What is your special interest or particular field of expertise in the financial services sector right now?
Administration: my professional background encapsulates sales, marketing and secretarial – in administration I can utilise my entire skillset.
What is the most important aspect of your work, in relation to clients, or the part of your day-to-day role which gives you the most satisfaction?
Dealing with clients, helping them to submit investment applications, withdraw income payments or change personal details etc. The clients appreciate my help with all aspects of the paperwork involved, as the technical jargon and amount of documentation needed can sometimes feel overwhelming for the layman.
What’s special/unique/most interesting about the region you work in?
The weather and surrounding countryside! The Costa del Sol is so diverse with its beaches, mountains, white-washed pueblos, lakes and wildlife; every day is special on the Costa.
Right now, what is your one piece of invaluable information for expats or anyone seeking retirement planning and wealth management advice?
Ensure that the company is fully regulated and licensed, with fully qualified advisers who keep themselves up to date with the ever-changing market and laws. Do your research first before you approach any company for advice. Sorry, that´s two!
Blacktower already has a long and successful history in the sector, how will you and your colleagues continue to offer value to clients in the next 20 years and beyond?
By monitoring the markets and keeping on top of the frequent changes within the sector. On-going training and information are key.
Tell us an interesting fact about yourself.
I was Ladies Surrey Pool Champion in the late 90s!
This communication is for informational purposes only and is not intended to constitute, and should not be construed as, investment advice, investment recommendations or investment research. You should seek advice from a professional adviser before embarking on any financial planning activity. Whilst every effort has been made to ensure the information contained in this communication is correct, we are not responsible for any errors or omissions.
Over the years, the trend for South African nationals to seek out new lives and experiences in Portugal has continued to grow and grow; I myself made the move back in 1988 as a fresh-faced economics graduate from Witswatersrand University in Johannesburg, and I’ve never looked back. It’s easy to see the appeal for South Africans – the year-round sunshine and vast expanses of Atlantic coastline are a familiar part of daily life, just as they are back home – but the secure location and easy access to the rest of Europe is something really special. Being as there’s over 11,000 KM of distance between the two countries, a mere 12 hrs by plane give or take, there are going to be some big differences in the way of life, even if there are those obvious similarities. It’s probably advisable for any emigrant to arrive armed with a willingness to accept how things are done in their new home country rather than try to carry on as before and hope for the best. This is never more true than when dealing with your finances.