4.3.9 True Potential LLP

David, this course is the third of three which have been produced by the True Potential Centre at The Open University. Why are you such a champion of personal finance education?

When we first thought about this Martin I get mystified and frustrated with financial services. My business is about understanding what financial advice would work for me, what's the best deal for them by chopping down the cost to them and I'm hoping that they chop down and actually they do charge less in the market than others so I'm quite - I'm proud of that. The idea of championing the thing is, if you were I think a thinking financial adviser, if your client has got almost as much knowledge as you and asks you questions it becomes quite a good interview. If you've got to, you know, start at the beginning and almost be patronising et cetera, et cetera they don't understand it.

And I think it's common sense, if you don't understand something don't invest in it. Just don't do it. You know if you don't understand it why put your money there? And I think this is that most sensible people if they don't understand it, if they haven't got an adviser, it helps them at least once you know.

My dad taught me to ride a bike. Remember running down the back streets holding on to the thing and I'm talking away to him and he wasn't there. And then I fell off. But because he wasn't there, he was about a hundred yards back, I could ride a bike. You need somebody to start you off. Maybe you don't. Maybe you don't need somebody to start you off but that's, through the championing of something that encourages people to take a mild interest. I mean the courses that you've put together they're quite challenging. I was talking to one of our fund managers. He's a top guy. He's probably world class. You know he's certainly paid world class money to run some of our money for us. He said "it's actually quite tricky. That Open University stuff's quite tricky. But up to now I've got a hundred per cent of it." Well I hope so you know. I'd hope you'd have a hundred per cent. They're quite challenging courses. And if people just take the time - you don't need to be it's like training to be fit or whatever don't - it's not an all-day thing. It's something if it piques your interest then you've done your job and I've done my job.

Thanks very much David.

Thank you Martin. Thank you very much.