! He was 37. His original diagnosis was in 1996, it was rare – multiple endocrine neoplasia (MEN). We were both grateful that I’d persuaded him at just 26 to take out some financial protection which mercifully paid out once he was diagnosed. It wasn’t anything like “enough” in my view, but at the age we were at the time, neither of us really expected the array of problems that come with poor health and the impact on family finances. We simply didn’t know better. There were many difficulties and awful experiences, as well as many wonderful ones. It doesn’t seem 15 years ago.

HOW WILL WE BE REMEMBERED?

A topic of conversation was regularly how his two children would remember him. He created a memory box for each of them, wrote journals and placed important mementos into their boxes (something that John does in the film too). To my mind it was a valuable use of his time, despite his sapping energy levels. I was reminded of this experience watching the film. Michael, (the son) is younger than either of Toby’s two children at the time, though both they and mine lived through the experience of regularly wondering when the end may arrive. Unlike Michael, Toby was married and not alone in raising his children or facing cancer. It became clear to me that whilst he had the diagnosis, cancer was a daily reality for them all.

This is not an attempt to get you to take out insurance. To be blunt, I’m more concerned that you (and I) have good relationships with those we care about and, if I may, encourage you to leave some form of memory box of who you are. I know life is a journey, that we change and evolve over time, but as Chirstmas time is upon us, take a moment to ponder how those closest to you might remember you. Perhaps a memory box should be a work in progress – a reminder of who we are and who we are becoming. Christmas is of course a time for good cheer, but its also a milestone in all our lives (however we feel or whatever we believe about it). It acts as another measure of time and the direction in which we find ourselves.

I don’t think it too bold an assumption to presume that you have had difficulties in your life, that you have known loss and grief. As a financial planner, it is a regular part of my work and over the last 3 decades I have seen and felt the impact. We plan for these awful events but experiencing them is usually rather more emotional. That’s why I urge you to get your Will done, your Power of Attorney in place and a suitable amount of protection. I hope it’s something you don’t have to experience for a very long time, but death eventually comes to us all.

Life can change very suddenly, as your planner I help you prepare for the worst whilst hoping for the best. As for today, live it as fully as you are able, make good memories.

Anyway, here is the trailer. It’s worth your ticket price and some. 9/10. I think it’s rather special. Its certainly available via Curzon and I hope other platforms too.

Get in touch to talk over any issues that this raises for you. For clarity I have had permission to from Toby’s widow to relate this story. If you know anyone with MEN, there is a very good charity (AMEND) that has much more information.

Dominic Thomas
Solomons IFA

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Solomon’s Independent Financial Advisers
The Old Bakery, 2D Edna Road, Raynes Park, London, SW20 8BT

Email – info@solomonsifa.co.uk Call – 020 8542 8084

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