When money helps. The SMS Finance Charity Football Tournament has already raised one million

Working in finance is tempting and lucrative, but it is no longer about the glitz and glamour as it may have been in the past. Moravian-born Lukáš Ticháček, one of the leading financial advisors at SMS Finance, knows this. Despite the success of his team, he still leads by example, remains humble, motivates those around him and manages charity projects. He managed to organize one of them last weekend and the result will make a significant difference in the life of a sick little girl.

“This is the seventh year that I have organised a charity football tournament with my colleagues and friends. We call it SMS Champions League and this year’s proceeds of 260 thousand crowns will go to help little Sofia Balážová. She has problems with her eyesight, which she almost lost, and a number of other health complications. Her mother is on her own, she has several jobs, and now their car has broken down and they have no bills to pay,” says Lukáš Ticháček about the plight of the family of two that he and his team decided to help. Historically, Lukáš has already raised one million crowns in this way.

“I am very grateful for the people we have in the SMS Finance team. We all love to play sports, so seven years ago we decided to combine it and organize a football tournament with our friends and partners. Teams pay an entry fee, we enjoy a full day of sport and good food together, and on top of that we help financially wherever there is a need,” he adds.

According to the participants, the joy of little Sofia and her mother was immense. The money raised will bring them peace of mind from an adverse situation, they will be able to repair their car and have a rest.

Lukáš Ticháček, who in the past became the youngest head of financial advisors in the Czech Republic, is also known in the community for his charity projects.

“I’m surrounded by athletes and one day we decided to cycle all the way to Croatia. We named the project Pedaling for a Good Cause and expanded the idea to a charity ride. The first year we rode for the Hope4Kids Foundation, which helps victims of bullying. We traveled 750 kilometers and managed to donate over sixty thousand. The second year, we went to Venice for a change and supported a family whose house was destroyed by a tornado in South Moravia,” he says.

This year he is planning a trip to Switzerland. “To show that it’s good to step out of our comfort zone, we’re going completely without money this time. We will have to provide food, sleep and fight for survival along the way. This year everyone will be able to participate by paying the entry fee and doing their activity, running, cycling or hiking through the app. The app will also offer a leaderboard,” he adds.

Lukáš is well aware of the indisputable fact that financial advisors are not viewed in the best light in the Czech Republic. He himself is one of a handful of advisory Avengers who are trying to straighten out the profession’s tarnished reputation. It has fallen out of favour with the general public due to the actions of a few individuals.

“I put a lot of emphasis on education in my team. Thewhole industry needs to be regulated even more, but knowledge of economics and financial products is absolutely crucial,” emphasises Ticháček, who believes that education of advisers is the way for the profession to earn its due prestige, as is the standard in the Western world.

“In Europe and America, it is common to have an expert in finance. The financial literacy of the Czechs is not very well developed, yet for some reason the public looks down on advisors. We call in experts for electricity or home improvements, and it should be the same when it comes to money. Theaverage person is usually unfamiliar with the wide range of financial products and cannot tell which one is really beneficial for them,” he says.

There was a time when almost anyone could be a financial adviser and it looked like that. Companies were primarily concerned with training sales skills and the only goal of such an advisor was to sell. The possibility of making a quick and relatively easy income was of particular interest to high school students, whose money went to their heads in no time.

They showed off their expensive cars and holidays, bragged and soon began to mention that they were not interested in the welfare of the client. Lukáš himself also loves cars, they have always been one of his motivations, but despite his financial success, he remains humble and constantly tries to help where it is needed, according to his surroundings and his social media appearances.

Source: SMS Finance