The State of This

Dominic Thomas
Nov 2024  •  1 min read

The State of This

When a clown moves into a palace, he doesn’t become a King. The palace becomes a circus.

Today I must once again face the struggle to recognise that I cannot control very much at all. I cannot control how people vote either here or in another country. I have to come to terms with the sadness, anger and disappointment that for reasons I simply fail to understand, Americans have voted for someone who wouldn’t be fit to work in any organisation I have ever been involved with. In my sector, the regulator would not permit a position of authority to such a person and hopefully not even a license to practice. Think about that for a moment.

I can control my responses, which is far easier to say (and write) than it is in practice. I can acknowledge my feelings of rage and the decisions taken, for which I have a variety of colourful terms, but I will not give way to my ire here.

Despite being a sad moment (and from my perspective a very dangerous one) for most of the planet, I remain committed to positive change. To doing the little that I can to improve life for those in my orbit and where possible those outside of it.

We will be here, at the ‘coalface’ of the struggle between your values and value, between enough and too much, between lack and excess, between conflicting feelings and realities. The nuance of life in all its glory, the choices that each of us make on a daily basis as we step forward into an unknown future, which has today become a little more precarious than it was yesterday.

We only have time, the important things are those that unite and bind us as humans, which are surprisingly simple and often forgotten.

Hope not hate.

Life is brief, his tenure will end.

The State of This2024-11-06T13:47:33+00:00

The grass is greener

Dominic Thomas
Feb 2024  •  4 min read

The grass is greener

Hedwig walks her ageing mother Linna into the large garden where the grandchildren are playing…

LINNA: It’s huge. I’m speechless.

HEDWIG; It’s all my design. All the planting and everything. The greenhouse, the gazebo at the end.

LINNA: Is that a pool?

HEDWIG: Yes. I have gardeners. I couldn’t do it alone.

LINNA: With a slide? Oh Heddy.

(There’s a child-sized wooden row boat on the lawn next to the pool).

HEDWIG :Do you like it?

LINNA: Of course I like it. How could I not?

HEDWIG: This was a field three years ago. We just had the lower garden by the street. And the house had a flat roof.

LINNA: It’s hard to believe. (Linna turns). And that’s the camp wall?

HEDWIG :Yes, that’s the camp wall. We planted more vines at the back to grow and cover it. LINNA: Maybe Esther Silberman is over there.

HEDWIG :Which one was she?

LINNA: The one I used to clean for. She was the one who had the book readings.

HEDWIG: Oh, yes.

(Screenplay Zone of Interest by Jonathan Glazer based on the novel by Martin Amis.

Zone of Interest is a film that I suspect few will see; yet it is nominated for an Oscar and a BAFTA. My experience of it was one of utter horror, staring into the blank face of evil, arguably the most uncomfortable watch that I have ever endured. Most people haven’t heard about the film – it is subtitled and largely in German.

In the excerpt above, we witness how detached from normal life Hedwig and her family have become. Of course, the extent of this detachment reveals a psychopathic nature, but, nevertheless it is a reminder of how far people go to block out the sight of horror. Hedwig is the wife of Rudolf Hoss, SS commander at Auschwitz.

Of course, this is horror of their deliberate making and approval, something barely imaginable, yet part of our modern history in which millions were murdered. Hedwig’s home sits next to the camp fence, the contrast in life experience could not be more stark, yet both share the same polluted air and weather.

Unless you are psychopathic yourself (you are not, if you are reading my blog!) it will be a harrowing experience to watch this film. We do not witness any violence, there is no need to, we hear the regular gunshots, the sounds of women being separated from their children, new arrivals by freight train and the smoke billowing from the chimneys.

Whilst being a poignant, historical reminder of crimes against humanity that we must never forget, it is also perhaps a metaphor for how I (and we all) manage to avoid looking at horrible things. Whatever our life circumstances, it’s not Auschwitz. Our relative peace and security, comfort, good fortune are not experienced by all. As humans, we have to turn away from horror in order to survive, we cannot constantly look without becoming consumed by it. Social media rapidly reveals the extremities of life around the world into the palm of our hands, we have to scroll past or choose not to look. I have no answers (well, few..) for this; other than it is our common experience and we all filter things out … we have to.

