Nathalie Dauriac-Stoebe’s life is the stuff of novels… elegant French wine heiress graduates from Cambridge University, starts work in the City and becomes senior partner at Coutts & Co, the Queen’s bank, at the age of 26. She leaves to set up a wealth management boutique and within a few months is managing £2billion of assets belonging to some of the richest people in the world.

Along the way, she marries private equity guru Konrad Stoebe, and to complete the story their first child is due in November.

Her move into wealth management could not be better timed. Demand for such bespoke financial services has never been greater as the new-found rich – successful entrepreneurs, for example – look to defend their wealth from the taxman, the corrosive impact of inflation and uncertain stock markets.

Dauriac-Stoebe, still only 33, says: ‘My life is not as exciting as a novel and a lot more realistic. It’s a myth that being young and a woman holds you back. I’ve never had a problem. I don’t believe in the word “can’t”.’

Sitting in Signia Wealth’s elegant offices close to Marble Arch, central London, it is clear that Dauriac-Stoebe is a woman who can achieve anything she puts her mind to.

With a baby on the way, she is planning an office crèche so she and colleagues can spend quality time with their children. ‘I’m lucky to have an incredible team of talented people, so I will do what’s necessary to help them achieve a good work/life balance,’ she says.

Born and raised on the family’s vineyard around St Emilion in the Bordeaux region of France, Dauriac-Stoebe moved to Britain in 1998 to study finance at Queens’ College, Cambridge. She started out at Lazards, before moving on to Coutts where she began as an assistant. In just a few years she was promoted to Senior Client Partner. Dauriac-Stoebe then, with four other partners, founded the Private Office (the ultra high net worth business of Coutts) where she led the international proposition for clients who are domiciled overseas.

It was in 2009 in the midst of the banking crisis that Dauriac-Stoebe came up with the concept for Signia Wealth.

‘I loved working at Coutts,’ she says. ‘It was a big success story and I learnt so much, but then the banking crisis hit and clients were unhappy because banks were not giving them what they wanted.

‘One afternoon I received calls from three of the largest UK entrepreneurs, all saying the same thing – they needed solutions for their complex financials. I saw it as an opportunity to set up on my own in business.

‘What makes Signia Wealth unique is that it is not in competition with the banks, it works with them, typically working in partnership with other businesses to provide overall portfolio management.’

Dauriac-Stoebe attributes her success-to ‘caring’ about clients, a word she believes is sadly missing in the financial world. ‘I am very close to my clients and many of them have become good friends,’ she says.

‘My business is about trust so if they are entrusting me with their fortune they need to know what my life is like too. We also encourage clients to get to know each other by hosting events and regular meets.

‘Normally when people sell their business they say, “Nathalie, I’m going to lie on a beach and do nothing”. But you can be certain not long afterwards I will receive a call saying, “Nathalie, do you know of any deals going on in the market?” By putting our clients together we create a lot of synergy and business opportunities.

‘People think when entrepreneurs sell their business they go crazy, buy lots of toys and live a dream life. And of course to some extent they do, but in a much more controlled way. The biggest worry for people who make a fortune is ensuring their children understand the responsibility of the wealth they will one day inherit.’

She adds: ‘There is a very true saying – the first generation make it, the second enjoy it and the third spend it. With this in mind we offer a special service educat ing spouses and children on all aspects of business and finance.’

Employing top people has always been a priority for Dauriac-Stoebe, who has signed up Coutts’ former chief investment officer Gautam Batra and David Hayes from Anglo Irish Bank.

The Signia Wealth advisory board is also a Who’s Who of luminaries – private equity veteran Jon Moulton, Dante Roscini, former chairman of Morgan Stanley’s equity capital markets Europe, property tycoon Stephen Vernon, Fitness First gym chain founder Michael Balfour and Phones 4U founder John Caudwell.

Pregnancy has not slowed down Dauriac-Stoebe. Plans are afoot to fly clients to the family’s vineyard for a ‘money can’t buy experience’ and she is preparing for a house move. ‘My advice to women is never give up and be passionate and true about what you do,’ she says.

‘I set up Signia Wealth 16 months ago at the age of 31 and today it has £2billion under supervision, employs 28 people and I am still managing to work while pregnant. Believe in yourself and it will happen.’

Grandparents are failing to pass on Britain’s traditional thrifty savings habits to youngsters because they don’t think today’s ‘Facebook generation’ wants to know.

Famous old adages like ‘take care of the pennies and the pounds will look after themselves’ are in danger of dying out as the cultural gap between grandchildren and their elders widens.

Just one in ten Britons has received money tips from a grandparent, research by the Government’s savings arm has found.

