Thrive - February 2022

February 2022

LIVE LEARN GROW

Bi-monthly Newsletter from VM Pensions Management

The VMPM

ARS Portal Access your Pension Information in Real Time

Transform Your Everyday

VM Pensions Management Limited

The VMPM ARS Portal: Access your Pension Information in Real Time At VM Pensions Management Ltd (VMPM), we are continuously transforming and upgrading our digital channels to ensure that we provide our Members with more convenient ways to do business with us.

Our Approved Retirement Scheme (ARS) Portal is a part of our digital suite of solutions to provide greater convenience for our members. The portal, which improves accessibility to real time information for our Members, is aimed at ensuring that we are more competitive in our service offerings.

The ARS portal has several ‘self-help’ features which include: 1.

Client Self-Registration & Logins

2.

Password Self-Management

3.

Daily data updates from select databases

4.

View mode only presentation for member details such as: • • •

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ARS portfolio Demographics Beneficiaries

5.

The availability of downloadable forms and reports

Security Measures For your security and safety, the dashboard allows access for only two sets of users: The Pension Administrator (Admin) and the Member.

The system enables each Member to register their individual username and password while the Admin has a single username and password which is assigned.

This added layer of security is for the protection of both you, the Member, as well as for VMPM. As with all passwords, they must be updated frequently, as set out by the policies of the business.

Accessing the Portal Once your account is correctly updated with your mobile number, email address and Email Indemnity, you may visit the site https://arsportal.myvmgroup.com/login/ and register for access.

The ARS portal is just one of the many ways we are helping you to #TransformYourEveryday through our suite of convenience channels. If you are still not sure about how to navigate the portal, or you need some assistance, please feel free to reach out to any of our VMPM team members at 876-754-7265 or email: ars@myvmgroup.com

Thrive E-zine - February 2022

One Heart: Habits for Maintaining Your Heart Health Some believe it’s responsible for the love in the air during this season and all year round; others are more pragmatic… but still occasionally think if you just follow it, you will be led down the right path. Your heart. The holder of many secrets and the source of your everyday.

February is observed as Heart Month and as such, we think it’s a great time to get back in touch with our heart health.

Globally, heart disease and stroke are the leading cause of death, with the conditions being significantly more prevalent in Black communities. The great news is that about 80 per cent of cardiovascular diseases are preventable! Wherever you are in your life, whether healthy or facing health complications, now is a good time to learn more about how you can put into practice some heart health tips, to prevent any future problems with this vital organ.

Take a look at this article from the New York Times – 7 Habits for a Healthy Heart, which shares some insightful ways to incorporate lifestyle changes for a healthy heart.

Take a look: https://www.nytimes.com/guides/well/howto-prevent-heart-disease#:~:text=But%20 studies%20show%20that%20people,people%20 who%20avoid%20it%20altogether

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VM Pensions Management Limited

Balancing Act: Work from Home and Parenting The year 2020 started innocently enough – but this was quickly upended when a global pandemic brought everything to a jarring halt. All aspects of life as we knew it was rapidly changing, as the world – transportation, communications, travel, commerce, recreation, entertainment, haphazardly pivoted in an attempt to make the best of an unprecedented situation.

Suddenly, while our collective fears and anxieties rose to new heights, we were at home and as we came to realise, we were there to stay for some time.

Staying home sounds okay. If we are home, we are safe, our loved ones are safe. And frankly, in those first weeks, you undoubtedly found something you had long been missing – time. Time to connect with your family and your children in ways you hadn’t before.

This was until, we started taking stock of what it meant to not just stay home, but to stay home for work, play and everything in-between.

It has now been two years since the start of the pandemic and we have found ways to cope through the ups and the downs, the losses and the occasional wins.

In some ways, life has started trending back towards normal. But for some of us, the task of balancing working from home, while parenting, remains an undeniable challenge.

According to one study*, 65 per cent of persons reported that their productivity increased while working from home; 80 per cent said they can better manage interruptions from co-workers while working from home and 77 per cent reported finding new ways to be productive outside the regular nine to five hours. Yet, that same study showed that 66 per cent of respondents would still prefer to work in the office or some other workplace, than in the home. Mind-blowing, right?

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Maybe that 66 per cent were the parents who just could not find the balance. We are here to tell you there are ways to have the best of both worlds.

Set Achievable Goals When working from home, while taking care of your young ones, you will need to rethink how you set your professional goals for the day, week or month. It is important to understand your own limitations, and how these match up against your resources – of time, energy and focus. Be sure to assess the things you need to achieve and prioritise carefully, so you can give the best of yourself to your job and your family.

Hot Tip: Respectfully communicate your circumstances to your boss when discussing your performance goals.

Build a structured, but flexible routine It is not business as usual when working from home and parenting. To balance both, you will need to develop a routine that works best for yourself, your family and your job. Having a set time for breakfast, lunch and dinner, as well as other breaks for specific bonding or childcare needs, will help you manage expectations at work and at home.

Hot Tip: Communicate ahead of time when your routine must be altered to accommodate a home or job need.

Create your own space for work You have heard about the separation of church and state – but in this case, there needs to be separation of professional and personal/family roles. Having a dedicated workspace, complete with all your needs for work, will help you to focus on the task at hand during your dedicated work time and avoid unwanted distractions.

Thrive E-zine - February 2022

Hot Tip: Decorate your workspace according to your needs so you can be comfortable when getting into a mindset for work.

Hot Tip: If you feel overwhelmed, ask a trusted co-worker to help out on a project before its too late.

Get help

Give yourself a break

We know you are super-parent! That’s the only way to parent, you may have realized, but even you can’t do it all. Where there is a need, get support. Trusted family members, your partner or hired childcare personnel, should be able to significantly ease the responsibility when you have to place most of your attention on the job.

The truth is, you are doing your best. When working from home, you may feel added pressure to prove your value and contributions to your superiors; and over time this may cause the lines between work and other parts of your life to blur. Avoid burnout by maintaining appropriate boundaries for your job and taking time, when you need it, to breathe, rest and relax.

Hot Tip: Take a nap if you need to!

Meet the Team

Davie Martin Investment Manager Davie Martin is an alumnus of Kingston College, who joined the VM Wealth team in May 2019.

In his role as Manager for Asset Management, he is responsible for optimizing the risk adjusted returns on the various investment portfolios to maximize customer value. Davie has over 18 years of experience in the financial industry.

He is an avid sports fan and a long-suffering Arsenal supporter.

He also enjoys going to the beach and spending time with his family.

Davie holds a Master of Business Administration with a focus on Banking and Finance from the Mona School of Business and a BSc in Management Studies and Accounting (UWI).

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Thrive E-zine 2022 - February 2022

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