2020: The year that wasn’t – or was it?

It’s difficult to think it’s been over a year since I, together with a number of the AAB Wealth team, were celebrating my Achievers Award from the Insurance Institute of Aberdeen. Who’d have thought soon after I’d be working, revising and hosting virtual catch ups – all from the dining room table!

To wind back the clock a few years, I re-joined AAB Wealth as a Graduate Trainee in August 2018, after completing a Placement Year with the AAB group in 2016/17, before returning to The Robert Gordon University to finish my Account & Finance degree. Since returning I have embarked on a number of professional exams and reached an important milestone, achieving my Diploma in Regulated Financial Planning in October 2020.

The journey, however, hasn’t stopped there. I continue to undertake further exams with the Chartered Insurance Institute, in pursuit of the Advanced Diploma in Financial Planning, and ultimately, Chartered status. Having recently sat the J02 Trust exam, I have the AF1 Personal Tax & Trust Planning exam pencilled in for April – wish me luck!

The knowledge I gained at university, together with that gleaned from my Private Client Tax colleagues during my time with them, and importantly from my professional exams, has provided an invaluable foundation which feeds into my day-to-day job, as a Trainee Paraplanner.

The cliché goes that no two days are the same, but really, they aren’t. My days are always varied, from client meetings, to building cash flow models, to undertaking research and writing reports. Every day is different, but with one common theme, to help our clients achieve their goals and objectives, and ultimately, give them the reassurance and confidence to enjoy their money.

So, was 2020 the year that wasn’t?

Whilst it was of course a challenging year, with a lot being put on hold, for me 2020 was focused on progression and expanding my knowledge to move forward in my career. When many days appeared ‘the same’, at AAB Wealth everyday continued to be different and unique. Although, in many regards it could be considered the year that ‘wasn’t’, for me 2020 was the year for several important milestones in my career and for our team at AAB Wealth.