A third of over-65s questioned by National Savings & Investments said they didn’t think their wisdom was wanted.

But many of the ‘Facebook generation’ of iPhone and Blackberry-touting teenagers actually crave money advice, NS&I says. Around a third of those asked said grandparents are good role models in money management.

John Prout, of NS&I, says vital money wisdom, much of it cultivated during the enforced rationing of the Second World War, is in danger of being lost. Its research found 11 per cent of 16-34 year-olds – around 1.7million people – have no savings at all.

It isn’t until young Britons have to start saving for a big occasion such as a wedding or buying their first home, or had a discussion with parents or friends, that the majority realise their outgoings are too great and they have to change their ways, a separate study by Skipton Building Society found. The mutual concluded that Britons now don’t start saving ‘until they hit 34′.

Retirement savings crisis looms

Rising life expectancy has put Britain’s lack of saving prowess firmly on the front pages in recent years.

One in three babies born today is expected to live to 100 and without savings to fall back on, the Government is worried about the soaring cost of state old age benefits.

But policies designed to kick-start savings habits among Britons are open to accusations of hypocrisy.

On the one hand, the Government will by 2016 force all UK companies to enroll every staff member earning more than £5,000 pro rata into a pension scheme.

Meanwhile, though, the university fees cap is being cranked up £9,000 a year from just over £3,000 next year, leaving some students owing £50,000 on graduation and facing a lifetime of debt repayments.

Mr Prout says grandparents can help youngsters get on the right track at an early age, despite the difficulties.

He says: ‘These are challenging times for all of us, and as younger people are often making financial decisions for the first time having the opinion of someone who has already been through these life stages can be invaluable.’

Make saving more rewarding!

Simon Rose from Save Our Savers, says UK policymakers must do more to reward saving. A record low Bank of England base rate, which has languished at 0.5 per cent for 29 months, has seen savings rates plummet.

The average account now pays just 0.98 per cent, according to Moneyfacts.co.uk. It means that pitted against the soaring cost of living in the UK – prices rose 5 per cent over the last year on the Retail Prices Index – many people’s savings are actually declining in value.

Rose says: ‘It is of course the grandparents’ generation that has been hardest hit by the UK’s monetary policies. The one lesson our grandparents have learned is that living within your means and saving for the future doesn’t necessarily translate into a comfortable later life.

‘Let down by the pension system, they now find their savings being eviscerated by artificially depressed interest rates and rising inflation.

‘Living within your means and saving for the future has always been seen as a good and responsible course of action by the older generation. Unfortunately these attitudes have not been mirrored by responsible long-term policies from governments, which have instead put the needs of borrowers before those of savers.’

D.C.writes: We are on track to sell our home and plan to rent while searching for a retirement bungalow. We will have about £190,000 in bank accounts with Barclays and want a more productive way to keep this secure.

P.G.replies: Six months is a short investment term so your options are limited. As security is essential, you have to accept the lower returns available from deposit accounts, particularly in the current volatile market.

You would be best going for an instant-access account, although shop around to make sure you get the best deal. There are plenty of cash accounts to choose from.

Consider how you want to access the money (online, for example) and whether you are happy with an account that limits how many times you can withdraw money and still qualify for the best rate.

Think about whose name you hold the money in, especially if one of you pays tax at a lower rate than the other. Also consider splitting the money between at least two accounts with different institutions.

Lasting support

A.W.writes: I have an enduring power of attorney to handle the finances of my ex-wife, who has mental health problems. She is now in sheltered accommodation and I need to pass on these responsibilities to someone else.

P.B-K.replies: Only your wife or the Court of Protection can authorise someone else to manage her affairs when you cannot.

Speak to the home’s psychiatric consultant to see if your wife has sufficient understanding to create a new power of attorney.

If she does, she can appoint other people to help by using a Lasting Power of Attorney (LPA). If she does not, the Court will appoint one or two people to act as ‘deputies’ for her. If you have no family or friends who can act, the Court can appoint someone from its panel.

Sorry, you can’t have husband’s three pensions

V.F.writes: I am a 67-year-old woman drawing a State pension of just under £300 each month. My husband has three pensions – from the Army, the State and from his time working for the council. Can he transfer any of these to me or claim any of my tax allowances to reduce his tax bill? 

J.W.replies: The short answer is no. His pensions are treated as his income and are not transferable, but you can make sure that any taxable savings and investments are held in your name rather than his. You have a tax-free personal allowance of £9,940 each year, which rises further at age 75. Much of this is therefore not being used.

