Mr M. Jones

“Financial Adviser” that’s a title that conjures all sorts of images conundrums equations, numerous possible attitudes beliefs, consequences, delight and disappointment! During the Eighties and Nineties, I was a niave “investor” looking for something that would give a better return than a building society or post office Account, intrigued by the “stock market” and mesmerised by its power through the Footsie to create wealth overnight at a stroke, and conversely to produce the opposite.

Unfortunately I experienced the downturn in October 1987’ and although it was painful financially, I was still in front in pounds terms at the end of that year, so the pitfalls of the FTSE were common to me and I continued to invest by judging what looked or sounded good on a gut instinct ! There was No method, No reason or rhyme to my choice of investment.

However having capital to invest from the proceeds of a property sale in 1997, I was keen to place a substantial amount in the correct funds, but wary of bad experience I had encountered along my chequered path of “investment”. So with trepidation I answered an advert of a Financial adviser giving a seminar in November 1997 at a local hotel. I attend and sat at the back of the room, listened to the speaker giving the advice.

At the end of the seminar I meandered thru the audience and made my self know to the speaker Frank Cochran, I was greeted accordingly and after some 15 minutes or so I opened up to him with my investment ideas and what I expected to achieve in returns without being too avaricious, at this point I was still wary of financial advisors and did not disclose the six figure sum I had to invest!

Frank briefly looked at the portfolio of investments I had with me at that time and suggested I made an appointment to see him at his office the following week this I did so.
On attending that appointment a week later, it became quite apparent that he hadn’t forgotten our previous encounter and had done some “homework” on my current portfolio of investments. We spoke of fundamental investments, solid returns and the risky returns of Asian, Japanese funds. He didn’t criticise my portfolio but suggested a little tweak here and there, it was obvious Frank is a good listener, as I rabbited on about my investment ideas with solid returns and guaranteed capital security.

A learned man and well respected in his knowledge of finance throughout the corridor of top financial institutions, yet in all the years since that meeting in 1997, I have never encountered Frank to try and baffle me with financial jargon, glit financial anecdotes , no quotes of superiority to make me feel inferior or naive! He speaks clearly on layman terms which I can comprehend and follow with comfort, and at the same time feel at ease with that choice of investment and also at ease with adviser – Frank himself.