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What is your name?
Benjamin Fabi
What is your occupation?
Outsourced Paraplanner
Where do you live?
Cheadle in Staffordshire – about 5 miles west of Alton Towers!
When did you start your career in finance? How did you get into it?
I started as a NatWest Cashier in January 2003. I managed a couple of Colchester’s main branch satellites for a while, before becoming a “financial planning manager” and doing my FPC in Summer 2004. Since then I’ve been involved in this sector in one way or another.
Business Owners only: If you could start your business again, what would you do differently?
This is a tough one! There are several things I’m working to be better at, but I don’t know if I’d want to have done anything differently. Everything I’ve done has brought me to where I am and any mistakes I’ve made have taught me lessons that were probably better learnt at the start.
Saying that, I think I’d believe in myself more.
What would be your biggest piece of advice to someone coming into the financial planning profession?
Read about the Dunning-Kruger effect.
Understand the importance what you’re doing. We make our money, mostly, by helping people with their money. The person who is sitting across the table from you is entrusting their financial security to you. If they’re in or at retirement, they could literally be giving you the task of managing the product of their life’s work until and even after they’ve died.
Respect that responsibility.
How would you define your personal mission?
Be the best version of myself. Be kind to others and be generous with my time.
Specifically within my work, I use my time to make a meaningful contribution to the wider profession and the people in it.
How would you define your personal vision?
To look back with pride and satisfaction on my achievements. I want to see the positive differences my efforts have made to lives and careers, my children, my peers, and my local community.
How would you define your personal values?
I’m always thinking about my personal values. And they shift and change over time.
Reality – Accept, and be, the person I am and strive to make him better. Responsibility and Respect – I am the centre of my children’s world and should act accordingly. My clients rely on me and I should act accordingly. Purpose – Wealth, happiness and personal fulfilment are the by-product of doing the things I am good at, well. Morality and Accountability – The economic success of my local community is more important than saving 20% online.
What is your greatest achievement outside of work?
I cycled, with 7 friends, from Colchester to Brighton and all the way along the south coast to Land’s End. 5 days, 485 miles. It was brutal. We raised £12,000 for the local hospital’s cancer ward.
What is the greatest book you have ever read that helped you in your career?
I couldn’t name one book. I don’t really read books. It probably isn’t surprising to hear that I spend a lot of time reading technical stuff.
What is your most valuable asset of being a NextGen Planners member?
Helping people and being helped by people.
(Only answer this one if you truly want to…) Who is your favourite NextGen Planners member?
Haha. Easy. The two grumpy Northerners who have made it happen.