Working from home

How are you finding working from home?
Surprisingly okay. It has taken a while to get used to it especially with the craziness of a 2 year old ever present throughout the day. My wife is working from home too so having to juggle our workloads, Fraser and a needy labrador has certainly been a challenge. However, practice makes perfect and we seem to have a good routine in place. Its working for now…..

Things you’re not doing this week?
Going to Spain for a golf trip with the boys. My heart is broken….. There will be lots of golf to make up for when possible, and lots of golf balls to lose.
Things you’ve had time to do you wouldn’t normally?
One thing I have treasured the most is the quality time spent with Fraser seeing the huge changes in him in a short period of time. I guess being around adults instead of blabbering 2 year olds for most of the week has a huge influence on their speech development which is great to witness first hand.
What do you see as the challenges to the mortgage market right now?
In a nutshell it is not a buyers market. With physical valuations on hold, lenders pulling the majority of their high loan to value products and changing their lending criteria, it does not bode well for buyers. The good news is we are seeing a shift in the stance of some lenders. There has been a re introduction of higher LTV products and should the lockdown restrictions lift and the capacity to view properties re introduced, then I expect lenders to get back to normal across the board ASAP, meaning the buyers market will return and normality can resume in some form. Fortunately the remortgage market is faring better. With interest rates so low, this is certainly something worth visiting if you are looking for additional funds for home improvements etc…

How are you finding working from home?
I’m in a fortunate position of already being set up to work from home as it has been my main office for the past 5 years, with two key differences. The obvious difference being that now I don’t leave to visit clients. So working with them remotely using our various back office systems, video calling and screening sharing has moved to the forefront of how I work. Using tech with clients as opposed to face to face has really been embraced by clients and in sure it will aid the service offered to clients in the future once things return to normality. The second difference, is that now my partner, Laura, who usually works full time for the NHS, is now working full time from home. She has the ground floor, I have the first.
Things you’re not doing this week?
Travelling to Amsterdam for a long weekend. Laura was planning to take me away for my birthday for some culture and sight-seeing, we will get dressed up and watch a show online instead.
Things you’ve had time to do you wouldn’t normally?
We managed to time things quite well, the day before the original lockdown we picked up an addition to our family, a Labrador called Comet. Bringing a puppy into our lives would not have been possible before and he is certainly filling any spare hours we have. Connecting with friends and family that we otherwise may not have done. Now it doesn’t matter where you live in the world, for the time being, we all communicate in the same way.
How does COVID-19 compare to the market volatility of 2008 and 1999?
Every time there is a market fall we hear ‘this time it’s different’. That may be true, the voracity and speed that the market fell was extreme, unnerving, and triggered a lot of initial panic. However, one thing that is certain is that a bull market follows a bear market 100% of the time, not 99.9%…100% of the time. If 2008 taught us one thing, it was to stay invested, I haven’t met an investor that cashed in at the low point then, as those that did, never would have dipped their toe back to the market again. We’re all in this together, it’s going to be bumpy, but we will ride the investment journey out together.

How are you finding working from home?
HARD!!! I’m very lucky in the fact that my office is based from my home address anyway but having 2 and 7 year old boys at home to keep an eye on for the foreseeable means that the poor office is being neglected somewhat in favour of the kitchen table! Couple that with a busy farming husband, 2 young energetic Labradors and squeezing in the reams of Home Schooling for my eldest, it is certainly testing times!
Things you’re not doing this week?
Putting my feet up! With a bit of a manic lifestyle and working mainly in the evenings once the children have gone to bed, unfortunately, putting my feet up in the garden with a good book and cold G&T is just not on the cards at the moment!!
Things you’ve had time to do you wouldn’t normally?
With my eldest, Archie, at school normally, it doesn’t give us the quality time to learn some real fundamentals. Over the last few weeks we have really been able to concentrate on learning to tell the time and he’s finally got it!! We have also been able to enjoy walks in the sunshine, spending more time visiting and ‘helping’ my husband on the farm with our herd of nearly 100 goats. Helping Daddy being something my youngest, Rufus, absolutely loves!
How does COVID-19 compare to the market volatility seen in 2008 & 1999?
In 1999 I was still in school, so to be honest, I never understood the volatility that was happening at the time. In 2008, I was working within a High Street Bank as Assistant Manager, watching share prices crash, queues of customers on fold away chairs waiting for the doors to open so they could close their accounts and withdraw their life savings! This is very different. This is not just a financial issue but an all encompassing global crisis. 2008 was tangible, recovery was visible…..this is unknown!

