Same Old Story? No Chance!

1961: West Side Story - Robbins

Perhaps I look for the proof that demonstrates to me that people want a proper relationship with their financial planner. I’m sure that I’ve heard it said that we look for evidence to prove our own theories and discount things that don’t. At the weekend, whilst many were enjoying the misery of yet another English football team performance, I was with a much smaller number of people packed into a single room. In an age when many of us have homes full of high-tech equipment, the ability to watch almost anything, anywhere on a screen any size, it prompts the question why so many turned up to an old building, with seats that need updating, to watch a film made over 50 years ago, accompanied by an orchestra of fairly ancient instruments about a story that was originally written over 400 years ago. However, the sum of the parts is not the entire story, for this was an event at the Royal Albert Hall, one of the most splendid buildings in London. The performance was a screening of Leonard Bernstein’s West Side Story accompanied in full by the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra. The event was an experience of high calibre, timeless excellence. We gave up our creature comforts at home for the collective experience, a unique opportunity.

Most people have heard of West Side Story, developed since the 1940’s from Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet, becoming a musical in the 1950’s before being made into a hugely successful movie. Whilst the film looks dated on many levels, the sentiment of class and racial prejudice is still sadly very much present. I could not help but feel angry at the folly of failing to embrace difference, to live in harmony. It seemed that the gangs valued the wrong things. In a culture of celebrity, it has been said that we know the price of everything, but the value of nothing. Financial services is not much different, however great financial planning involves engaging your personal values with your long-term (life long) goals. This is achieved by a proper relationship with your adviser, not as someone that is there to sort out your investments or insurance, but as someone that you can trust with your most precious treasures – your dreams, your story.