A scheme overhaul, resulting in a new brand called Avios, will see customers pay taxes and surcharges, for example fuel levies, on future bookings.

Airmiles is one of Britain’s most popular reward schemes with customers collecting miles via Tesco, Lloyds TSB, Shell and online shopping.

Travellers currently use  the miles to pay an all-in fare, including the cost of taxes and extra fees.

In future, the scheme will charge flyers fees on top of the miles they cash in. On a return ticket to New York, for example, the fee will top £300.There will be a charge of £27 for shorter trips from Britain.

Andrew Swaffield, chief executive of the Mileage Company, which administers Airmiles, says it was becoming ‘untenable’ to keep offering  free flights. In a statement, the company says: ‘Paying taxes, fees and charges is standard on most travel reward and frequent flyer programmes.’

Airmiles is also redrawing the world map to change the miles required to buy flights.

The tariff for some destinations, such as Tel Aviv, Mauritius and Larnaca in Cyprus, rises while for others, including Tokyo, Hong Kong and Boston, it will fall.

Airmiles is owned by British Airways and Iberia, which merged this year. The new Avios scheme will swallow up both airlines’ existing frequent flyer programmes. From November 16, each Airmile will become ten Avios points. Customers with BA Executive Club miles convert to Avios points at the rate of one-to-one.

There will be a scramble to redeem Airmiles on existing terms. Customers can book online until November 14 at current rates and until December 15 by phone. But popular routes will sell out fast.

Any existing bookings are unaffected.

Fixed-rate mortgages continue to tumble with new deals from HSBC, Nationwide and Leeds Building Society.

A five-year fix at 3.34 per cent with a £999 fee is offered by HSBC. Borrowers need at least 40 per cent equity.

Nationwide has a five-year fix at 3.69 per cent available to those with a 30 per cent deposit or equity. The fee is £999. It offers a three-year fix at 2.89 per cent with a £995 fee, again for those with a 30 per cent deposit or equity.

These deals follow the launch of one of the lowest ever five-year fixes by Chelsea, part of Yorkshire Building Society, at 3.29 per cent. It remains the cheapest rate over the term, though the fee is £1,495. Borrowers need a 30 per cent deposit.

Fixed rates have become keenly priced because interest rates are not expected to rise for at least another year. Chelsea is now offering a ten-year fix at 3.99 per cent.

Ray Boulger at broker John Charcol says: ‘Even those with redemption penalties may find they can make savings by switching.’

Mansfield Building Society has launched a three-year discount deal starting at 4.8 per cent for those with a five per cent deposit.

State Bank of India will open branches in Coventry and Wolverhampton before the end of the month, taking its British network up to ten. It says this could then double within the next five years.

Rajnish Kumar, chief executive of British operations, says SBI’s commitment to its branch network is all about offering customers a choice of how they access their money and supporting communities.

SBI is bucking the trend among the High Street banking giants (see report, left). More than 180 branches were closed last year by Lloyds TSB, Santander, Northern Rock, Royal Bank of Scotland and HSBC.

In an interview with Financial Mail, Kumar says: ‘We want to be a community-based bank where customers value our service and develop a long-term relationship with the brand. In Wolverhampton, where we will open this month, politicians and businesses have told us it is good news for the community and our presence will boost the High Street.

‘For us it is not an either/or situation when it comes to branches. We want to be available for our customers through all channels – the internet, ATMs and branches.’

SBI has focused its efforts on the retail savings market since opening up in Britain in 2002. It has an instant-access account paying two per cent and a one-year bond at three per cent.

The bank also offers a current account that allows free remittances to India and it hopes to move into mortgages and personal loans in the first quarter of next year.

SBI already has five branches in London, including its head office in the City and in East Ham, which was the last one to open in February.

It also has branches in Leicester, Birmingham and Manchester. The focus for future branches will be in areas with  big Asian populations, but Kumar says SBI wants to be seen as welcoming for all.

Other smaller challengers  are slowly but surely getting a foothold in the market with branch expansion. India’s ICICI bank and Bank of Baroda as well as Islamic Bank of Britain have targeted areas with big Asian populations. ICICI has 11 branches while Bank of Baroda has ten, mostly in London.

New entrant Metro Bank has opened eight branches since its British launch a year ago, predominantly in prosperous urban areas, and it plans to have at least 60 by the end of 2014. Swedish-owned Handelsbanken has more than 100 branches in Britain, although many do not offer a counter service and the bank targets wealthy customers and small businesses.

Savers with SBI have full protection under the Financial Services Compensation Scheme up to £85,000 per person if the bank goes bust. This is the same for all British and non-British banks that are FSA-regulated.

