reflections on 2011

as this is the very last day and hours of the old year being 2011, it is perhaps an opportune moment to reflect on the last 364 days that has passed us by.

this year has turned out to be a mixed bag of blessings for me in the financial industry where i wear many hats including:

1. the one and only appointed life insurance specialist for promiseland
independent pte ltd
2. a key member in the team of the company's managing partners
3. being a trainer, coach and mentor to new advisers
4. a fa director leading a team of both new and seasoned advisers
5. a front person/spokesperson handling media comms
6. principal life insurance partner to many insurance companies
7. a sought after 'expert' to the media and
8. a financial planner

come 2012 which is just around the corner, will be my 15th year in the financial industry and also marks the same number of years with promiseland independent pte ltd.

my comments:

2011 has seen a constant number of referrals throughout the year but i mentioned that it has been a mixed year of blessings.

why?

because this year has also been the most challenging in my entire career in my role as a financial planner.

up to 90% or more of prospects has proven to be 'not-so-simple' cases and i can broadly categorise them to be:

a. seeking rebates
b. anti-selection, meaning unwilling to commit to full disclosure of
material information
c. taking me for a ride, getting work done on my part and then, simply
disappearing into the horizon

the flip side of this is that many new wannabe promislanders has joined our family and i can see promiseland independent pte ltd continuing to grow in terms of the quantity and quality of our advisors. and we now operate out of 3 offices in the same building, keypoint at the junction of beach road and jalan sultan.

another positive is that many insurers have continued to involve me for both feedback and involvement in their focus groups in the enhancement and design of old/new products. the most significant of these is aia, where the new management has invited the creme-de-la-creme of the industy practitioners in the last couple of months and i can verify that aia is focused on delivering to consumers, champion products that are not only value-added but are competitively priced as well.

i have ceased writing or contributing articles to publishing companies and prefer to blog on a daily basis because the outreach is to a wider audience and i have been blogging since 2006.

and to each and everyone who has been instrumental in my successful transition from a full time salaried employee to where i am now and because it is not possible to name each and everyone of u, please accept my sincere thanks and appreciation.

and last but not least, please accept my very best wishes for a blessed, joyous, healthy, peaceful and prosperous happy new year. huat ah!