For most of us, we simply want to ensure that our lives remain good, prosperous and that our families have and maintain a sense of security in a broken and fragile world. I do not have a single client who is determined to simply amass as much as they can, which I suspect is a criticism of those who refuse to seek financial advice. The sort of people I work with have a sense of what is ‘enough’ and are not seeking to outdo the billionaires.

The grass is sometimes greener on the other side, but the Faustian price of it is always too high for anyone who wishes to have a connected life. We may have a philosophical opinion on the differences between needs, wants, desires and greed; the truth, as is often the case, is hard to distinguish except at the extremities.

Good financial planning is full of your goals for life; great financial planning is infused with your values as well.

As for the film, I believe that it is important, for precisely the reasons you imagine but it is a very difficult experience. As I imagine is intended, I did not care for any of the central characters, I didn’t even want to look at the screen as ‘matters were discussed’ as though  merely regular business meetings.  It was an endurance test for the viewer, but of course is nothing compared to those who briefly resided on the other side of the wall.

The grass is greener2024-02-16T14:12:19+00:00

The crisis of living

Dominic Thomas
Dec 2024  •  3 min read

The crisis of living

Sometimes life throws something in your way that forces you to stop to think about its direction. We all tend to have landmark moments and of course the context, timing, and nature of them vary enormously. However, they all tend to pose a version of the same question … “so what now?”

One of the underrated skills of a good financial planner is to consider the things that we don’t want to think about. It would be normal for most to assume that this is the impact of a major economic crisis, financial meltdown, or some disaster to your portfolio. Whilst these things do happen, (regularly!) there is a degree of predictability about them, barring the final moment of global collapse, should that ever happen. These events (barring the apocalypse) are ‘baked in’ to your financial plan, making allowances for market corrections and reductions in capital values.

The real-life challenges are those we witness personally, perhaps experience vicariously or through the arts. These are the crises that we all probably wish away and hope that it doesn’t happen to us. Perhaps a marriage ending, a child dies, an addiction, a business bankruptcy, redundancy, a life-threatening illness, death, loss of loved ones or loss of personal mental capacity and independence.

These are no small matters, and I wouldn’t presume to pretend that financial planning removes the stress of such situations. However, raising such issues enables us to do some planning, but sometimes helps simply to acknowledge the reality that we cannot control very much in life at all. I will also not claim any special skills or talent in this area, it’s a minefield of values, beliefs and emotions. However, experience has taught me to face these challenges personally and with clients. I have improved my ability to ask the pertinent questions over the decades, but of course responses differ and there are no ‘right answers’.

Coming to terms with loss… 

I was asked to speak at a funeral of a friend who died much too young. One of the things I believe is that life is about coming to terms with loss. The majority of the gathered crowd simply stared back at me, looking incredulous. So perhaps I should’ve explained my position rather better. Life is precious, it’s a gift, it’s a miracle that any of us are here. It is also incredibly brief and once you have got over your own infant state of omnipotence (which for most of us happens in early childhood) you realise that everything you have and hold dear will eventually leave you. Whether that’s friends, brain cells, careers, skills, loved ones, money, energy, mind, health and so on… your va-va-voom eventually. Coming to terms with this isn’t always easy, in fact I’d say it’s a lifetime education. However, it will come to us all.

How do you measure a year? Seasons of Love – 525,600 minutes

One of my favourite musicals is Rent by the marvellous Jonathan Larson (who died the night before its premier – imagine that!). He begs the question “how do you measure a year?”. Of course we value your portfolio and consider its returns against markets; this is obviously sensible in the context in which we operate, but frankly, these are not measures of your life. I’m probably two thirds of the way through my lifetime, maybe it will be longer or shorter, but however much time I have left, I am grateful for each day (I’m practicing at getting better at this) and believe that it is my responsibility to get (and give) the most out of it. To experience connection and make meaning, which will almost certainly be forgotten within 100 years or less.

The assumption that tomorrow will be like today is deeply flawed. Carpe diem and all that. I’m not suggesting that we should live in a state of euphoric life maximisation (even if it is possible to do so); but certainly to consider the reality of loss as a built-in design of life. Pretending it isn’t so seems incredibly naive (at best). When such unwelcome challenges arrive at your door, plans have to change, sometimes dramatically.

