Louise Court
Director, Private Clients
Louise joined 7IM in 2015 and has been working with Private Clients since 2010. Louise’s purpose is to work in clients’ best interests, to listen and understand their ambitions, so she can formulate a suitable strategy to help them achieve their financial freedom.
She believes that building trusting relationships and frequent communication are the two keys to success and the antidotes to shocks and surprises.
In her spare time, she loves to maintain her fitness through regular spin classes and she has recently found a passion for gardening. She also follows her football team across the country.
7 Questions with Louise
1. How did you get into wealth management?
Very much by chance! I finished my A-Levels and had planned to go to university with the view to get into primary school teaching. But I really wanted to take a year out to experience working in London to make sure I was making the right decision before heading off to university.
So… at 18, I started working at a larger competitor to 7IM and really enjoyed the varying levels of client interaction in the role straight away. My role there evolved, and I started taking the relevant financial exams. Safe to say I then cancelled my university place altogether and never looked back! I moved to 7IM after five years at that company.
2. What’s the biggest highlight of your career in wealth management?
Winning the City of London Wealth Management Awards in 2024 for Best Rising Star. Although there are a few other highlights of which I’m very proud along the way, this is definitely the most recent one!
3. What do you find most rewarding about managing people’s wealth?
Enabling people to achieve their financial freedom, especially when they least expect it to be achievable. Financial freedom can mean different things to everyone, and these aspirations tend to change as lifestyles do too, so being able to tweak things along the way and still allow them to achieve what they want is extremely rewarding.
I really get a sense of satisfaction from taking the burden and worry away from clients – whether that be by handholding through stormy periods, or putting an achievable plan in place…which they understand. This was particularly valuable during Covid-19, when life as we knew it took a turn. There’s usually some way to make things work and it’s about understanding clients as best as possible and building up their trust to enable me to do this.
4. What’s the worst non-financial investment you’ve made?
Being a Millwall football supporter, although this has had a financial impact as I’ve had a season ticket for over 20 years, so not really a good financial investment by any means in terms of upsides!
Winning playoff finals, to losing playoff finals. Losing in semi-finals of cups, cup finals and such near misses. A lot of heart ache and mood changes comes with supporting this team!
I wouldn’t change it, though. The Premier League is overrated anyway!
5. If you could pick one financial habit for everyone to have, what would it be?
Always having an easily accessible emergency cash reserve. Even if you start building this up slowly but regularly with small amounts (where possible) it can be lifechanging. Unfortunately, you never know what is round the corner – a job loss, boiler mishap, ill health… having something behind you can really ease the stress and burden should these often difficult, unexpected things arise. Of course, there are tax-efficient savings schemes or pensions you can also build from there – but keeping it very simple at the start. I’d say keep some cash behind you for a rainy day.
6. What are the most important skills people should look for in a wealth manager?
Listening and transparency. I always listen to what is important to clients – both personally and financially. I want to know as much about what’s important to them and what keeps them awake at night, so I can put people’s financial goals at the centre of a suitable plan. It’s simple for advisers to take the easy route and find a ‘one-size-fits-all’ scenario for their clients, but I always work under the principle that everyone is different.
Getting to the heart of what really matters to my clients is the most important thing for me. Being open, honest and transparent with each other really leads to results.
7. What is the value of financial education across a family’s different generations?
You cannot put a price on this! I am so keen for this topic to be introduced more in schools from a young age so children can understand the complete basics when it comes to finances.
I am very privileged to be looking after multi-generations within families and it’s really rewarding seeing the younger generations take an interest in their finances and obtain good habits. Whether this be from starting small with regular savings, and how the benefits of compounding over time are invaluable, to when they require funds towards their first property. Each stage is so important and so is their financial education around this. Making sure those hard-earned pennies that have been saved over the years aren’t splashed on a night in Ibiza!
It’s likely at some stage the wealth will be passing down through the generations, so letting clients/families know what is available to them, both from a control aspect, planning aspect and tax aspect is very important. Making sure they understand what they have is equally important.
