Welcome
Ever wonder how to…
- Consolidate numerous plans and products into a comprehensive strategy that everyone understands?
- Plan for and maintain life-long financial independence?
- Find strategies and products that make you feel connected to your money?
- Design a portfolio strategy that you can maintain regardless of market conditions?
- Transfer the success from your business into personal wealth?
- Protecting the things you love from the vagaries of life, the markets, and media hype?
Since 1989, we’ve helped our clients do all these things. During that time, we’ve developed a set of beliefs that guide our business.
We believe…
We must first listen carefully to our clients, then clarify, and then advise.
Clients want integrity, personalization and professionalism from their financial advisor.
Decisions made from a financial planning perspective are better than those that are not. Plan first, then offer products and only when necessary.
The right amount of risk is the smallest amount of risk that still allows you to achieve your goals.
We can provide advice, but it is ultimately your money and your future and the final decision is yours.
You benefit from a collaborative approach to your financial planning.
Life can sometimes be unexpected and your plan must provide the flexibility needed to cope in those situations.
Providing flexible compensation strategies allows us to find a mutually agreeable way to work together.
Our services
Our Premier Portfolio Strategy is our program for establishing and monitoring client portfolios.
We also offer our Prosperity by Design financial planning program. Financial plans can either be comprehensive or modular in format. Please click the link for more details.
Both programs follow several steps to ensure a thorough examination of your situation is completed and all reasonable alternatives are considered.
There is no obligation on your part to have us implement the recommendations from either program.
More information about our services
Regardless of which service you ask us to provide, we will start by listening to your goals and dreams, the things that keep you awake at night, the things that give you confidence for the future, how you learned the value of money, and what it means to you.
Then we take an inventory of your current situation.
At this point, we compare the two – your goals and your current situation. How do they match up? What actions could you take that would improve your situation?
When all reasonable alternatives have examined, we distill them down to the best options. We put all of this in writing for you, documenting your alternatives and the pros and cons of each. Then we explain them to you (in language you understand) and set a plan of action to help you reach those goals.
If you choose to have us implement your plan, we will use the best financial instruments we can find. These range from High Interest Saving Accounts, GICs, Mutual Funds, Segregated Funds, Pooled Funds and Private Investment Management Services ($million + portfolios).
Insurances that we implement include life insurance, living benefits (disability, critical illness and long term care insurance), and travel insurance.
Incorporated businesses provide many interesting planning opportunities. Some of the plans we have been involved in include estate freezes, buy sell agreements, shared ownership strategies, Individual Pension Plans and Retirement Compensation Arrangements.
Our typical clients
Our clients fall into 2 categories. First, there are the emerging affluent. These are clients who find themselves with significant assets or income that they've not had to manage before (high employment income, inheritances, life insurance proceeds, stock options etc.).
Second, there are the clients in transition. These are people who are facing a large change in their lives (retirement, death of a spouse, separation or divorce etc.). A lot of our existing clients are successful small business owners. We also work with a lot of families who are within 10 years of retirement.
All of our clients tend to be down to earth, busy individuals who want practical advice from someone they trust. They are sincerely interested in improving their financial situation and are ready to make the decisions and take the steps necessary to move themselves forward.
Recent Articles
Don't Bet Your Retirement on a Simple Approach
Posted on 05-08-2012You have probably heard about the old 70 percent rule that suggests retirees will need the equivalent of about 70 percent of your current income level to maintain their lifestyle in retirement. This assumes that your retirement living costs will be 30 percent less than during your working years. While it may have been applied appropriately for retirees two or three decades ago, it is fraught with significant risk and potential disaster for today’s retirees.
It Doesn't Pay to Procrastinate
Posted on 05-08-2012Many people have no idea. Some people have a vague idea. A few people, a very few, have it all worked out. When it comes to retirement planning, many people don't take action until forced to by a mid-life event (career change, death of loved one) or by hearing about seniors running out of money. It's strange that people find it so difficult to plan for their retirement. As all the basic financial books say, you start by recording your expenses, see where you can cut back, and then determine how much you need to save to achieve your retirement income goals. Yet, far too few Canadians take these presumably simple steps for their own financial success.
How to achieve financial success
Posted on 04-09-2012It is possible for just about everybody to achieve financial success. Getting there is usually not a matter of financial wizardry. By following some basic principles, you can make your financial dreams come true:
Set ObjectivesGoal setting is the foundation of achieving financial success. If you don't have a target to shoot for, how can you expect to hit it? By writing down your goals, you will clarify them and establish your personal and financial priorities. Be specific when setting goals. For example, instead of having a goal to reduce debt, set a goal to reduce debt by a certain amount by a certain date.
