Five words that best describe me would be dependable, genuine, helpful, patient and rational. Financial planning was never part of my career consideration until I had the opportunity to speak with Eng Seng in 2018 and have the most insightful discussion.

I graduated from Singapore Polytechnic, School of M&E and continued to SIM where I did my bachelor’s in business. After graduating, I spent 4 years in event & logistics. One day I was feeling frustrated having to spend so much time and effort, trying to expand the business, but I kept hitting a ceiling, in terms of salary and support. I was having coffee with a friend and mentioned leaving my current position. My friend suggested that I should have a chat with Eng Seng. I was against the idea of joining this profession, but I figured building one more network will benefit me in the long run.

My impression of “insurance agents” are people who sell you stuff you don’t need, have no clue of what your financial concerns or dreams are, don’t bother to go through the proper procedure with you before asking for any commitment.
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But Eng Seng changed my mind. He was like a kind father, encouraging, not pushy, asking me to test it out, helping me along and assured me that if it is not my cup of tea, at least I close the door knowing I have tried. I also admired the fact that he stayed with the company for 30 years with no plans to move as he believe that he should be there for his clients and be responsible for their financial planning throughout their lives. And most of all, we believe the same thing, the planning MUST serve the customer and not only the company.

The first 9 months were tough – why was an introvert like me doing this, I sometimes wonder. My colleagues kept encouraging me and I devoured many books, took countless financial courses, keep improving my knowledge so that I can provide solid and better advice.

I learnt to understand people and their financial perspective. Not everyone thinks and plans their finances the same way and seldom will they tell you upfront. I learnt and still learning how to support my clients in financial planning in a way that meets their needs and personality.

One of the things I have learnt in this trade - to look for people with a need to get their finances in order, instead of showing up when people don't feel they need that.

Being an Financial Planner is not the easiest job for me as an introvert. But the joy of advising people and assisting them to navigate through their financial maze keeps me motivated. I push myself to slowly transit from an introvert to an ambivert by proactively reaching out to people, improving on a daily basis.

One of the things I have learnt in this trade – to look for responsible people with a need to get their finances in order, instead of showing up when people do not need any advice.

Fast forward to present, I still look forward to creating positive financial impact by sharing professional advice, responsibly.

I am heartened and deeply honoured when clients put their 100% faith in me and seek my advice for their needs, trusting that they are in good hands, be it with Alliance or myself.

It is always a joy to meet and work with self-responsible clients and there is also immeasurable satisfaction growing the relationship – from strangers to friends.

That conversation with Eng Seng helped me understand the importance of financial planning and how it impacts people and their loved ones. Also, it made me realize Alliance must be doing something great and different to run a quality business for 30 years. Most of all, after these years of trying it out myself, I realized a career in financial planning can be a respectable and meaningful one. Since then, I often share some of my experiences, lessons, and mistakes I have learnt with some of the new Financial Planners as I have gone through that path myself. I am blessed with a supportive, caring, and professional team at Alliance. It makes work not only a breeze but also extremely pleasant. My seniors are helpful and patiently show me the ropes to achieving holistic success - from healthy living to adopting a systematic approach to resolve financial worries.

Something that warms my heart: The spirit of accountability is prevalent in the team when clients encounter an issue. There are no finger pointing or shirking of responsibilities but instead the whole team works in a collaborative manner to liaise tightly with HSBC Life (Singapore) Pte. Ltd., settling issues for our clients.

To be a successful Financial Planner, ethical and responsible to our clients, I feel joining the right organisation makes all the difference. Doing the right things, getting advice from the team, or simply just working and hanging out with the entire team feels great. Watching them perform at karaoke sessions are a joy, too, haha.