Doing it right while keeping it simple.
Building long-term wealth and mapping out a rock-solid retirement plan can actually be an enjoyable process. And it can be done very well without getting overly complicated.
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That's our focus. We weed out all the noise, build you a simple yet strategic game-plan, and we keep the costs below the industry average.
We offer three options to access our advice and planning services.
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YouTube
We help tens of thousands of Canadians learn their way around complex financial, investment and retirement planning issues using easy-to-understand videos.
And we do this for free.
Obviously, it's not custom to your situation, but if you're looking for guidance at no cost, this is the way to go.
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2
Fee-for-Service
Best suited for those looking for a detailed retirement plan (using best-in-class technology) but do not require an ongoing relationship nor portfolio management.
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For this option, we keep it simple but thorough. We walk you through your current situation, your retirement goals and the most efficient strategies to make them happen.
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By the end, you will have serious clarity on where you are headed and a game-plan outlining how to make it happen.
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Prices range from $2,500 to $10,000.
3
Full Access
Best suited for those who are looking for a long-term, hands-on, advisory relationship and who have a minimum of $250,000 in investable assets.
Essentially, you have us on retainer and we are very much with you throughout all of life's major transitions, especially the ultra-pivotal pre and post retirement phases.
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This option includes all the planning we offer in the fee-for-service option but on an ongoing and far more involved basis as we guide the implementation and maintenance of your plan.
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It also includes top-shelf, discretionary portfolio management via the select investment counsel portfolio managers we partner with.
The Fee-for-Service Option
We use Conquest (state-of-the-art financial planning software) to help our clients see their future about as clearly as humanly possible.
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Want to know what it would look like if you retired one year earlier than you're planning? No problem. How about what it would look like of you downsized and kissed your mortgage goodbye? Easy. Want to know if you can just flick the switch and semi-retire next month? Awesome idea. Let's find out.
With our insights and the latest technology, we can see the implications of pretty much anything you're thinking. On the spot.
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Of course, some situations are more complex than others and require a bit more elbow grease, but with a bit of back and forth over email and a couple in-depth planning sessions, you should be well on your way to knowing the following:
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how much income you'll have in retirement through all phases (go-go, slow-go, and no-go)
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when it's ideal for you to start your CPP and OAS benefits
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when and how much to withdraw from your different types of accounts
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how to keep your tax bite as painless as possible
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how much you'll be passing on to your loved ones
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We'll also stress-test your plan and see how well it holds up against:
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higher inflation
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a market crash at the worst possible time (right after you retire)
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lower long-term investment returns than anticipated
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premature death (and/or living longer than expected)
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The above lists are not exhaustive. There are many things we can try. But the bottom line is this: we will map out your scenario, try a number of ideas and work out a game-plan for you that you can understand and implement.
Prices
How the Process Works
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Once you purchase a plan you will be given online access to Conquest to begin entering your data and thinking through your goals and preferences. Feel free to have fun with this. You will also be given a secure link to upload your relevant documents.
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The next step is for us to line up our first online planning session. In this session we will work through your data, make sure everything is tight, and then we'll start trying out strategies and stress-testing. This is usually a very enjoyable meeting because you'll be seeing your situation live and in color.
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After the first session, we'll take your game-plan and we'll think and work through it to try and bring in additional improvements and insights. We'll also see if you have any additional questions we should prep for.
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Once we're good to go, we'll line up our second and last official session so that we can finalize your game-plan, make sure you understand it and help you find your way around the detailed report.
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And then we're essentially done. However, all plans come with three months of post-delivery support so if any questions or concerns pop-up or if you need clarification on something, we're happy to help.
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Lastly, if you ever feel the need to have your plan revisited and revised in the future, you can do so at 50% of whatever the regular price is at the time.
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Click for a sample of the report.
This sample only includes a portion of the reports that are actually available if/when needed.
Click for a sample of the agreement.
This is subject to change as we are continually refining our process.
The Full Access Option
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This option is ideal for those who have built up a solid amount of investable assets and want their financial planning and portfolio management handled properly. It is ideal for those who do not want to do this on their own, but rather, want to have a long-term relationship with an advisory team they trust and enjoy working with.
Most of the clients who we help in this capacity come to us from financial institutions where they were over-charged, under-serviced and left in the dark as to what their financial future looks like.
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We take great care to be the opposite of that.
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As a fully independent financial advisory firm we work directly for our clients, not an institution. We don’t “sell” anything. We advise. And we help our clients understand their best options and let them choose what they feel is best.
Rather than trying to do everything and ending up being mediocre at everything, we take the family office approach and we lean into first-class service and skill-set specialization.
Our primary function is to be our clients' overall advisor. In addition to all our regular meetings and the ongoing work we do on our clients' behalf (including all the detailed planning listed in the Fee-for-Service Option), we have an open-door policy. Our clients contact us whenever they need/want something and we facilitate it for them or bring in whoever we need, whenever we need them.
We specialize in the financial planning and advice aspects and we partner with select, private wealth, fiduciary Investment Counsellors who specialize in the portfolio management aspect. By regulation, they are required to have the highest levels of education and experience in the investment industry. Together, we guide, implement and maintain the strategies our clients choose to act on.
Essentially, our clients receive two dedicated fields of expertise for the price of one.
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Excellent service is a given for us. But on top of that, we pay special attention to helping our clients:
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clearly see what their future looks like (using best-in-class technology)
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make solid investment decisions
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reduce taxation
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execute sound retirement income strategies
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clearly understand the things that matter and the things that don't
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prepare for inevitable financial storms
Price
From 1.5% to 1% per year. This number decreases based on the amount of assets under management. Basically, the bigger the investment portfolio, the lower the fee.
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With this option you do not pay out-of-pocket. Rather, the price is included in the management expenses paid within your investment portfolio. Our planning and advisory fee ranges from 0.9% to 0.5% and the portfolio management fee ranges from 0.75% to 0.4%.
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While we do have access to options that cost more (and in some cases are still a good idea), our bias is towards lower fees.
Safekeeping of Assets
It is important to note that all our clients' assets are held in trust with a custodian such as Aviso/Credential, National Bank, CI Investment Services and others when working with an investment counsellor.
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Neither we, nor the investment counsellors we work with have direct access to client assets. The investment counsellors have discretionary trading authority to make trades in client accounts, but the assets are always held with the custodian of choice on behalf of clients.
This ensures the highest levels of protection and, in addition, each custodian is regulated by the Investment Industry Regulatory Organization of Canada (IIROC) and are members of the Canadian Investor Protection Fund (CIPF) which covers the customers of its members (our clients). The coverage is $1 million for each segment of accounts. Click here for full details on who and what is covered.
How the Process Works
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Once you book an intro call, we will go over things in a bit more detail to see if we think it's a good idea to set up a meeting (either online or in-person).
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In this meeting, we will review our planning process and the different investment counsellors we partner with to gain a sense of which one(s) would make a good fit. We choose these counsellors carefully based on their historical performance, their style of managing money and their fees. We don't fool around in this area as our reputation is tied to those we work with.
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After this meeting you should have a pretty solid sense of whether or not this is something you want to pursue. If we both agree that it is, then we will begin the process of transferring your various investment accounts to the appropriate custodian.
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Once transfers are complete, we will begin working on the initial draft of your retirement projection which we will continually tweak and refine as your situation evolves.
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From then on, our team will be on retainer for you.