Hi Claire! How long have you been an investment broker?

I have been working with the One Crown team for 3 years. I love this job! One of the reasons is that it draws upon my many years in business, where I had the opportunity to work with colleagues and clients from across the globe and at all levels. I now thoroughly enjoy talking to people from all walks of life and building a book of clients. I already have, and continue to establish relationships, which I hope will carry on for many years.

What was your career like before joining?

I have had a long and varied career in sales, marketing and account management across; corporate travel, retail, personal care, sports, cash management, and publishing in global and national corporate businesses and SME's. At one point I designed Ski wear for a European Ski business. For 14 years prior to joining One Crown Investments, I worked as a Director in global business travel leading industry in the use of SAAS, AI and online technology. My roles have been mainly corporate with big targets, long hours and high pressure to perform and deliver measured results.

I did it happily for many years as my career progressed, but like many people, Covid gave me pause for thought. I wanted to make a change and improve my work-life balance to achieve an average working day of 7.5 hours as opposed to 10 plus and was open to taking a different path.

One Crown happens to be based in my home city of Brighton and Hove, meaning no more commutes to London. I had always been interested in wealth management as a possible career but hadn’t imagined a sector to which my skills could be so easily transferable. The One Crown Group is a wealth management group that houses distinct businesses; One Crown Pensions specialising in SSAS pensions for Directors of trading Limited Companies, and One Crown Investments which deals in Fixed Income Investments. It is worth mentioning that the latter are eligible for individual, company and SSAS investment. We also have One Crown Property coming soon - so watch this space! 

Much of our role is about asking the right questions and having the skills to listen and understand Client needs while sharing information and solutions that help Clients achieve their financial goals through their SSAS or their investing.

What about SSAS (small self-administered schemes)?

I am really passionate and excited about the work we do at One Crown Pensions. SSAS offers an HMRC approved and regulated tool for Directors of trading Ltd Companies  offering them both supreme tax efficiency and a pension. SSAS is an occupational scheme falling outside the individual’s estate that can reduce Corporation Tax, protect assets from creditors, purchase Commercial Property allowing the pension to receive the monthly rental yield and potentially eliminating Inheritance Tax and Capital Gains Tax within its tax free environment.

Are women investing with One Crown Investments? What are their goals and what type of investments do they tend to choose?

Yes absolutely. We have an increasingly strong clientele of High Net Worth and Sophisticated Investors who happen to be women. Those who are members of a SSAS can also invest in fixed investments through their SSAS, comfortably growing a part of their pension by 10% pa. 

Historically, investors tended to be men of 50+ years who have been successful in business - either corporate or self-employed. Some have sold businesses and many have substantial buy to let portfolios and may now be retired. But our client base is expanding to include younger investors, both employed and self-employed, and an ever increasing number of females. 

My female clients include corporate professionals, business and ex-business owners, ex-pats, home managers, divorcees, those with inheritances, property downsizers and retirees. Clients, both male and female, who work in the corporate sector and have careers in technology, finance, artificial intelligence, insurance, education, consultancy, HR and medicine amongst others.

Many make their first investment in one of our 12-month loan notes that pay between 12 and 15% for income or growth respectively. Many clients have made second and third investments within 6 months. Short-term bonds are proving particularly popular at a time when investors continue to evaluate the impact of an unpredictable economy and, in some cases, want to support children in education with monthly returns. Over the past three years an increasing number are taking a break from property investment due to a relatively “overheated” UK market and increasing government clampdowns on landlords. Regardless of the motive, they all want to make their money work for them and passive income offers a great solution with terms as short as 12 months offering flexibility should things change.

Why do you think men are more inclined to invest than women?

Historically men in the High Net Worth and Sophisticated Investor band tended to be higher earners, business owners or have inherited more than their sisters. I suspect many of the older generation were brought up to provide for their family. Women conversely may have taken career breaks to run a home or to bring up a family or have chosen part time or lower paying careers to accommodate other commitments.

Nowadays, that is still an acceptable choice but more girls are studying engineering, architecture, economics, finance, IT, physics, biochemistry and astrophysics – subjects leading to jobs that used to be largely the domain of men. The glass ceiling, though still present, is at least cracking. Access to information via multiple mediums has enabled easy access to education about all types of investments and how they work and is attracting a far broader audience.

Why should more women invest?

These days financial independence and success are a goal for many women, whether they need it to fall back on or not. There is no difference as to why women should invest as opposed to men. I believe those who do are equally interested in making their hard-earned money work hard for them, building a safety net for a rainy day, ensuring that they have income or growth from investments should they find themselves needing either, and of course, planning for retirement

Who is the most inspirational woman to you?

There are many women who inspire me, not least my own mother who worked, studied and re-engineered her own career a number of times over many years. Rather than risk dividing opinion by citing one of many high achieving women, I do admire Joanna Lumley and French and Saunders; all clearly bright, empathetic and driven women who are totally authentic, with a healthy observance of human nature and who don’t take themselves too seriously!

What’s the best advice you have been given by a woman?

I’ve been lucky enough to work with both great women and men and to be offered and have absorbed much important advice, but there are two things which still resonate to this day and which I apply to my professional and personal life with continued regularity…

“Don’t sweat the small stuff, keep an eye on the bigger picture!”

“To make a genuine mistake once and learn from it is OK, to make it twice is unacceptable!”