Personal Service

In carrying out our work, we are committed to offering clients the highest standard of personal service in the industry.

We work with all of our clients to formulate a long-term investment strategy that will meet both their objectives and their risk profile. We take the required time to develop an understanding of each individual or family's circumstances and proceed to design a customized solution to achieve their needs. This allows us to jointly determine the appropriate asset allocation (i.e. bonds vs. stocks) to deliver the optimal performance at an acceptable level of risk.

We offer:

• Portfolio Management
  We develop segregated, custom portfolios to cater to each client's risk tolerance, tax situation, needs and goals as opposed to a one-size-fits-all strategy. Clients can be assured that our investment selections are carefully researched both as to their investment potential and their suitability to the portfolios receiving them. While we generally remain fully invested, we reduce or increase risk exposure to match our assessment of the dominant macro-economic themes. Our goal is not to out-guess the market, but by being cautiously selective, to show our clients a better than average rate of return. Depending on your circumstances, we can manage your money aggressively to produce higher returns at higher risk or conservatively for current income and capital preservation.
  
  
• A competitive fee structure relative to other investment counsellors and compared to the high fees charged by mutual funds and wrap accounts. Of the several custodians available, our preferred custodian, PensonPrime, has the lowest trading costs.
  
  
• Reports
  Portfolio evaluations are sent to clients each calendar quarter. The portfolio summary includes cost and market prices of securities held and investment performance for the quarter. Our Quarterly Review is delivered with our evaluations and can also be read online. Annually, clients are sent a dividend, interest and capital gain/loss summary for tax purposes.
  
  
• One-stop shopping for portfolio management, retirement plan projections, estate planning advice and income tax return preparation for our investment clients. To minimize tax within a client's estate, we set-up Spousal and Testamentary Trusts and prepare the associated annual T3 trust returns.
  
  
• Custodian
  Our preferred custodian, PensonPrime, a division of Penson Financial Services Canada, offers the key benefits of low trading costs, high interest on cash balances, no RRSP/RRIF administration fees and quality account servicing. Penson's services include processing orders for the purchase, sale or transfer of securities; preparation and mailing of account statements and transaction confirmations; processing of interest and dividend payments; custody of client securities and cash; Registered Plan administration; and various reporting to the Canada Revenue Agency. Details of this relationship are contained in a PensonPrime brochure entitled "Security and Flexibility with PensonPrime " which is provided to our clients at the time an account is opened.
  
  
• Private banking-like service
  We often assist our clients by arranging items such as the payment of income tax installments, periodic EFT (electronic funds transfer) to clients' bank accounts and wire transfers of U.S. dollars for snowbirds.