Many people find the world of finance a confusing place. Do you have the time and desire to sort through all the opportunities out there? Do you understand how those opportunities can apply to your situation? Can you keep up with changes to income taxes, investment products, estate laws, etc.?
Are you receiving conflicting advice from different sources? Is your banker telling you something different from your insurance agent? Do you want to know what is "right" for you?
Do you feel that you are paying too much tax? (Everybody does, but some are able to reduce the tax they pay now or in the future.)
Are you unsure of where to invest? Do you want a higher return but do not want to take higher risk? What return do you need to meet your goals?
Do you have difficulty saving money?
We provide independent and objective advice to put you on the right track to accomplish your goals. We will confirm whether you are on the right track or tell you what to do to get back on the right track. For many of our clients we provide peace of mind knowing that they are doing all the right things given their situation.
We help clients in the following areas:
Cash Flow Management
This includes reviewing your income and expenses to ensure that you are not spending more than you earn. Can you create new cash flow from your investments? How can you save money (for short term goals, medium term goals or long term goals)?
Debt Management
Are you paying the least amount of interest possible given your situation? Can you reduce the amount of interest that you are paying? Can you pay off your debts earlier? Can you consolidate your debts? What debts should you pay off first? Should you pay down your mortgage or contribute to an RRSP?
Income Tax Planning
Can you reduce the amount of tax that you are paying? Should you contribute to an RRSP or should you invest in capital gains producing investments outside your RRSP. How should you manage your investment portfolio to take advantage of tax preferential income? Are there any "tax shelters" you should consider? What opportunities do you have to split your income with others in your "tax family"?
Investment Planning
What rate of return do you need to meet your goals? Are your current investments achieving that return? Do you need to take risk with your investments? Do you want a higher return? How do you get a higher return while minimizing the risk? What asset allocation should you have? What investments should you use to implement that asset mix?
Retirement Planning
How much do you need to save to be able to retire? Are you on track for meeting that goal? Should you start your pension early? When can you get Old Age Security? Will it be clawed back? Should you draw from RRSPs or non-registered funds first?
Education Funding
How much do you need to save to (help) pay for your children's (or grandchildren's) education? What is the most tax effective way of saving for children's education. Should you use an RESP or an informal trust of capital gains producing investments?
Insurance and Risk Planning
Do you need insurance (life, disability, critical illness, long term care)? If so, how much and what kind of insurance? Who should own the insurance (you, your company, your spouse or children)?
Estate Planning
What size of estate do you want to leave? How do you get it to your beneficiaries as quickly and as easily as possible? Will there be enough in the estate to pay the taxes? Can you reduce the taxes that you pay on your death? Can you reduce the taxes for your heirs?
If you have any of the above questions or others, we can answer them without the pressure of product sales.
We will create your financial plan by finding out where you are now (what is your current financial position), where do you want to be in the future (what are your goals and objectives), and how are you going to get there (what recommended strategies will you use). Following the creation of the plan, we will help you implement the plan and periodically review and update the plan.
Many of our clients prefer a modular approach to their financial plan. We will tailor the plan to your most pressing issues. We answer those questions that are most important to you today. Once the initial problems have been resolved, many clients return to review other areas of their financial health.