Financial is more than just about selling financial products, Ms Ainie Amin of MAA Financial Planners tells Lyn Chan. If you had to describe some traits of a financial planner, what words would come to mind? Persuasive? Eloquent? Aggressive. Ms Ainie Amin is persuasive and eloquent but definitely not aggressive. Rather, the director of MAA Financial Planners exudes a quiet confidence that draws you to her. Her youthful demeanour belies her 20 plus years of experience as a financial planner.“This is my first job".

My dad is in the business. He was at Great Eastern (GE) at the time. I had just graduate from university and he offered me the opportunity to work with him. I thought it would be fun learning new things, so I agreed,” she recalls, adding that she went through the entire training programme together with other newbies. The initial going was tough. She was fresh out of school and the fear of personal rejection loomed large. Her confidence rose after she sold her first policy to an ex-college mate. Never mind that her friend bought it to support her. At the time, she was unaware that she was about to discover a passion that continues to burn brightly till this day. As the days went by, she found that she had a knack for putting together financial plans for people.

Her easy manner made it easy for people to trust her. Ms Amin stayed at GE for 10 years, before moving on to MAA Financial Planners, an independent financial planning company, founded by her father. She talks about her experience as an independent financial planner:

What are the benefits for customers if they were to make purchases from an independent financial planner?

Diversification is a big plus for customers because independent financial planning companies partner with fund management houses like Aberdeen Asset Management and DBS Asset Management, and life insurance companies such as Aviva and NTUC Income, so we are akin to a “mega-store” offering financial products. Let’s say I have a client looking for insurance. However, he may not be in pink of health. Life insurance companies may tag a health extra on the premium, but working with a variety of partners’ means that I can search for a company which is willing to accept his condition without any, or too much, additional cost. Of course, this means more paperwork and more time required but ultimately, our job is to provide the most appropriate advice and products possible to our clients.

How do you widen your network?

Over the span of my career, I have built up a base of about 700 clients. It’s through them that I receive a lot of referrals. It’s easier to establish rapport with new clients when you’ve been recommended to them by someone they know and trust.I have never done door-to-door prospecting, nor talking to people at MRT station, which is a common sight. There tends to be a lot of resistance, I feel, when you try to just grab people off the streets. I prefer to have the opportunity to sit down and have a chat, to properly assess their needs,

What aspect of your career is most fulfilling?

I still feel a glow of pride when my client thanks me. The size of the account doesn’t matter- it’s knowing that they feel the product I recommended to them has helped them that makes it all worthwhile. I hope never to wake up one day and find out I don’t enjoy what I’m doing anymore.