Can you tell us what your typical day looks like?
I’m self-employed, which means I dictate my own working hours everyday. I start with reading the papers in the morning before handling paperwork for most afternoons. Most clients meet me at night after their own work.

What parts of your job do you like the most?
Flexibility. I control my hours and activities. I can fetch my parents to/from the airport when I need to. When work ends late, I can wake up a bit later the next morning. I control my own remuneration too.

What parts of your job would you rather do without?
Paperwork can really be a chore. If I can I will employ a secretary or PA to handle paperwork for me.

What parts of your job did you not expect before you applied for it?
I did not prepare to receive the countless rejections from certain clients and friends.

What advice would you give to someone else who is interested in this kind of job?
Understand the pros and cons of being self-employed. It’s totally different from being an employee and to some people it seems fun. It isn’t. You need a lot of discipline to be a self employed and not everyone understands what sort of discipline we are talking about.

What qualifications should someone have if they want to work in your field?
It’s easy to be in my industry. In Singapore, all you need is an O' Level certificate in addition to 3 mandatory exams which can be applied for at the Singapore College of Insurance. However, the agency I’m working for consists of all fresh graduates from local universities.

Are there any common misconceptions about your job, and what are they?
Most people stereotype financial planners as salesman. I agree if you meet the typical over aggressive planner at a MRT station or road show. At the end of the day, we are just offering financial solutions to clients who may not have the latest updates in the market with regards to savings and investments. In addition to our concepts of financial planning, none of the products or advice we offer is detrimental to one's personal wealth. It’s just offering the correct product to the correct client which a lot of people see as hard-selling and hence the constant stigma against us.

Is there anything else you would like to share?
Due to the culture in Singapore, the stereotype is understandable. It'll take time for Singaporeans to change their mentality and be more open minded. I certainly hope that will happen soon. Of course it is also an obligation for advisors in my field to upgrade themselves and carry themselves properly for people to have faith in us to manage their funds.

Tan Zhi Yuan
DID: 6591 7012
Fax: 6591 7001
Mobile: 90300537
Email: This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it