I know that many of you have had these experiences and at times life is very hard. I cannot promise easy fixes, soft landings or neat solutions; I can simply promise that my team and I are empathetic and very much in your corner.

Your timeline is your own, we will help you to identify many of the key milestones that lie ahead and help plan for them. It is my belief that your financial plan should be rammed full of the things, people and experiences that you truly value.

Links: Rent the musical: https://broadwaymusicalhome.com/shows/rent.htm#gsc.tab=0

Seasons of Love song: https://youtu.be/PgBjMZ4IeKY?si=h0TgWf_BNxc-TfCU

Seasons of Love Lyrics: https://genius.com/Original-broadway-cast-of-rent-seasons-of-love-lyrics

The crisis of living2023-12-07T15:34:02+00:00

Lost Gardens of Heligan

Debbie Harris 
August 2023  •  5 min read

Lost Gardens of Heligan

I spent last week in a beautiful part of the world called Gorran Haven, Cornwall.

I have been going there each year with my wider family for over 20 years – it’s our home from home (17 of us attended this year!).

Many years ago, we visited The Lost Gardens of Heligan which is (as their website says) an “astonishing story of regeneration”.

In the 1990s these Victorian productive and ornamental gardens were rediscovered in the grounds of an old mansion house under mountains of brambles and ivy and since then have been lovingly restored to something close to their former glory across 200 acres (so far).

On the estate, there are ‘living sculptures’, magnificent woodland walks, bee hives, farm animals, a ‘jungle’, giant rhubarb plants, enormous rhododendrons, productive gardens (herbs, vegetables, fruit), pleasure grounds, natural climbing trails for kids and adults alike and many ‘work’ areas that were used in Victorian times and have been left much as they were – all providing something of a glimpse back in time.

We went again this year and I was most inspired by the growth that had taken place since my last visit – the workforce there have managed to achieve an evolution of sorts without appearing to have interfered too much with nature’s processes.  It was as wonderful as I remembered; in fact it was better – largely not too much had been tampered with; but certain things had been tweaked, enhanced, emphasised and it was breathtaking.

On reflection, it reminded me (a little!) of why we tell our clients to trust the investment process – it’s a long-term endeavour; it only needs minor tweaks along the way; and can be managed effectively with mindful and careful ‘interference’.  Importantly it takes time and patience (and an expert hand).  Your financial plan may not look like a fine ornamental garden; it may not be an inspirational thing of beauty; but it is ultimately your creation and speaks of your life, your wishes, your legacy and ought therefore to be treated with respect and care by people who think it matters – you and us.

Lost Gardens of Heligan2023-12-01T12:12:29+00:00

Tilly – the day my dog died

The day my dog died

You may have met Tilly, my golden cocker spaniel… well in truth she was a mix between a Cocker and Springer (a ‘Sprocker’). She often came with me to the office and (being a little too friendly) may have greeted you or been ushered into one of the other rooms.

Tilly was my first dog, after much ‘discussion’ and persuasion, I eventually capitulated to the calls from my family to take the plunge. That was back in 2009. I can tell you that the reasons for my reluctance to become a dog owner were largely right, but also totally wrong. The daily walks come rain, shine or snow did me enormous good – indeed much of this quiet time was spent thinking about how I could help clients, develop the business or simply be a better human.

Tilly became a companion and the phrase ‘a man’s best friend’ resonated. Not a human friendship of course, but one of complete acceptance of me. During lockdown, I took to posting rather more pictures of our walks together as I’d been encouraged to do so – some found it helpful to see the normality of a middle-aged bloke walking his dog. You can see many of them on my social media accounts should you wish to.

On holiday this summer it became evident that Tilly was not well. We returned home a day earlier than planned for a trip to the vet. Suspicions were confirmed and drugs to help with eating and weight loss prescribed. A couple of weeks later, she was in a poor state and reluctantly we made the decision to say goodbye. The vet said that this was definitely the right thing to be doing. I called my family so that they could all come home to say goodbye.

It was horrible. I suspect many of you have had such an experience, it’s horrid. There is the lingering feeling of ‘was this really the right thing to have done?’; to have been alive one moment and gone the next, so suddenly.

