Xentum

08/03/2024

You probably don’t expect a financial planner to tell you they’re not interested in how much money you’ve got.

Money isn’t the point. Quality of life is.

We've met people with varying degrees of wealth.

But we haven’t met many who have told me they’re truly happy, that they’re living life on their terms and with a sense of complete freedom and fulfilment.

That’s why we try to dial down the noisy drama of money.

To us, the most important questions are: what are you priorities? How do you want to spend your time? What’s your inspired vision for the way you wish to live now and in the future?

When we’re clear on the answer to those questions, then we can then talk about the money.

01/03/2024

CEO Dominic Baldwin was fortunate enough recently to be invited to the home of Mercedes Benz Racing by the wonderful coach Fiona Ross.

He says: Not only was it much fun to race cars around the track, it was great to meet so many interesting people. But what did I learn?

💡 The stories we tell ourselves can prevent us from seeing the available opportunities. When we share our plans, goals and challenges, other people can help us see things our blindspots. It proved to me the value of having a coach/mentor who can help you see blindspots/opportunities as and when they arrive.

💡 I was reminded of the joy and importance of being present. As soon as I got in the driving seat I became totally focused on the job at hand - our ability to learn new skills, problem solve, and see opportunities, all increase when in a state of being present.

💡 You have to let go of outcomes. Like most of us, I am guilty from time to time of entering into a conversation/situation looking to achieve a specific outcome. A more authentic approach would be to enter the space with no preconceived ideas other than to be present and go with the flow, remembering that the best input you can give is to help someone else, not simply meet your own needs.

💡 Personal integrity should not be underestimated. It's about having an agreement with yourself about how you want to show up/live your life and then your actions/decisions/words determine whether you are living in integrity or not. The suggestion was that we should not make commitments without careful consideration. We are all guilty of agreeing to things which either we don't keep or are not in line with our core values.

💡 Committing to your goals. It was interesting to participate in a discussion about deciding whether you are ‘on the pitch or in the stands’. We concluded that you are either 100% committed or not at all – there are no half-measures.

It was a fun day and further proof that a change in environment can present hugely valuable insights.

06/02/2024

If you do one good thing for your finances this year, make it to get clear about your pension arrangements! It may not be very exciting but it’s certainly important. Especially when you consider that more than 50% of people in the UK don’t know what happens to their pension when they die, according to the Money & Pensions Service.

Good financial planning is the precursor to making pension arrangements. With a financial plan, you can:

➕ Know how much money you need for the retirement lifestyle you desire
➕ Know how you will achieve the income you need for retirement
➕ Know when you are likely to be able to retire

Speak to a member of our team about your retirement planning. And don’t think this is just for people who are in their later years. In fact, good retirement planning cannot start soon enough.

https://maps.org.uk/en/media-centre/press-releases/2023/more-than-half-of-people-dont-know-what-happens-to-their-pension-when-they-die

02/02/2024

If a young person told you they were pursuing a particular career simply because it would make them rich, what would you say, asks CEO Dominic Baldwin

My father lost almost everything because the people advising him were motivated by their own desire for money.

He paid them for their expertise, expecting them to offer advice which was in his best interests.

But because the financial industry rewards ‘product selling’ they took advantage of his lack of knowledge and got him to buy financial products that made them rich, not him.

I know we all need money, financial wellbeing is a thing.

So yes, choose work that helps you enjoy a great lifestyle.

But don’t make it the central theme. Make service to others your focal point - the good stuff will always follow.

26/01/2024

How does someone who seems to have it all feel there’s no way out but su***de? How does someone build a successful business and wonderful family, yet feel empty and alone?

These things are affecting people I care about right now, and I don’t have the answers.

But what I do know is that everything we believe is a story we have created for ourselves. If we think something is good, it’s because we’ve told ourselves it is so. If it’s bad, that’s also a story we’ve told ourselves. We tend to defend our beliefs.

But our beliefs are not reality.

That’s why it’s so important to be able to talk to someone who doesn’t judge, who can help us look at difficult things from different angles, someone slightly removed from a situation. To get a better perspective.