The only exceptions are some European-based banks, such as Handelsbanken and Dutch-owned ING Direct, which under EU rules can use the deposit protection scheme of their home country. Always check your money is safeguarded.

Derek French of the Campaign for Community Banking, which lobbies against branch closures and supports moves to make banks share branches, says: ‘It is good to see State Bank of India opening more High Street branches. So many branch relocations have been in business parks and out-of-town retail centres.’

Banks and card firms are warning those travelling overseas to be vigilant, with Spain cited as a high-risk destination when it comes to theft of bank cards.

Those travelling in larger groups, for example to attend hen or stag parties, appear particularly at risk.

Four in ten cards reported as stolen in the past year belonged to tourists visiting popular Spanish holiday destinations including Tenerife, Majorca and Minorca according to the latest data collected by card insurer CPP.

Its figures are reflected in travel insurance claims highlighting Spain as a potentially risky destination. Analysis by Sainsbury’s Travel Insurance, for example, shows claims for lost or stolen money leapt by over 40 per cent between the summers of 2009 and 2010. One in four claims originated in Spain, compared to one in ten in France and one in 20 in the USA.

Kerry D’Souza, spokeswoman for CPP, says: ‘Large groups, such as hen and stag parties, are particularly attractive to opportunist thieves. Members of such parties are likely to have had a few drinks and be distracted having fun, rather than looking after their belongings.

‘The last thing you want during a special break is for it to become memorable for all the wrong reasons – such as a theft,’ she adds. ‘It is worth trying to remain vigilant and taking care with valuables and any card transactions you make.’

Librarian Jo McGee, 30, from Bromley, Kent, was the victim of a mugging on her hen party in Barcelona, several years ago – an episode she clearly recalls. She was on the way to the police station to report another theft when she was attacked.

‘It was a fairly eventful hen weekend,’ admits Jo, who married Stuart, 30, who works for a car breakdown company, in May 2006. ‘My friend had her bag stolen from a bar on the first night and we were going to report it to the police the following evening when we were attacked.’

Jo had her bag stolen by the thieves, including her phone, camera, cards and cash. In the scuffle she was kicked and broke a bone in her knee. She had the plaster on her leg removed just days before she walked down the aisle.

‘I was in terrible shock after the mugging,’ says Jo, ‘but once I had got back to the apartment I phoned Stuart at home and he was able to cancel my bank and credit cards. It’s difficult to see how we could have prevented the attack, but it has made me more wary. I don’t carry all my credit and debit cards in one bag anymore.’

While tens of thousands of holidaymakers fall victim to overseas crime every year, there are some ways to limit the risk. Apart from the obvious precautions, such as keeping cards and luggage within sight, take the emergency numbers of your bank and card providers with you on holiday in case you need to report loss or theft. This way cards can be stopped immediately. Email addresses are also helpful to limit call costs.

It is important to make sure your bank has up to date contact details for you – ideally a mobile number – so it can make contact in case it suspects fraudulent use.

Medical expenses account for the largest – and the fastest-growing – portion of travel insurance claims, according to the latest data from the insurance industry. Claims for treatment while on holiday, including being flown home, far outweigh the claims arising from lost or stolen cash, wallets, passports or luggage.

Insurers paid out £275million for emergency medical treatment received by holidaymakers last year, with most claims arising over the summer months.

Both the number of claims and their total cost has roughly trebled over six years. But the medical expenses slice of the total payouts grew from one third, six years ago, to well over half last year.

The Association of British Insurers, which represents the industry, cited the high-cost medical claim of one heart attack victim flown home from Turkey at a cost of £86,000 and a man whose treatment in Spain for a broken arm cost £11,000.

Medical expenses claims in the USA can cost far more. This accounts for the fact that many travel policies which extend to the USA offer medical expenses cover of up to £2million.

Consumers are being warned against online fraud with criminals ‘selling’ holidays even sending an invoice after a card payment.

One Financial Mail reader booked a hotel in Menorca last month with mybookingcentrals.com. The invoice was attributed to ‘Hotels Vision online booking’.

But the hotel had no record of the reservation when the guest arrived. Luckily, the reader had paid by credit card so he was able to recoup the loss.

Sandra Quinn of UK Payments, which represents the card industry, reminds consumers that payment by credit card gives an extra layer of protection against fraud. ‘Cardholders can claim from their credit card company if goods or services worth more than £100 turn out to be faulty, the supplier goes bust or there has been fraud,’ she says.

More than three million people a year fall victim to fraud, losing £3.5billion, according to the Office of Fair Trading. Typical frauds involve fake lotteries and prize draws, bogus ticket websites, holiday clubs and online used car sales.

