A TEAM of local financial planners are doing everything they can to put people’s minds at ease during the coronavirus pandemic.

Sage Wealth Management, which has an office on Priestpopple in Hexham, provides personal and corporate financial advice, and is a senior partner practice of St James’s Place Wealth Management.

Kaye Mullen, senior wealth manager at Hexham, said they had been unable to provide their usual face-to-face appointments with clients, but they had instead been conducting reviews over the phone and via video conferencing.

The team in Hexham, made of up Kaye along with Jen Thompson and Katy O’Donnell providing admin support, were keen to ensure that clients had the opportunity to ask any questions regarding their finances, given the current uncertainty around the economy.

She said: “We started off ringing all of our clients over 70 because they are the most vulnerable and had been asked to isolate.

“We were just giving them a quick call to ask if they were OK and see if they were concerned about anything, and since then we have been booking all clients in for a telephone call if they want one.

“The feedback we have had has been really positive and people have been really grateful that we have been giving them a call. Some people have been worried and they feel better for just having somebody to talk to to ease their mind.”

Face-to-face reviews usually take place at least once per year, but Kaye said that ringing everyone, even those not due a review, gave them a chance to raise any questions they may have and to remind them that the team are there to help.

She said financial worries at the moment can vary from those of pension age wondering how their investments may be affected, to working people concerned about their jobs, and others being unable to get hold of insurance companies.

But it is not only clients they are offering their services to, as Kaye said they were welcoming anyone to get in touch for an informal chat.

“We are available by email or telephone if anyone wants to talk about financial advice,” she said. “We’re here to help.”

And before the lockdown was introduced, when people over 70 had been advised to stay safe by staying indoors, the team decided to put a smile on some of their older clients’ faces.

They created care packages and delivered them to clients in Hexham and the surrounding areas, while other Sage Wealth Mangement offices in Chester-le-Street, Alnwick and Darlington did the same in their areas.

“It is an uncertain time for some people and this was just a way for us to keep in touch with our clients and remind them we are here if they need anything.”