How are you finding working from home?
I am used to working from home, but not quite like this, I am lucky to have an office at the end of my garden to lock my self away when I need to talk with clients and get my work done.
Things you’re not doing this week?
My elderly Parents have just moved house to Poole, so I can’t go and visit them at the moment, but I am teaching my Dad all about video calling from his iPad, which he is getting to grips with.
Things you’ve had time to do you wouldn’t normally?
Jobs around the house, my wife has been very proactive since this all started and I’ve been painting, sorting out the garden and more time with the kids.
What do you see as the challenges to the mortgage market right now?
The purchase market has all but come to a standstill, the remortgage market, whilst limited due to valuation not being carried out above certain loan to values is still moving, I had some clients pulled out of deals as they feel the market could drop, the worry could be that many others see this the same way and could slow down the housing market recovery for the rest of this year. Once we return to normal, will the lenders take in to account clients that have been furloughed with lower wage packets.

How are you finding working from home?
Well I would have to start by saying I am a lot closer to the fridge so the waistline has expanded somewhat! My biggest concern is that I haven’t been able to see my clients face to face, however without exception they have all been wonderful and understanding and happy with phone calls and emails. I have tried to keep a routine although I have started a bit later due to having time to indulge in the odd fry up. The hardest part is knowing when to stop so if I’m not careful I just keep going into the evening but it’s not been any hardship.
Things you’re not doing this week?
Out on the road seeing clients is always the part of my job I enjoy, that’s been frustrating but I can’t really say I am missing anything else, perhaps just going for a drive!
Things you’ve had time to do you wouldn’t normally?
I love cooking and this is something I have really enjoyed getting back into (did I mention my expanding waistline?). My family have also loved the results with my family meals together which is something I never had much time for. The weather has been amazing so the combination of that plus spending more time with the family has been a huge bonus.
How does COVID-19 compare to the market volatility of 2008 and 1999?
I actually think the biggest difference is the client reactions. The falls appear to have broken all records in such a short time period and unfortunately there have been drops in my clients’ portfolios however there is a significant understanding which I didn’t think existed in previous drops. So long as a client understands we are there in the bad times as well, that’s all I hope they appreciate.