I was struck by my own feelings about the loss; genuinely deeply sorrowful. I could reflect on many lovely memories, but was acutely aware that this part of my journey was at an end. I found myself replaying that last day over and over in my mind – could I and should I have done things differently? The thing is, as we all know, it’s all so final isn’t it?

To be clear, grief isn’t a new experience for me. Sadly, over the last 30 years I have lost several close family and friends, and another dear friend in February. Not people from the expected older generation and not dying of ‘old age’, but invariably very sudden and catastrophic changes in health. These are experiences that many of us have had, and all of us have in the end.

Tilly

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

Tilly – the day my dog died2023-12-01T12:12:43+00:00

EVERYBODY DIES

TODAY’S BLOG

EVERYBODY DIES…

Death is an inescapable part of life. Over recent years, it has become apparent to me how important financial planning is when it comes to death. Grief is an incredibly difficult sort of sadness to grapple with. I often find when you lose someone you love, you feel as if the world should stop, as if everyone and everything should freeze but, contrary to this feeling, life goes on.

‘Money’ is possibly the last thing on your mind during those times and we hope to break down some of the financial stigmas around this; and empower men and women alike to have financial understanding and freedom.  At Solomon’s we have a strong desire for both parties in a couple to attend client meetings and encourage meaningful conversations with family members.  Knowing your desires and priorities helps us to tailor a financial plan just for you, enabling you to make the most of your life in the present; to be prepared for the worst; and to facilitate the ability to leave something behind for your loved ones, should you so wish.

Having known families who have had to pull their children out of private school because they can’t afford the fees any longer, and people having to leave their beloved family homes, I cannot express strongly enough how important insurance is.  Whilst protection policies are not something we would usually organise for you at Solomon’s, they can form a vital part of your financial plan.  We use a really good specialist firm to arrange protection policies for our clients – if this is something you need, please let us know and we will pass you on to them.

Many people have an ‘it won’t happen to me’ attitude and unfortunately that is simply just not true. These things are out of our control and so preparing for the unknown helps make transitions easier should they need to take place. It is often thought of as an expense that could be spared, but wouldn’t it be wonderful if that money spent turned out to have been ‘wasted’.  In the meantime, you have peace of mind that your family will be financially cared for in the event that the worst happens. It’s not a happy thought; but it’s an important one.

Abigail Liddicott
Solomons IFA

You can read more articles about Pensions, Wealth Management, Retirement, Investments, Financial Planning and Estate Planning on our blog which gets updated every week. If you would like to talk to us 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

GET IN TOUCH

Solomon’s Independent Financial Advisers
The Old Mill Cobham Park Road, COBHAM Surrey, KT11 3NE

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

7 QUESTIONS, NO WAFFLE

Are we a good fit for you?

GET IN TOUCH

Solomon’s Independent Financial Advisers
The Old Mill Cobham Park Road, COBHAM Surrey, KT11 3NE

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

7 QUESTIONS, NO WAFFLE

Are we a good fit for you?

EVERYBODY DIES2023-12-01T12:12:46+00:00

Money is not a peace of mind, it’s a choice

Jemima Thomas
May 2022  •  5 min read

Money is not peace of mind, it’s a choice

If you are looking for a gritty (anxiety inducing) series to binge, then Ozark on Netflix is for you. The series is about a financial adviser who drags his family from Chicago to the Missouri Ozarks, where he must launder money to appease a drug boss. So basically it’s a show about Solomon’s! (Please note this is very clearly a joke and we are not affiliated to this fictional TV series).

I was very pleased to see how many hits (yes, I stalk this on the regular) my first blog post ‘Slow and Steady’ got a few months ago, and I’m hoping that my youthful (and often under-represented) perspective will be mildly interesting to read again …

Amusing to some I’m sure, but I’ve always used the backdrop of art mediums such as film and TV to understand more about life, and there are a huge amount of personal parallels that resonated with me whilst watching Ozark. For one, the show is filled with financial lessons and quotes that have stuck with me. One of my favourites comes from lead character Marty: “Patience. Frugality. Sacrifice. When you boil it down, what do those three things have in common? Those are choices. Money is not peace of mind. Money is, at its essence that measure of a man’s choices.” For me this completely encompasses why we do what we do here at Solomon’s, and why great financial planning is so important.

