30 Years’ Experience Combined At Blake & Day Financial Planning Ltd

Claire Blake and Debbie Day at Blake & Day Financial Planning Ltd. have worked as financial advisers for over 20 years and in the industry for more than 30.

Over the years they have both worked as independent advisers, at other companies and at times together for the same company, but are delighted to now work together to provide an extensive range of services and advice on everything from investments and pensions to retirement planning, pension fund access and drawdown, corporate pensions and protection, inheritance planning and life cover, and family protection.

The company’s client base is widely spread, with many clients from Felixstowe, Debbie’s home town, and Braintree, Claire’s home town, and between them they cover the Suffolk, Essex, Norfolk and Hertfordshire regions, and have another adviser who covers Cambridgeshire.

“Our expertise in the pension/retirement and investment market is well-known,” explains Debbie. “This means many of our clients are looking to concentrate on building their future wealth or at the time where they are looking to draw an income from their current wealth.”

With so much experience to call on and a well-established client base, much of the company’s new business comes through referral.

“It’s always great to get a referral from an existing customer because it reflects their confidence in the service we provide,” says Debbie. “Claire and I work in a very similar way. We tend to avoid using jargon which can intimidate some clients. Every client is looked after professionally and given the support and advice they need to make really important decisions.”

This approach is clearly popular with clients, as the following testimonials show: 

“I found Debbie very helpful and easy to talk to. She explained some rather complicated financial procedures in a way that was easy to understand. Overall, this made it an easier experience.” Miss B, Felixstowe

“I have been thinking about sorting out my finances for many years but not taken the plunge to find an adviser. I’m delighted that my monies have been invested for me personally and Debbie’s depth of knowledge comes across very clearly.” Mr A, Trimley St Mary

“Claire is highly competent. She listened to my needs and advised me accordingly. She is a highly skilled and trained financial adviser. I can highly recommend the company and their services.” Mrs H, Braintree, Essex

Lockdown presented challenges, as it did for everyone, but they quickly adapted to ensure continuity of service.

“We were forced to communicate in different ways, using online platforms to hold ‘face-to-face’ meetings, sending emails, chatting on the phone more and even using Royal Mail more frequently. It has actually worked really well and I think we’re all adapted well to this ‘new’ way of working.”

On the question of how the business has been impacted by lockdown, Debbie says that the number of new enquiries did fall for a short time but she and her colleagues had plenty to do.

“We were busy developing financial solutions for existing clients and others we had met just before lockdown. A number who had planned to retire this year have had to revise their plans, which we’ve been able to help them with, and new enquires are coming again now.”

In compliance with safety measures for staff and customers, the company has rearranged offices to ensure that staff and clients have adequate social distancing space, and the interview area for clients is fully cleaned and sanitised prior to every meeting.

In addition to a full-time administrator, marketing manager and financial advisor looking after clients in the Cambridgeshire area, Claire and Debbie are in the process of recruiting a mortgage advisor, a significant mark of their confidence in the future of the business.

“We have just rebranded and launched as Blake & Day Financial Planning Ltd,” explains Debbie, “and we’re working hard to let people know what we can do for them. It’s an exciting time for all of us. We’ve both been very successful to date and now that we have brought that success together as Blake and Day, we are exceptionally confident for the future.”

Debbie can be contacted at: 01394 775711 07704 311021 / deb@bdfinancial.co.uk

To learn more about the company visit: www.bdfinancial.co.uk