How are you finding working from home?
Not so bad actually. I’m normally on the road visiting advisers about three days a week so not travelling feels like a break. I’m also not running around in the evenings with kids clubs, which means more time to cook and relax. I live with my partner, Ryan, our son, daughter, two dogs and a cat
Things you’re not doing this week?
I would have been in Plymouth, Weymouth and Chard doing adviser visits. I would also have been visiting my dad in Buckfast, as it was his birthday. Happy birthday dad!
Things you’ve had time to do you wouldn’t normally?
Loads of things. Our two kids play rugby and their dad is a rugby coach, so the weekends are usually spent running between girls and boys matches, often at different ends of the South West! Our first weekend lockdown project was decorating our home office. We converted half of our garage to use as an office over ten years ago when I joined TFA. It hadn’t been decorated since and with us both now having to work from home we needed a decent space to be “together” in. We used leftover paint, fitted a new floor and gave it a good clear out; really pleased with the results. The following weekend our daughter’s bedroom was decorated and last weekend we “attacked” the garden. With the kids being home I’ve also helped out with homework. Our son’s school project was to recreate an item from an iconic brand, so the natural choice was what he missed the most; see photo!
Our dogs have been the biggest winners so far, with lots of walks every day. We’re fortunate enough to live beside the Mendip hills in Somerset so we can walk miles from our back garden without seeing a soul. I’ve particularly enjoyed cooking over the last few weeks, largely because I’ve had the time to do it! We’ve baked cakes and breads, had endless roast dinners and now we’re onto barbecuing.
What do you see as the challenges to the mortgage market right now?
Well, we’ve seen a significant drop in mortgage products offered in the marketplace. According to Industry Research Company, Mortgage Brain Ltd, the number of mortgage products offered has shrunk by 31% (as of 6th April); this obviously reduces the choices available to consumers. But there still is a market. Subject to criteria, it’s easy to secure very competitive rates for clients, particularly those with lower loan-to-value ratios and clients who are paying their current lender’s Standard Variable Rate. However, it’s important to make sure you take some professional advice. For example, if you’re thinking of re-mortgaging or just switching rate with your current lender, this may interfere with your ability to take a Payment Holiday: an adviser will make sure you don’t fall foul of this. From an adviser perspective, it can be tricky keeping up with lender criteria changes due to the pandemic. We’re fortunate that we have some excellent systems and software that enable us to provide up-to-the-minute information on mortgage lenders and protection providers across the whole marketplace; this includes interest rate options, lending criteria, furloughed staff criteria, payment holidays etc. For protection plans, we can advise you on matters including making claims, what’s involved in underwriting new policies and what support is available to keep plans running in times of financial hardship. Our advisers can help you with any queries you might have, whether you’re an existing client of ours or not. Stay safe everyone.

How are you finding working from home?
Though working from home has its distractions it has not stopped me trying to help customers as best I can with their mortgage and life insurance queries. My wife and I have split shifts with working and looking after our daughter Erin. Erin tries to help me sometimes and has been known to speak to the odd client.
Things you’re not doing this week?
GOLF… the nice weather has been welcome with coping with lockdown. After what seems a lifetime of rain, I am missing not being able to play golf in the sunshine.
Things you’ve had time to do you wouldn’t normally?
See my daughter, though I now know how important Grandparent sleepovers are 😊
How does COVID-19 compare to the market volatility of 2008 and 1999?
Though we have some uncertainty with the housing market we often see things pick up quickly. Mortgage providers initially backed out of the market when Covid-19 started and after only a couple weeks large companies have already come back into the market. Though we will face challenges in 2020 I anticipate the property market and the country to bounce back from this.

How are you finding working from home?
I am really enjoying working from home as it allows me to spend a bit more time outside. My husband and I have been going for daily walks either during lunch or taking advantage of the lighter evenings. We bought our first home last year and it’s been a real treat to properly explore the local area.
Things you’re not doing this week?
We were due head off to Edinburgh this weekend for a week sightseeing, a city I was really looking forward to exploring.
Things you’ve had time to do you wouldn’t normally?

• Read. I’ve set myself a goal to read more books this year and the current situation has allowed me to spend more time reading
• Spend a lot more time with my husband
• Tidy the garden and spend a bit of time outside in the sunshine

How does COVID-19 compare to the market volatility of 2008 and 1999?
I’m unsure of the full comparison as I wasn’t working in financial services during these times. In 2008 I had just started studying for my degree at University College Falmouth.

How are you finding working from home?
Enjoying working from home as I can take breaks to walk in the garden and look at the spring flowers. I also have more time to spend with my wife Jan and cat Honeybun. I don’t know if Jan is getting fed up with me but she keeps finding projects for me in the garden.
Things you’re not doing this week?
Not being on holiday. I was due to fly to Tenerife on Good Friday and Honeybun was due to go to her all inclusive holiday at the cattery.
Things you’ve had time to do you wouldn’t normally?

• Renovate the garden
• Paint the gate
• Plant seeds

How does COVID-19 compare to the market volatility of 2008 and 1999?
Big initial sharp falls but there seems to be less panic around. Only one client has taken money out of investment and that was to support children whose work is uncertain. The expectation from the stockbrokers that I have spoken to is for a quicker recovery.