‘Female involvement’ in the advice process with clients has changed immeasurably in the thirty-something years that I’ve been sitting on sofas and talking about money. I could name many a household where only the husband spoke money and the wife brought tea and was called in to sign papers. If things unravelled in the ‘traditional’ way and he went first, a lot of help was needed. There were exceptions where the opposite was true and far more equal partnerships, as this was the 1990s and not the ’50s, ‘60s or ’70s. Now as an adviser, I could not envisage nor would allow a one-sided conversation of that sort, and certainly wouldn’t take on or keep any who veered that way. That the conversation is now focusing on women as advisers rather than reluctant clients does show how we’ve moved on; but not far enough. In any gathering of financial advisers, the split is still 80/20 male/female. In admin roles, it’s the opposite. Still a way to go, I’d say.
Budget Rumours and Possibilities
The Budget Rumour Machine is not the shambles it was last year. Before Rachel’s Swansong all sorts of stuff was leaked to see what sort of puddle it would create.
