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a group of attendees facing a speaker delivering a client briefing overwritten with the words Client Briefing Update and the Continuum Financial Planners logo: this is one of the ongoing services we deliver for clients of the firm

Client Briefings 2008

Our season of Client Briefings for 2008 is now concluded and because of the number of apologies from clients who were unable to make the particular occasions we finally settled on for the year, we are pleased to circulate this overview of the presentations made. At the same time, we take the opportunity to thank the clients who attended – and express our appreciation for the warm, open and high level of confidence you have expressed in us and the way we are handling your investments through the current turmoil both in financial markets and economies generally.

Client Briefings 2008: format

 
Our briefing sessions were held in Brisbane; in Noosa on the Sunshine Coast; and in Warwick on the Darling Downs. Our series of Client Briefings 2008 was designed to better service our clients, providing opportunities for them to meet with us in an environment that is at the one time, relaxed yet informative, helping you as investors to better understand what is happening in your portfolios: the format for the briefings was our traditional order: 
  • a welcome and update on activities within ContinuumFP; followed by
  • a review of the financial markets over the twelve months for the most recent financial year; and
  • provide specialist presentations by Fund Managers giving an overview of what we might expect for the short- to medium-term future.

Client Briefings 2008: content

 
The session on the internal activities of ContinuumFP, covered the new livery of marketing items (logo, letterhead, newsletter and electronic marketing facilities); staff movements; announcement of Warwick becoming a shareholder in the company; our activity on various financial planning industry groups (within our then Dealer Group, Securitor1); the anniversary of Peter Cashman’s association with us; and our structured ‘fee for service’ program.
Peter prepared the overview of the 2008 year that was! He carefully walked us through the highs and the lows, using the analogy of portfolio management in these times as being like warfare and our portfolios like some POWs: lean, starved of vital food, but surviving!
Our Fund Manager contributions came from Ausbil Dexia Limited for the Brisbane briefing; and BT Investment Management for the Noosa and Warwick briefings. Their messages were timely and consistent albeit from different investment houses, to the extent that they painted pictures of ongoing volatility, and low-valued markets presenting very good buying opportunities over the next few months – for LONG-TERM investors.

The after-briefing activity

There was general discussion at the conclusion of each of the client briefings, over the foodstuffs and beverages that were provided. These discussions were mostly focused on the future for clients’ portfolios and were heartening in most cases, with views that the markets will turn in due course and that clients with the most tenacity staying with their strategic plan will benefit in the longer-term.

One of the more salutary statements we heard during the briefings was the reminder that clients are relying on us to be calm and to keep up the flow of information: the statement included the words ‘..and so long as you don’t panic, we will stay OK..’
 

ContinuumFP says ‘thank you’

 
We at Continuum Financial Planners Pty Ltd thank each of you who came out for the events we staged for you; and Warwick, Peter and myself also take this opportunity to our administrative team for their work and dedication in getting these events up and running. We look forward to seeing you all at future years’ briefings.
 

1 As from 30 July 2019 our Dealer Group has changed to Lifespan Financial Planning Pty Ltd consequent on Securitor having announced its decision to discontinue its AFSL as from 30 September 2019.