"If you're going to do business with the devil, make sure it's on your terms."

As I write this post, the very first of this Blog as I commence my entry back into a client facing role within my own business, both the Commonwealth Bank (CBA) & Westpac (WBC) are under the spotlight of regulators; APRA & ASIC respectively. Their misdemeanors are each yet to be tested and accordingly, in this fair and democratic country, they are considered innocent until proven guilty.

However, over recent years, in the case of the CBA in particular, there's enough evidence to suggest they simply do not get it! There's the CommInsure scandal; failings within the financial planning business and now, alleged systemic breaches of the Anti Money Laundering & Counter Terrorism Financing Act 2006 (AML/CTF).

These businesses; 'our banks', the supposed envy of many jurisdictions around the world, are taking us for a ride. They espouse virtues that would lead us to believe we could only be but proud of their success. The truth is, they are simply driven by the achievement of a set of numbers that meet market expectations, provide continued growth and ultimately, appease shareholders. Moreover, this is what they think we as a society want for our superannuation accounts and retirement income and for our sons and daughters who work in these high pressure 'sales-at-any-cost' institutions.

So what point am I trying to make in this brief tirade? Well, having worked in banking and in environments not dissimilar to what I have described above, I'm wanting to set the tone for Gary Cumberbatch Finance Consultants (GCFC) as we look to achieve 'our kind of success' into the future.

So what does this 'success' look like for GCFC? To answer that, I'd like to re-direct you to our 'About' page. It captures well, what we are up to, what we are a stand for, why we exist and what we want to achieve. So on a more positive note, I thank you for engaging with us and genuinely look forward to working with you and assisting you to achieve the things that are important in your life and that of your family.

Warm regards

Gary

PS - yes, GCFC often has to engage with banks, even those named above, but I'm reminded of an old adage that goes like this; "do business with the devil, but on your terms."