Why work with an advice-only financial planner?
Life doesn't always follow a linear A-Z path. Stuff happens, money is complicated, and you'd like an independent second opinion. I help people avoid these costly mistakes:
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Trying to "beat the market" with stock picking and market timing.
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Eroding your wealth with high investment fees.
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Being over or under insured.
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Paying too much tax.
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Not having a retirement plan.
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Not understanding how our own biases and behaviour can lead to poor financial decisions.
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Not having a plan to deal with the day when you can’t make decisions (estate planning).
There’s a lot of noise out there when it comes to financial advice. What really works? Reduce stress and save time by working with a real human fee-only Certified Financial Planner who places your needs first.
You don't have to figure all this out on your own.
Get a professional look at your situation with no hidden agenda or sales targets. Imagine how it would feel to have your money simplified, organized, and automated with a smart, customized financial plan.
Grow your wealth (accumulation years)
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efficient cash flow strategies to reduce money worries.
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evidence-based, low fee investment recommendations.
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automate your investments and savings.
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tax planning.
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education savings for children
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risk management: protect your future earnings.
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understand your employer's pension.
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unique planning for small business owners.
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caring for a loved one with a disability.
Retire comfortably (decumulation years)
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prepare mentally and financially for the transition.
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explore other work or hobbies you love.
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tax efficient decumulation strategies and software projections to keep you on track every year in retirement.
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coordinate all the various sources of retirement income.
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variable discretionary spending during up and down markets to drastically improve your plan.
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help understanding the risks and tradeoffs of the many retirement decisions Canadians face.
Focus on what really matters
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with some coaching and guidance setting up your plan, you can rest easy and focus on the important things in life: family, friends, work you enjoy, hobbies, and passions.
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I take the time to understand your values, goals, and preferences. We then build a customized plan together that's specific to your needs.
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I show you how to automate your plan so you'll spend less an hour a month on your finances.
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check in yearly to know you're on track.
I understand the pressure of managing your household’s money. Let me show you a better way to set this up.
Kids, aging parents, a mortgage, career decisions, starting a business, pension choices, dealing with a disability, unexpected emergencies, and the hectic pace of modern life can quickly overwhelm us. I get it and face the same challenges. Money is a central part of our lives, however most of us didn’t learn practical financial skills at home, school, or work.
In my early working years, I was confused by the sales driven, high fee financial services industry in Canada. I started reading about evidence-based investing and the effect of fees on our portfolios over time. I learned about smart personal finance and behavioural strategies to simplify my money and focus on living a good life. I eventually decided to make it my next career and mission to help others reduce financial stress and provide independent advice to Canadians.
I can teach you a system that I’ve coached dozens of people through that will help you implement an evidence-based, low-fee investment strategy, minimize taxes, and automate your finances so you can still spend money on things you love without feeling guilty. With this approach you’ll also consistently work towards your goals whether it be a secure retirement, annual vacation fund, or supporting a loved one.
Future value of investment fees saved by my clients to date = Over 3.1 million
Time saved and reduced stress with smart financial plans = Priceless.
How it Works
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Book a Complimentary Introductory Meeting
Share your money concerns, goals, and current situation in a meeting with no sales pressure.
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Build a Customized Financial Plan
I'll analyze your documents and we'll meet several times to create a plan that will work for you. No cookie-cutter planning! This process is tailored to your needs.
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Save Time, Reduce Stress, Enjoy Life.
Once your smart plan is in place, rest easy knowing that your money is aligned with what's important to you. Check in once in a while.
At ABZ Financial Planning....
my clients want to enjoy life while being responsible and in control of their money.
To do that, you need an independent financial planner who will take the time to truly understand what’s important to you and then help you build a custom plan that places your best interests first.
The problem is most people only receive advice from licensed investment, insurance, or mortgage reps whose interests may not be aligned with yours and it’s hard to know if you’re doing the right things with your money. You get busy and it’s easy to push all this aside and feel confused and overwhelmed.
I believe that every Canadian deserves some form of unbiased advice to help them navigate this complicated part of modern life and reduce stress.
