Frequently Asked Questions

Though we specialize in working with higher net worth individuals, we do not limit an account size before working with an individual or family.  Our focus is always to be the CFO for our clients and their families, so that they can live meaningful lives filled with contentment.

No.  Although we truly believe in the financial planning first approach, we understand that some of our clients have already created a plan elsewhere or are not in a position to do so at the moment.  This is a service that we will have available but it is not mandatory in order to work with us.

Yes. It depends on the client's needs. In fact most clients do not tackle every aspect of financial planning with the first plan.  Most individuals will begin working with one aspect of planning and grow and evolve their plans to other aspects as time goes.

A financial plan is a roadmap to help you reach your goals.  We would look at your current financial situation, including your income, savings, debts, and protections and would build a roadmap to achieve your objectives in the future.  From this point we would work together with you to review and analyze your progress and make changes as needed.

 Typically financial plans can cost anywhere between $500 to over $10,000, depending on the complexity of the plan, the experience and expertise of the planner, as well as the ongoing service requirements. Although we do offer a "fee for service" option, most of our financial planning services are provided as a complimentary service to the overall management of your portfolio.  This is based as a percentage of the total assets entrust us to manage, under the Premier Investment Program.  In addition to being completely transparent, ensuring that you have a clear understanding of how much and what services you are paying for, they are fully tax deductible.  Call us if you would like to find out more.

Sometimes we do run into the situation where clients would prefer to have a comprehensive plan completed, without having us manage their assets.  In these cases, we do offer a fee for service option to our clients, for an hourly rate of $299 (+tax).  As our plans can take anywhere between 7-20 or more hours, depending on complexity, the number of meetings and ongoing service requirements, the cost of a plan with us can range anywhere between $1,500 to over $6,000.  If you would like to find out more about this option, please contact us for more details.    

If you had opted for the fee for service option and then subsequently decided to move your investments over to us within 12 months of the completion of the plan, we would reimburse any fees paid by you,  for our planning services.     

Many clients confuse Retirement planning with Financial Planning.  It must be stated that advertising has not helped alleviate this confusion. Retirement planning is only a portion of the planning process.  There are 7 "pillars" of Financial Planning;  financial management, risk management, investment planning, retirement planning, tax planning, estate planning and legal aspects.   Hence, individuals who do not have retirement as a goal in mind, but are concerned about education, or would love to purchase a second property or even start their own business would and have benefitted greatly from financial planning.  Furthermore, clients who are already retired have benefitted from knowing how much they can comfortably live off of in order to not outlive their assets, while leaving behind a legacy.

This is a common sentiment expressed by many of our clients, and it is a valid one. While financial planning is primarily focused on achieving specific goals, we also view it as answering the question, "will I have enough to be content?" We collaborate with our clients to identify what is truly important to them today and assist them in ensuring that they can maintain that lifestyle in retirement. Furthermore, through our planning process, we present them with various options and scenarios to give them a better understanding of what is feasible, and work together to determine the best course of action.  

Let's start with your vision for the future.  Although having as much information about your current financial situation is important, we need to start with an objective or a possibility in mind.  As we continue to review, revise and enhance, your plan will become more and more detailed.  

You should meet with us to review your plans every one to 3 years, or before any major life transition.  

A financial plan is a living and evolving document.  Our life changes at all times as do our goals and expectations.  Furthermore, tax laws, investments and markets  are continually evolving and can have major impacts to clients' plans.  Hence, it is critical to keep working with us and making these adjustments periodically so that we stay ahead of the curve and ensure that your dreams do in fact become a reality.  

 Although this is more of a statement, we do hear it quite a bit.  It is true, that "life" can "throw a curveball", and the unexpected does occur from time to time.  However, having a plan in place could have already better prepared you for certain challenges that can arise along the way.  In addition, having a plan in place and an established structure has proven to actually be a large reliever of stress in times of uncertainty.  Finally, working with an experienced financial planner provides you with a trusted partner to help guide you through challenging times, so that you can focus on more important things. 

No.  We can offer most products available to all Canadian investors, including stocks, bonds, annuities, ETF's as well as Mutual funds, including the ones offered at the main banks.  This includes includes products from Manulife.  However, our recommendation will always be based on what is in the best interest of the client, and not specific to any company. 

Our fee structure is highly competitive, and working with us could potentially be less costly for you in terms of fees.  In addition, because we have the ability to choose from an extremely wide variety of products on the market, we have the flexibility to create more tax efficient strategies for you  which in turn could lead to further savings.

Likely not.  Most investments can be transferred "in-kind", meaning that you are able to continue to hold them even if you transferred your relationship to us.  This includes all publicly traded stocks on the Major North American exchanges, as well as most mutual funds, ETFs, and Hedge Funds sold in Canada.  Please contact us for your specific products and we would be happy to answer your questions...

As long as we can transfer the assets "in-kind" (above), then you would not have to pay the fees associated to a Deferred Sales Charge.  These products are no longer allowed to be sold by Canadian advisors, however if clients purchased them in the past, they need to reach maturity before they can be sold.  Please contact us for more info.

It is possible, and it depends on the fund company.  We have an agreement with some of the largest insurance companies in Canada who provide segregated funds, and if your fund is by one of these companies, then we could transfer them without triggering a sale.  As this list is changing, we recommend you contact us for further information

Yes. Although we do not have a minimum account size requirement to work with a client, there are certain restrictions put in place to in order to protect our clients before investing in certain products. Please contact us for more information. 

No.  Our collaboration with Manulife Securities Insurance Inc. empowers us to identify the most suitable policy for our clients based on their unique needs, while taking into account both cost and features from Canada's largest and most reputable insurance companies.  We are not bound to provide only Manulife insurance.

You do NOT have to cancel a policy, and in many cases it could be very detrimental to do so.  We are able to look over your existing policies and if it is a company that we have a partnership with, we would be able to take on your existing policies and provide you with the necessary service.   Please contact us for further info.

Yes there is.  Manulife actually offers a "Vitality" program that rewards individuals who maintain a healthy lifestyle.  These rewards include a reduction of premiums to discounts of health products.  Call us today for more information.