Now that 2020 is behind us, it's time to check in on the emotional and financial damage suffered by the millions of Australians affected by COVID-19.

Job losses for some, reduced work hours for others, still others forced into early retirement - ready or not - many small businesses surviving one month at a time and families trying to make sense of lockdowns and restrictions - it’s safe to say there will be many COVID-19 flow on effects yet unseen.

We’ll all need to work through in some way.

It's been a tough year… there's been some tough learnings

This year, 2020 has been a year where the Confidence of many people has been tested.

In Australia it started in January 2020 with;

• unseasonably extreme bushfires that burnt over 46 million acres (or 186,000 square kilometres) with devastating effects on life; and then
• major flooding over Queensland and NSW that saw a years worth of rain delivered in just a few days, with devastating effects; and then
• the global coronavirus pandemic; (first declared a Public Health Emergency of International Concern in January 2020, and then a Pandemic in March 2020).

As we close out 2020, it's fair to say, ‘it's been a tough year’.

If you're feeling like your life and business have been Kidnapped by the COVID-19 Virus, we can relate.

It's a difficult time affecting us all, and all in very different ways. The opened-ended nature of this worldwide health crisis fuels a sense of uncertainty. And this won't be the last crisis our world sees.

This changing environment can kidnap our thinking with the seemingly urgent and distract us from the still important.

And our hearts go out to the people who are not in very fortunate situations.

As we find our way through this time, we don't want platitudes and denial but on the same token, we need to find ways we can keep calm and focus on what we can control - and look for something solid.

Capacity Statement of Sapience Financial & Investment Services

March 2020

The outbreak of COVID-19 is impacting all of us in many different ways. It has understandably caused disruptions in the financial markets, disruptions in how people work and socialise, will have flow-on effects in businesses in means not yet envisaged and has made us worry about our family and friends.

At Sapience Financial & Investment Services, our commitment is we will continue to put our clients’ interests first. We will continue to communicate what is happening in markets as it relates to our clients’ managed investments and their insurance policies we manage during these uncertain times.

Getting better at managing our personal and business risks in our connected world

The current Coronavirus epidemic is going to affect Australian families and businesses - but perhaps not for the reason you suspect.

Australians are not new to facing risks to manage. Communities who live in areas of risk have bushfire plans, flood plans and even snow closure emergency plans.