Our philosophy

Peace of mind

Investing should not be a stressful activity. It is important that we have an open, honest and ongoing dialogue that helps us establish the strategy that will help you achieve your financial objectives but also allow you to sleep well at night.  Providing you with a customized, cost effective, tax efficient strategy makes it easier for you to block out the daily news and noise that does not affect your personal financial plan. You can then spend your time doing the things that are most important to you and not waste energy thinking about the fluctuations in the market.

We would stress, however, that we need to know when there has been a major event in your life, such as job loss, purchase of a new home or cottage, birth of a child or grandchild, retirement, severance, etc. so that we can make any necessary adjustments to your strategy.

Long-term view

Investors need to have a long-term horizon, a minimum of five years. That is because markets are going to fluctuate and the objective is to buy low and sell high.

It sounds obvious, but it has been proven in countless studies that investors do not get the returns generated by the market. The reason is simple: they try to get in and out based on the news of the day and miss the strong upward movements that occur without warning.

Clients and prospective clients often say to us that they are close to retirement or actually retired and that they don’t think that they should have a long-term view. Our response is that 65-year-olds today have a very high probability of living until they are 85: that is a 20-year time horizon and requires that they invest their money with that horizon in mind.

Cash flow

We all require cash flow to function in today’s world. When we are working, we receive a monthly paycheque which we use to pay for our lifestyle expenses. This requirement does not change when we are retired or semi-retired.

Our approach is to build portfolios for clients that generate significant amounts of cash flow. Markets fluctuate, but the cash flow into the portfolio is consistent and dependable. The type of cash flow may vary (i.e., interest, dividends or distributions) but all are sources of income that you can count on at regular, predictable periods.

We often seek investments that increase their dividend on an annual basis, and therefore provide us with additional cash flow to maintain our purchasing power. This strategy of owning quality companies that continually raise their dividends, has outperformed the market averages over long periods of time.

Minimizing income taxes

For many Canadians, income tax is their largest expense. This expense does not go away when people retire or semi-retire. A reduction in taxes would provide them with an increase in disposable cash flow and would likely improve their lifestyle.

It is important that clients have a portfolio designed in a tax-efficient way. As a professional accountant, I can provide my clients with tax strategies that will reduce the amount of income taxes they pay. We look at your unique situation and provide insights into what will work best for you and your family.

Examples of these strategies include:

• spousal loans;
• dividends versus interest; and
• flow-through partnerships.

Charitable giving

It’s about more than money

As the richest generation in Canadian history becomes wealthier, we are expressing our generosity through contributions to charities and philanthropic organizations in record numbers. In the past, most people struggled to keep up with the basic expenses of raising and educating their families and did not have the luxury of contemplating significant charitable contributions. Today, many families can designate a portion of their wealth to bettering the world.

Also, changes in tax regulations and innovative new giving platforms have made charitable giving more attainable for a larger percentage of people.

Increasingly, as these people seek the ideal way to create their legacies, they struggle to determine what they want their money to accomplish and what form their gifts should take. The process of deciding on which causes to support and how to support them can be a powerful life affirming experience under the guidance of an experienced advisor.

Interestingly, there has been another major shift in the world of charitable giving. Traditionally, people who gave to charity most often did so at the time of their death. Today, the majority of giving takes place while the donors are still alive, allowing people to enjoy the satisfaction of witnessing the results of their gifts.

As an experienced Investment Advisor with Macquarie Private Wealth who focuses on charitable giving, I help my clients to ask themselves questions like, “What do you want your money to accomplish?” and, “What do you want your life to have been about?”

You may be surprised how rewarding it is to support a charity in a focused and strategic way, and how significantly your gift will give back to you as it benefits others. Somehow, the very act of giving enriches us. It gives our lives lasting purpose, enables us to thank and pay tribute to institutions or people who have been important in our lives, inspires our children and our peers, supports important causes, and connects us with the world at large.