Thursday, June 18, 2009

Blogger Interview - Miriam Ahern

What is the best business/investment decision you ever made? Setting up my own organisation development and human resources consultancy practice, Align Management Solutions, in 2001.

What kind of car do you drive? Jaguar XJ8

What is the worst financial advice that you ever received? To take out an endowment mortgage in 1987 – Thankfully I didn’t!

Do you own property abroad? Yes

How does the economic slowdown effect you? Like any other industry, in professional services it’s now harder to get new business and harder to get paid.

Do you contribute to a pension plan? Yes

What's your favourite film of all time? Billy Elliott because it shows what can be done against the odds when you have an unshakable vision and the passion to back it up.

Have you ever won money? Not yet but I’m ever hopeful!

Do you own your own home? Yes

Do you invest directly in the stock market, through funds or both? I had fantastic share options at one point during the dot com frenzy but they lost their value before I could exercise them. That reality check put me off the stock market somewhat.

What is your preferred method/system of saving (Deposits, Funds, Shares, Property)? Deposits and Property

What financial product/s do you consider to be bad value for money? Car loans, some credit cards, critical illness insurance (sounds good in principal but very tricky when you try to make a claim)

Do you trust your bank? I trust them but it really annoys me that having had personal and business accounts with them for twenty years, they still don’t know me when I visit.


Miriam Ahern is Managing Partner of Align Management Solutions

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