The Angelinesque Project: Day 5 & 6

You don’t have to earn big bucks for me. Just enough to beat the market and inflation in the long run. To achieve capital appreciation would be what I considered a basic expectation, especially when I was prepared to wait it out. And I have believed that you can retain my trust in you and sustain our friendship over the money course.

You and I both know that you are not a particularly slick, or smart, or savvy FA. But I like your core qualities that have been with you since schooldays: you are meticulous, industrious and driven with integrity. So I am comfortable with handing money over for your safekeeping. But not before as I have stressed then since, many times, and even till now: Money is money. Friendship is friendship. Work is work. I have my expectations of an FA and you know that too.

But you are slacking up, madam. The straw that proved too heavy to hold up whatever goodwill left was cast this morning:

So I had decided to top up my premiums in an investment-linked policy. I asked you if there were surcharges such as administrative and broker fees. You said no: it will be 100% invested. I asked again, rightly skeptical, only to hear your repeated confident reply.

Obviously, you can imagine my shock and anger from a growing sense of betrayal when the letter came in and I was notified that there would be a 45% deduction from the invested sum in the first year.

I called you and you expressed surprise too and said you would check.

A few days passed and I had to chase you for the answer.

Eventually you write it off as a miscommunication, which I sternly refuted. This is a genuine mistake on your part. I can only condemn it, not make excuses like the rest of other times.

You asked me what I want to do. I asked you in turn what last words you have on the case.

There was silence.

So this morning, I logged on to my account. The 45% deduction from the invested sum had already taken place.

Is it too much for you to tell me even this? That it will be deducted as a single lump sum?

What happened to the meticulous and industrious nature of your being?

I don’t think you are out to cheat me of my money. But you have not earned the right to benefit from my investments.

I have called up the investment company this morning to register my displeasure.

Should I call you to warn that there will be a review and investigation?

No, I shouldn’t. Money is money. Friendship is friendship. Work is work. I have given you many, many chances to prove yourself - which I still will - and many, many opportunities to redeem and clarify yourself - which you haven’t - and I need to put my foot down somewhere down while navigating this money course.

You get 30% of this 45% deduction of sum invested. I’m gonna make sure either your company pays for the 45% deduction in full or your company doesn’t get a single cent from the premiums this time.