One of the fastest-growing is phishing where crooks send emails trying to trick bank customers into revealing personal security information. Those who respond soon find their account has been looted.

Experts warn bank customers not to respond to cold-call phone calls or emails.

Thousands of holidaymakers are falling victim to card theft overseas each year with Spain the key hot-spot, as recent research by Sainsbury’s Travel Insurance has found.

Read about Jo McGee’s hen party in Barcelona, which ended in the theft of her bank and credit cards and a broken leg.

Go to thisismoney.co.uk/holiday-horror.

The UK’s Sleep Council teamed up with the USA’s Better Sleep Council to conduct the research which polled the parents of 1,000 UK and 1,000 US children aged from 7 to 18 years old.

The survey found that in the US, almost half (45%) of parents believe their child gets better grades as a result of getting more sleep compared to less than a quarter (22%) of UK parents. 90% of US parents felt that their child’s mattress was an important factor for a good night’s sleep compared to 60% of UK parents.

Getting enough sleep allows children to react more quickly to situations, have a more developed memory, learn more effectively and solve problems, according to Children’s Hospital of Michigan.
Jessica Alexander from the Sleep Council says: ‘In the USA there is much greater awareness of the adverse effects of poor sleep habits. In the UK, sleep has not yet been given equal status with diet and exercise as being fundamental to health and wellbeing. To coin a new phrase we need to ‘catch up on our sleepreciation!’

The research also shows that almost a quarter (23%) of 7-18 year olds in the UK are losing sleep because of worry. Over half of 7-11 year olds (57%) worry about friendships and family issues while 29% worry about school (grades, homework and classes) compared to 56% of American children. Only a quarter of children, according to their parents, have no worries at all.

Children’s sleep expert Kathleen McGrath says: ‘Children are, perhaps surprisingly, natural worriers but it’s of concern if they regularly lose sleep through worry. If sleep during childhood is disturbed it can hinder growth and development and cause all kinds of problems for child and parent alike.’

The survey shows that with the new school year just days away, most children are likely to experience some disruption to their sleep pattern with one in three UK and US children expecting to get less sleep and four in ten (42%) getting more sleep when they go back to school.

Among those children in the UK who get less sleep when they go back to school, almost half (45%) are noticeably crabbier. Kathleen said: ‘All children are crabby when they are tired but to overcome this they need to learn to identify the symptoms of tiredness so they can deal with it and start ‘achieving’ real sleep. Getting them into a good routine is absolutely paramount to this.’

Aside from worry, other things that prevent children from sleeping are homework (26%), while one in five (19%) said electronic devices such as computers and televisions in the bedroom distracted them from sleep. In the US this figure jumped to a staggering 33%.

Kathleen said: “The proliferation of mobile phones and laptop computers means children feel like they need to be in touch all the time but they also need to understand that ‘switching off’ and indulging in quiet time is really important and actually quite normal. Parents can help by limiting computer time and encouraging an electronic-free bed environment.”

Tips to help your child get back into a worry-free sleep routine:

Impress on them the importance of a good night’s sleep

Encourage regular exercise

Suggest a reduction in caffeine (such as coke and other fizzy drinks)

Try and get them into a routine – doing things in the same order before going to bed at night will help

Create a restful sleeping environment – a room that is dark, cool, quiet, safe and comfortable

Make sure the bed is comfortable

‘Every mother knows there are not enough hours in the day to get everything done, and that is without adding a career.  Since when did women stop viewing motherhood as a full-time, extremely challenging job in its own right?” asks Marni.

“The message that mums should be able to balance work and family life – and be successful in both roles – is dangerous, she says. ‘More and more women brand themselves failures for not achieving this label, which is incredibly value-laden.

‘Depression isn’t about how many roles we have.  It is linked to what we expect of ourselves,” she concluded.

The survey, by Katrina Leupp at the University of Washington, analysed the responses of 1,600 young women to an American government survey.

Marni, who has three children aged 5 to 11, knows all too well the challenges and frustrations of being a mother.   She says: ‘However, the most testing part of motherhood these days must surely be the pressure of expectation from society – the anticipation that one cannot possibly contemplate that a mother’s role is fulfilling enough in its own right.

‘It is exasperating that society no longer values a ‘supermum’ for being just that , says Marni.  “A super mother who is dedicated to being there for her child full time.  For the mothers that dedicate their time to the PTA, local charitable organisations, manage the household accounts, attend school outings …if they are not supermums too, I don’t know who is? But these full time mothers are prone to depression because they are not living up to their own and society’s expectations.  As a society we are sadly out of balance.’