No man is an island. We are all interdependent. Let’s get used to talking to each other. Let’s get used to challenging our beliefs, questioning what we think is true. Let’s help each other to see that there’s always a solution, that in time ‘this too shall pass’.

23/01/2024

Whilst 'Mr Beast' can make $250,000 from a single post on social media, for most people, it doesn't come quite that easily!

Most successful businesses are the result of years of hard work, sweat and, let's be honest, a few tears.

Which means it can be difficult to exit, when the time comes. This is where it's important to merge your personal finances with your business finances.

With support, we can help you work out:

Do you sell? And if so, when, and how much for?

Do you pass the business to your children? And if so, how?

Do you make your business employee-owned? And what are the implications for you as the founder?

Is there another exit model you want to explore?

The right answer depends on how you plan to spend your time once you've finished work.

There are no right or wrong answers - everyone is different.

That's why it helps to speak to a Xentum lifestyle financial planner who will help you navigate your options and work out what's best for you.

Get in touch to arrange a no-obligation discovery call.

The world's most popular YouTuber had previously said he would not bother posting videos on the site.

19/01/2024

You may be thinking how you can enjoy a great lifestyle without having to continually generate money as you get older...

However much you enjoy your work, there will come a time when you want to stop. But how can you do this without reducing your lifestyle?

The ideal scenario is to have the financial freedom to stop work when it suits you and to go on to the next stage of your life with all options open, doing the things you want to do without having to worry about running out of money.

Surprisingly, the answer ISN’T to make more £££…

Because if you don’t know how much is your personal version of ‘enough’ you’ll never have the confidence to stop work and do the things you want to do ... for fear that you’re spending money you will need later on.

What you do need is a VISION and a PLAN.

A clear vision of the lifestyle you want to lead...
.. and a plan for how to organise your financial affairs so you can bring your vision to life.

The vision stage is for thinking big.

If money wasn’t an object and you didn’t have to go to work, how would you spend your days? The answers will illuminate what’s most important to you.

The planning stage involves taking a look at where you are and where you’re going.

What is the cost of your current and future lifestyle, how should your financial affairs be organised to underpin your vision?

These two steps will help you move towards financial freedom.

In our experience, it doesn’t matter how much money you’ve got in the bank or how many valuable assets you own, it’s the plan that sets you free.

18/01/2024

Insights lead to action and action leads to change. 💡 💪

Our approach to financial planning is to ask good questions. Our approach will help you explore your most important values and your biggest fears.

The route to financial freedom is not to simply accumulate as much wealth as you can, but to use it to live as well as you can.

14/01/2024

How busy is your mind, and how scattered is your thinking? 🧠

Scientists estimate the average human has 60,000 thoughts per day. Many are unhelpful and many are a repeat from yesterday!

A calm mind = clear thinking ➡ good ideas ➡ good decision-making

This is why CEO Dominic Baldwin immerses himself in freezing cold water every morning for 10 minutes.

He says: "When I’m in the water, I cannot help but to be present. All the thoughts of work/to-do list disappear whilst I deal with the immediate issue of survival.

"After a while, it actually becomes relaxing. The thinking mind goes quiet, problems get solved, creative solutions arrive. There’s room for new ideas."

The question is: what would be your equivalent to the daily cold water dip? What would clear your mind and help you think clearly?

I’d love to hear what works for you…

09/02/2023

It's never too early to teach your children/grandchildren how to manage their money. Get your FREE copy of this book from our website (UK only).

https://www.xentum.co.uk/grandpas-fortune-fables/

08/02/2023

Our approach to financial planning starts with helping you get clear about your values and priorities. This ensures your financial goals are fully aligned with your lifestyle goals.

Knowing:
..what you want to have in your life..what you want to experience..how you want to spend your time...

informs your financial plan - helping to reduce anxiety, enable you to make good decisions and, ultimately,

03/02/2023

Most investors will be either tempted to time when to be in or out of equity markets. It would be great to be able to capture the upsides and avoid the downsides, but that is wishful thinking. Let us explain...

Most investors will be tempted to time when to be in or out of equity markets. With financial planning we can help you.