The journey from the world of then
to the world of now has been one of
enormous and constant change.

Take technology. In 1975, our firm was launched into a world in which there were no office computers, no mobile phones, no internet – no need for a website or an email address for another 30 years. At home, it would be seven years till we had a fourth TV channel, and also until we could listen to music on shiny new CDs. Even the first video recorders were still three years away (and cost over £1000!).

Your travel options were distinctly limited. If you were heading for Europe (which of course most of our clients were), it would be nearly 20 years before you could get there on a train travelling under the channel; you couldn’t get stuck on the M25 on your journey to the coast because the first stretch didn’t open until 1986; when you arrived in France you’d still have to wait a year for the opening of the first line in the high-speed TGV rail network; and of course a scheduled flight would cost a packet, with the coming of the budget airlines still decades away in the future.

The UK had joined the Common Market a couple of years earlier, but it still had a long way to go. There were only nine member states in 1975, far short of today’s 27 – and, crucially for those wanting to live and work in continental Europe, freedom of movement and residence didn’t arrive until the Maastricht Treaty in 1992.

Personal finance has, of course, changed out of all recognition over our first 50 years. It is difficult to believe but in 1975 there were no regulations governing financial planning advice! Across the UK and the EU, literally millions of pages of new legislation and regulation have been published, a huge proportion of it detailing changes to the tax system. And the world of investment has expanded out of all proportion too, with the unstoppable growth of a global marketplace in which the opportunities and threats are measured in the millions.

While giant forces like these have been shaping and reshaping the world we live in, for many of us it’s been much smaller and more personal forces that have had the biggest effects. Those who were in the early years of their adult lives when our firm was founded are very senior citizens now. Marriages, children, house moves, career progressions, health worries, bereavements – all the joys, all the complications, all the opportunities and challenges, all the triumphs and disasters that happen to people in their lifetimes have had fifty years to make change happen in our lives, both for better and for worse.

It’s often said that change is the only constant in our lives today, and it’s easy to see why it seems that way. But a moment’s thought suggests that it’s not quite that simple. Along with constant change comes an equally constant need to cope with change – to adapt, to adjust, to recalibrate and to figure out, as quickly as possible, how best to deal with whatever new reality now confronts us. Sometimes that process is easy and enjoyable, but very often – as with those millions of pages of financial regulation and legislation – it’s very difficult and not very enjoyable at all.

That, of course, is where Blevins Franks comes in. Th roughout our first 50 years, we have provided a source of constant advice in a world of constant change – growing and developing our business as the needs of our clients have grown.

Needless to say, for UK nationals moving to continental Europe, for those living there and for those returning to the UK, much of our advice has been concerned with the EU. It’s tempting to pretend that back in 1975 we saw it all coming, realising just how profound would be the implications of our membership of the EU, and then how dramatic and significant would be the implications of our departure.

In fact, to be honest, we didn’t see any of it coming at all. Staying on top of the consequences of EU harmonisation, especially in the fields of pensions, tax and inheritance, was an enormous and ceaseless challenge; and now so too is staying on top of the consequences of Brexit. Some of the most basic practical changes have complex implications: many clients find the current “90/180” travel restrictions have a major effect on their lifestyles. And don’t get us started on dog passports!

As the need for a constant source of advice has grown, so has the size and scale of our business, and the range of specialist services we provide. We now operate 20 offices across southern Europe, as well as in the UK, and our client base continues to grow. That’s for three distinct reasons. New clients continue to join us; the very large majority of our long-established clients stay with us; and we’re delighted to say that our family relationships increasingly extend into second and even third generations, as the children and even grandchildren of long-standing clients take on financial responsibilities of their own.

Now, as we move into our second fifty years, that simple promise – constant advice in times of constant change – still sums up what we stand for. We remain resolutely determined to take full advantage of the exciting developments in front of us, not least the opportunities created by AI, in order to continue to provide all our clients with the highest quality financial planning advice and service.

In the meantime, to ensure the peace of mind from knowing that your financial plans are up to date in this fast changing economic and fiscal environment, please do not hesitate to get in touch with our advice team.

In conclusion, we express our heartfelt gratitude to our clients for your confidence and loyalty which has been the bedrock of the growth of our business over 50 years.