Finding a good financial planner is a choice. And I truly believe it’s one of the best and often life-changing decisions you can make. Aside from the obvious differences of what Solomon’s does and what character Marty does (we aren’t laundering money, killing people, or secretly working for drug lords), we are however helping our clients invest their money wisely, something that I have begun to do myself. Perhaps I’m avidly searching for advice more often now both in ‘life’ and when it comes to my own finances, but I am acutely aware of the importance of having a financial plan.

Life isn’t always straightforward and is constantly changing, but some financial lessons are staple and vital in the long-run. Much like what happens to Marty and his family throughout each season, they are constantly having to adapt under severe life or death scenarios, and it’s eye-opening to see (although fictional) what people choose to do to save themselves financially.

Choices are also wrapped up in mistakes – mistakes are wrapped up in choices

Advice isn’t something I take lightly. I used to despise unwarranted advice, especially in my teenage years where I probably had a chip on my shoulder and felt most lost. But as I’m getting older, it’s something I welcome with open arms, and usually ask for. Other people’s mistakes often teach the biggest life lessons, and an open mind allows the space for us to learn from one another.

I get to read and listen to clients’ stories regularly as part of my work on Spotlight (our client magazine), and we often ask ‘’If you could go back and give your 20-year old self advice, what would it be?” and the responses are always helpful and interesting. When people feel comfortable and safe enough to talk about their financial mistakes (or any mistake for that matter), I am reminded that every day is a school day.

Money is not a peace of mind, it’s a choice2023-12-01T12:12:50+00:00

TWENTY-ONE

TODAY’S BLOG

TWENTY-ONE

We have turned twenty-one. We are still here and growing again as I outlined in my last post. One of the many aspects of my work that I really love is the constant learning and improving. Whilst learning new things often seems a little frightening, a little bit of time and perhaps a lot of work can  provide a reassuring perspective.

It is tempting at anniversaries to do a lot of looking back at what has been achieved. However today I was introduced to a fairly stark image – no, not the usual pictures of backtracking ministers or inept politicians – a reminder that life is very, very short.

TEMPUS FUGIT – OUR CONSTANT

The author, Tim Urban (really?) continues to use and develop his basic visual tool to explore other ideas, but these all stem from the same basic idea of measuring life in different types of units, rather than perhaps monetary ones. A good financial planner will have discussed this notion to some extent with you – trying to help you appreciate that life is short and you may not get to do all the things you say you would like to do because time runs out. This is fundamental to any good financial plan in terms of knowing how much is enough. I’m not meaning “just enough” but enough.

The graphic shows a human life to age 90. For many humans, this will be longer than they actually live, for some it will not be nearly long enough. Tim spends time reflecting on things he does with his time and then tries to estimate how much he has done and how much he has left. It helps him to focus on what is important to him.

I wonder what you think? Its easy to get started with your own life in weeks, but its also rather daunting when you see how much time remains… hopefully. So I’m likely to adapt this idea to help you think about what’s actually important in your life and what you definitely don’t want to run out of time for. Anyway, the place to start is where you are now… and then cross out everything before or mark it as completed…. I’m available to discuss.

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

GET IN TOUCH

Solomon’s Independent Financial Advisers
The Old Mill Cobham Park Road, COBHAM Surrey, KT11 3NE

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

7 QUESTIONS, NO WAFFLE

Are we a good fit for you?

GET IN TOUCH

Solomon’s Independent Financial Advisers
The Old Mill Cobham Park Road, COBHAM Surrey, KT11 3NE

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

7 QUESTIONS, NO WAFFLE

Are we a good fit for you?

TWENTY-ONE2023-12-01T12:13:14+00:00

10 MINUTE CHALLENGE

TODAY’S BLOG

10 MINUTE CHALLENGE

We are continuing to work on the “10 Minute Challenge”. This is meant to make life a lot easier for you to gradually compile data and send it back to us (some of it). This has been our most successful “campaign” of any description to date – in 21 years. There is no agenda other than to help you get organised – or frankly anyone you know and care about to do the same.

WHY BOTHER?

