As I record this there are almost 3,500 people in the Meaningful Money Facebook group.

I get tons of emails every week and then there are social media comments, podcast reviews and

loads of other ways for people to get in touch with me here and I've noticed a

trend in the comments and questions that I get and I want to address it.

Now this trend is totally understandable. In fact, its very existence is the reason I have a job as a financial planner.

In short, people want to know what they should do in any given situation, and the absolute

nature of that word and some other words is not always helpful.

So let's stick five minutes on the clock. Say a quick thank you to my friends at 7 Investment Management for continuing to sponsor the show and let's crack on.

Now I have a job because people want me to advise them as to what they should do and in almost every single situation there is far

more than just one potential course of action. As a regulated financial advisor

though my job is to stick my neck on the line As a and see in order to put your finances in what I believe is the best position for you to achieve

your aims that you've told me about. So I have to tell the client what they should do,

but actually I'm giving them what I think, what I hope is the best option at that time.

If that turns out to be the wrong thing for whatever reason, then I'm on the hook for that

advice and the client has redress. But if you're going it alone you don't have any redress

so it's totally understandable to be hesitant to take anything other than the

perfect course of action I mean you owe that to yourself to get it right right now the problem

is that there is no perfect course of action but many courses of action some of which will be better

than others but any one of which will probably serve you perfectly well.

Financial planning by definition is a mishmash of variables, assumptions and possibilities

as well as the ever-moving target of political meddling with the and

face faced with the ever-moving target of political meddling with the tax and pension systems.

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