MONEY OFFERS OPPORTUNITY

Solomons-financial-advisor-wimbledon-blogger

MONEY OFFERS OPPORTUNITY

For some people the answer to almost any question is money. Whilst I would not underestimate its power, money is simply a method of exchange. In the most part having money means having choices and more opportunities. This doesn’t mean that those without it have no choices or no opportunities, but quite obviously they are much more limited.

Money is the oil in a system to get things done. However as is also pretty evident, possessing a lot of wealth does not really mean that more opportunities are taken, indeed choices might appear to become more limited, falling into social expectations about what to buy, possess, retain whilst protecting with ever more complex security.

SOLOMONS IFA REVIEW BLOG BAD TIMES AT THE EL ROYALE

CRIMINAL INTENT

There are always those that are willing to extract your money from you. This week I had yet another person confide in me that they were victims of a financial scam and felt too ashamed or embarrassed to admit it to others. Most of us, of course, work hard for our earnings, we don’t steel of kill for it. That said, one of the myths that I grew up with was that hard work pays. This is quite obviously not true. Plenty of people work hard or long hours and are not well paid, existing just above the bread-line, hence the need to work long hours. There are others that simply work in a way that by no measure appears “hard” yet are rewarded or remunerated very handsomely. This is of course simply another of life’s “welcome to adulthood” lessons.

DESPERATE TIMES AND DESPERATE MEASURES

Those with very few opportunities, that possess the right skills at the right time can have their lives improved enormously by some helpful cash. One of the few common agreements about the Chancellor’s Budget is an unsaid one… we all would like to keep or get a bit more.

Take Darlene Sweet, a singer is living hand to mouth, gig-to-gig, struggling to get by and desperate for a moment, a lucky break. It’s all about the books you read, the places you visit and the people you meet… right? Well for Darlene, she happened to check into a hotel (the El Royale) near Lake Tahoe, on the border with Nevada and California… but the other guests, staff and hotel are not all that they appear to be.

The latest movie “Bad Times at the El Royale” by director Drew Goddard plays with our sense of security, individuality and ability to adapt to new information. What people will do to protect their own interests, how they respond to extortion and how easily manipulated most of us are. A bad night for the guests, made worse with the arrival of Billy Lee, a knock off of Charles Manson, duping followers with half-truths about money, power and corruption, explaining choice whilst amassing greater wealth and abusing the power he has over those that trust him. The proverbial thief in the night…

Here’s the trailer for the new movie. There was a fair bit of disagreement within my family about whether the movie is any good, I found it quite gripping and delightfully shot – with scenes reminiscent of Nighthawks by Hopper. My daughter however felt it dragged, the acting was poor and the entire thing overly simplistic…

Dominic Thomas
Solomons IFA

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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The Price of a Dress

In this rather royal week in which we celebrate the 90th birthday of our Queen, there is another cultural icon who would have been 90 at the start of this month – Marilyn Monroe. For those of you that have an interest in cinematic things and perhaps alternative investments, you may recall I wrote about the auction of one of Marilyn Monroe’s dresses from the Seven Year Itch that sold for $4.6m five years ago. If that is something that interests you, then why not get along to the Design Centre in Chelsea Harbour for a Marilyn exhibition. It runs until 2oth June and is free.

The curated exhibition includes Marilyn Monroe’s never seen before personal treasures and original costumes from notable films like ‘Niagara’ and ‘No Business Like Show Business’. Visitors will be taken on an epic journey through her life, transported into her world through the lens of style, photography and film.

Epitomising the high glamour of 1950s Hollywood, the exhibition represents iconic fashion pieces from the David Gainsborough-Roberts collection and includes the sheer beaded dress from ‘Some Like It Hot’. These will be complemented by her favourite jewellery, watches and accessories.

LONDON, ENGLAND – MAY 25: Costume, jewellery and private letters from Marilyn’s personal collection at the launch of Marilyn Monroe: Legacy of a Legend exhibition at Design Centre on May 25, 2016 in London, England. (Photo by Stuart C. Wilson/Getty Images for Design Centre, Chelsea Harbour )

Marilyn Monroe: The Legacy Of A Legend Morning Photocall With World’s Leading Lookalike Suzie Kennedy

Behind the scenes

In a stunning contrast between her personal life and her dazzling public persona, Marilyn Monroe: The Legacy of a Legend Exhibition will take a behind-the-scenes look at the screen actress’s life through a selection of incredibly personal papers from the estate of Lee Strasberg including Marilyn’s journals and hand written letters. Drawings, from naive still life to figure studies, are in a variety of mediums while her poetry hints at her intellectual curiosity, vulnerability and humanity.

Design Centre, Chelsea Harbour is a leading platform for a broad spectrum of creative disciplines in the capital. Best known as a world-leading destination for excellence in luxury interiors, it supports cutting-edge expression across the design agenda, making it a natural home for this exhibition.

“Claire German, managing director of Design Centre, Chelsea Harbour, said “Design Centre, Chelsea Harbour embraces and celebrates all creative expression, so we’re delighted to present such a multi-dimensional exhibition to the public for the first time. We’re curating it in a truly immersive and innovative way, all to be revealed on the 25th May.”

The exhibition, in collaboration with Julien’s Auctions, will be the first, and only time that this incredible collection of pieces is available for public viewing in the UK.

Click here for opening times for the Design Centre, Chelsea Harbour.

Dominic Thomas
Solomons IFA