Well in short, life is brief. COVID has rather got us all to remember that truth. You may have suffered a serious or mild form of COVID and it left you wondering whether you might make it through the night. This is entirely understandable as an anxiety. Given the lack of contact with others if you have COVID, then passing on last minute requests or information is all somewhat difficult, perhaps impossible. So get yourself organised. I know it is the most morbid of thoughts, but if you were to die suddenly, how on earth are your family, friends or beneficiraies going to get started trying to understand all your “stuff” – partucualry if you haven’t got it organised. We all want to be remembered well, but I can assure you from personal and professional experience, being able to find documents and information easily when administering an estate makes the world of difference and those that leave things well organised leave a lasting impression.

So if you haven’t started, just get going. If you have, please keep going!

Click here for the link to our page with lots of short videos and mugshot from nagging adviser. The image below is not the page itself

10 Minutes Page

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

GET IN TOUCH

Solomon’s Independent Financial Advisers
The Old Mill Cobham Park Road, COBHAM Surrey, KT11 3NE

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

7 QUESTIONS, NO WAFFLE

Are we a good fit for you?

GET IN TOUCH

Solomon’s Independent Financial Advisers
The Old Mill Cobham Park Road, COBHAM Surrey, KT11 3NE

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

7 QUESTIONS, NO WAFFLE

Are we a good fit for you?

10 MINUTE CHALLENGE2023-12-01T12:13:15+00:00

LUCKY

Lucky

The last film starring Harry Dean Stanton is now on general release. This is the story of Lucky, (Harry Dean Stanton) a man who has survived everything. His quaint daily routines in small-town USA may help to explain his longevity but never explain his story. We see an elderly man living his daily rituals,  a wash, morning yoga, cigarette, coffee, walk to the corner shop to buy cigarettes followed by stopping at the local café for the never-ending supply of coffee and time to sit to solve crosswords. Home to unwind and watch some day-time TV quiz shows, a call to a friend to exchange word for the day, followed by an evening visit to the local bar for a Bloody Mary… or two. Repeat. His demeanour often grumpy, somewhat cantankerous, he delivers pithy quips to those around him. At first he appears not to care much about for them, but of course this isn’t really the case.

There’s a difference between lonely and being alone

One day he falls at home, prompting a comical trip to his GP, (Ed Begley Jr) who is confounded at how Lucky is still alive, given his packet-a-day smoking habit. He is lucky.  The episode prompts him to reflect more deeply on the meaning of his life and we see how his community responds to him, who are clearly able to see beyond the somewhat grouchy persona on display. Equally Lucky seems able to retain a lightness about himself, that accepts others and seems to find a level of intimacy with them that is both charming and real.

Plan your end

Lucky has a feisty, blunt exchange with Bobby Lawrence, (Ron Livingston) to be honest I cannot remember if he was an insurance salesman or a lawyer, but either way he is attempting to ensure Howard (David Lynch) organises his financial affairs. There is certainly a suspicion that Bobby does not play a straight-hand as Howard now seems to have nobody except his tortoise, Roosevelt, which invokes some mirth and some wonderful metaphors.

Lucky: He’s gone, Howard, and you’re all alone. We come in alone, and we go out alone.

Bobby: That’s awfully bleak.

Lucky: It’s beautiful. “Alone” comes from two words, all-one. It’s in the dictionary.

What do you do with that?

There are some fabulous lines about mortality, but essentially the film is about how Lucky comes to a sense of acceptance, albeit with anxiety, about his end. This is served up in recalled memories of the worst day of his life, a traumatic WW2 memory shared by a fellow vet Fred (Tom Skerritt) who met courage in a 7 year-old girl, “the sort that they don’t have medals for”… and a heart-warming scene for a 10 year-old Juan’s Mexican family birthday party.

You smile

Lucky he is indeed, for those on whom he made an impact and those that impressed friendship, or at the very least, a sense of connection upon him. In the final sequence, Lucky exits stage left after a knowing and rather wry wink to camera.

There is something in the movie that resonates with my sense of unvarnished truth. Lucky has his and delivers it without request or warning. I hope that I do not do the same, but fear those that know me best would probably recognise it. Then again, I’m also like Bobby Lawrence trying to guide people to plan sensibly for their end… though I hope without the inferences of being a beneficiary of the Will! As ever, many will have a very different reaction to this film, not much happens over 88 minutes, then again everything happens in 88 minutes.

Here is the trailer.

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

LUCKY2023-12-01T12:17:50+00:00
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