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”.



Bed and ISA – not so straightforward anymore?
Lisa Cross Compliance 2022, Conduct, PI
Benjamin Franklin once said: “In this world nothing can be said to be certain, except death and taxes”. You could possibly add change to this, but the statement is indubitably as true now as it was then. And from a tax perspective, the reduction in the Annual Exemption Allowance (AEA) for Capital Gains Tax (CGT) […]