My brother, sister and I grew up in a happy home. Mum and Dad loved each other more than anything in the world – except perhaps us kids – and only cancer could tear them apart. Mum’s passing at only 47 years of age taught me so many lessons I still carry with me today, some of which I hope to share with you as time goes on.
Dad was a truck driver working long days and hard nights; Newcastle to Wollongong twice a day can certainly take its toll on one’s health and quality of life. To this day I don’t know how Dad did it for so long. Mum was our rock. She kept the truck on the road, paid the bills, did the invoicing and scheduled repairs – all the while ensuring Dad got some rest and us kids never went without. An incredibly inspiring woman, for all the little reasons.
However life wasn’t without its challenges when it came to money. Now don’t get me wrong, Mum and Dad earned a decent living in their day but where there was money there was angst: the truck lease, the fuel costs and the mortgage – and this is all before you get to the needs of three growing teenagers.
Growing up my siblings and I never fully understood all the challenges – Like most parents Mum and Dad shielded us from as much of the bad stuff as they could – but in times of tears and frustration we knew money was so often involved.
My parents had a financial adviser, or at least that’s what he called himself. In reality, he was an insurance salesman that used to call into the house once in a blue moon. No guidance, no support – just pushing a product when he saw an opportunity.
Without a clear direction, a solid plan, or professional available to use as a sounding board for ideas, Mum and Dad did what most people do; they made their own decisions and learned by trial and error, often with costly results. But more than the money, this approach chewed up their most valued resource of time! Before they could figure out they should have done it differently it was too late to make much meaningful impact on the end result.
When I started on the path to deciding what I should do with my life I reflected upon my parents’ experiences. I recall thinking “if I could help people avoid the pitfalls and traps Mum and Dad fell into – whatever they were – then maybe I would enjoy my work!”
This is where my journey began.
Perhaps you have thought about seeking financial advice in the past? Maybe a friend or family member has done so before and is now recommending you do the same? Or you’ve been searching for the right firm to help you with the next stage of your life but have concerns around who to trust?
However you came to find us, I’m excited you are here. You are now well placed to learn how you can get your financial house in order and ensure it stays that way! The financial advice industry is complex to say the least. In some instances I would even describe it as structurally corrupt, with financial institutions buying up advice arms in droves with a view to distributing their own products. The line between good advice and the pushing of products is as blurred as ever.
When designing the advice model for Tailored Wealth I vowed to steer clear of any potential for conflict that too often plagues our great industry. My aim was simple, to build a business based on what I would want as a consumer. To build the business that could have taken some of the stress away from Mum and Dad so many years ago. To do something we all could be proud of.
I invite you to join me in a journey towards financial independence.
To your success,
Dan Walsh
-Founder
