"California dreaming on such a winter's day"
As the nights darken and the winter cold approaches, it is a good time to consider spending a few tax-deductible days in the Californian sunshine.
While not a holiday as you will probably find yourself working harder than normal, joining financial advisers and colleagues from across the world, in Los Angeles next June at the Million Dollar Round Table (MDRT) Annual Meeting, is a proposition I urge you to seriously consider. Simply by joining MDRT, you will have internet access to an Aladdin’s cave of material that will help you succeed in business, while enjoying a balanced and fulfilling life.
Regular readers of this column will be aware of the important influence MDRT has been on my own personal and business life. This has primarily been through attending the annual meetings across North America. However, with remote access via the internet, massive additional opportunities for you to learn and develop are now available at a fraction of the cost of flying the Atlantic. Please try it for yourself at mdrtresourcezone.org. These ideas only reflect a tiny amount of what is available to all MDRT members a mouse click away.
Further good news is that Keith Richards of the Personal Finance Society (PFS), along with respective PFS presidents, has attended several annual meetings. I hope this will ultimately lead to a strong link between the PFS and MDRT. There is no doubt in my mind that this would be to the mutual benefit of all concerned, as was the strong bond between MDRT and the Life Insurance Association.
While the qualification requirements of MDRT are no longer a challenge – needing a gross fee income of about £66,000 – they are an important prerequisite that ensures everyone involved in MDRT has practical experience of providing financial advice to clients. In other words, you cannot simply buy a ticket. You have to be generating income as a result of advising real clients in the real world. If you need any help in applying for MDRT do not hesitate to contact me.
It has been my privilege to introduce quite a few advisers to MDRT and a few days ago one told me that in three years he had improved his work/life balance while trebling his income. Now that is a thought to keep you warm on a cold winter’s night.
Ken Davy is chairman of SimplyBiz