Client’s own words (COWs).
This is a powerful and effective way of personalising suitability reports. When you gather know your customer (KYC) information (see ‘K’ blog post) try to record some of the client requirements and objectives using their own words, so that you can repeat the quotes back to the client in the reports.
This provides the ultimate in personalisation and is a great way to cement recommendations.
If you can quote something like
“Both you and Beth want to use you maximum ISA allowance for the next 7 years (when you plan to retire Tom) for the purpose of supplementing your retirement income but also to buy that camper van you’ve always wanted and fulfil your dream of driving around Europe”.



Consumer Duty – the shape of things to come?
Paul Jay Compliance 2021, complaints, Conduct, email, FCA, Pension, Pension Transfer, PI, platform, Register, Switch, transfer, Xplan
In its numerous publications prior to the implementation of Consumer Duty, the FCA promised that it would be more proactive and take a forward looking view, rather than acting with the benefit of hindsight – something for which it has received criticism previously. We’ve been waiting to see how this would pan out and didn’t […]