The first of a series of free financial planning talks was held last night at the Claremont Hotel. The talk was well-attended by local individuals from all walks of life who wanted to learn more about what one should be looking at across our financial needs. The initiative, organised by TLC Business Solutions and Thornton Associates and supported by the Department of Economic Development, began back in November when the inaugural session was held. Back by popular demand, the talk was led by Sue Gee, Managing Director of TLC, and Sharon Sutton, Managing Director of Thornton Associates and followed the same format as the first, covering a range of topics and advice from budget management to wills. Sue Gee commented: “When we held the first free talk back in November, the feedback was so positive that we recognised a need to hold the same event again. We also learned that people wanted to hear more about specific topics such as wills, money/debt management and pensions. With the support of the DED, we have organised a series of talks over the next month to address these topics. These talks are intended to encourage individuals of normal financial means to engage in structured and effective planning of their own finances. This is a topic Sharon and I feel strongly about and believe it is something everyone should be thinking about.” Sharon Sutton, who will also be presenting at the free talk on pensions, commented: “You only have one life, and you need to plan it. That means facing your fears and living the best life that you can without running out of money at any stage of it. These talks are so important to getting that point across and we really hope to see everyone at the next one.” The following free talks are planned for March and April from 5:15pm at The Claremont Hotel: 16th March: Wills, Sally Bolton, Corlett Bolton & Co. 22nd March: Money & Debt Management, Andrea Tabb, Office of Fair Trading 6th April: Pensions, Sharon Sutton, Thornton Associates Speakers at each event are experts in their topic and will cover areas such as the reasons one should have a will, how to deal with debt and taking the myth out of pensions. To reserve a free place, call Janet on 664789. - Ends -