I understand how hard it is to manage a household’s finances while working full time, raising kids, maintaining the home, dealing with aging parents, and planning for retirement. That’s why I researched and developed strategies that help my clients simplify and automate their money. With a smart, individualized fee-only planning you can potentially save hundreds of thousands of dollars in unnecessary investment over a lifetime, ensure your have the right of amount of insurance, minimize tax, and feel confident knowing that an independent professional is keeping you track to achieve your goals.
Here’s how it works:
1. Book a complimentary meeting to share what’s on your mind when it comes to your money and what you’re looking for. I’ll explain how advice-only planning works and answer any questions. If I think we may be a good fit to work together, I’ll send you a transparent quote of exactly what it would cost to build your initial plan. No hidden fees!
2. Build a customized plan. Just upload your financial information to a secured shared folder and I’ll get to work analyzing your situation. We’ll meet 3 times over 3 months to put together your initial plan. For those who want to slow it down, you can spread out the first plan over one year with an onboarding fee and monthly subscription.
3. Implement and Enjoy Life. Complete the recommendations and clear written action steps on your own or sign up for continued support (limited spots available). Once your money is automated with an evidence-based plan and aligned with your values and goals, go enjoy life and spend less than an hour a month on managing your finances. Check in annually or when things change (and they will!) to stay on track.
So, to reduce ongoing money stress and confusion, book a free introductory meeting today to learn how fee-for-service only financial planning can help you align your money with your values and goals.
Services / Pricing
Hourly
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You need advice on one or two financial issues.
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Meet with a fee-only Certified Financial Planner over zoom to ask anything.
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Get independent advice quickly with no conflicts of interest or sales of products.
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Can provide written action steps and additional analysis if you wish (additional cost).
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Not as comprehensive as a full financial plan but more affordable.
$225 + tax per hour
100% money back guarantee if you don’t find value in our work together.
Ongoing Planning
(Monthly Subscription)
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Year round support, coaching and an ongoing relationship with a trusted financial planner.
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Limited number of spots available.
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We just work on the next small action step at a time.
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Full initial financial plan included in the fees, but I won’t overwhelm you with action items. We spread out the first full review over 1 year instead of 3 months.
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Task tracking and coaching to keep you moving in the right direction.
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Multiple meetings in the first year.
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After the first year, 2 meetings a year including a full annual plan update.
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Updated software projections yearly to keep you on track leading up to and in retirement.
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Year round email and phone support.
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There for you when life “hits” and things change.
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RRSP, RESP, RDSP and TFSA planning.
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Ongoing tax planning.
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Much more cost effective than an assets under management investment advisor model if you pair this with a low-cost, evidence-based investment strategy (roboadvisor or DIY).
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Personal tax preparation only offered to monthly subscription clients. (extra fee). Tax preparation + financial planning = powerful savings!
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cost = $1000 - $2000 one time onboarding fee, then:
$200 - $414 per month
(plus tax)
100% money back guarantee of onboarding fee if you don’t find value in our work together. Cancel monthly subscription at anytime.
90 Day Financial Plan
(Project Fee)
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The quickest method of getting a comprehensive financial plan.
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You have the time and energy for an intensive review of all key areas of your financial life: cash flow, debt, insurance (risk), retirement, investing, tax, and estate.
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Goal clarification and discovering your “why.”
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An independent, thorough, and professional assessment of situation.
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Upload your documents to a secure folder for me to review and analyze.
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We’ll meet 3 times over 90 days to discuss findings and work together on options that will help you achieve your goals.
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Financial software projections to develop a sound plan and “stress test” it.
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At the end you’ll receive a written financial plan with clear recommendations and action steps.
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Implement recommendations on your own after or sign up for ongoing support/planning with a monthly subscription.
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Fees depend on complexity and estimated time to complete the plan.
$2,900 – $8,900 plus tax
(Paid in 3 monthly instalments)
If you decide to sign up for ongoing planning & support the first 4 months are free.
Come back for an plan update / annual review @ 75% of your original fee.
100% money back guarantee if you don’t find value in our work together.
Who I work with
Small Business Owners
Salary vs. dividends? Should you invest in your HoldCo? Retirement options for those without pensions. Succession planning.
RCMP and CAF members
As an ex-RCMP member, I understand the unique needs of our service members such as physical relocations, Veterans Affairs, and retirement planning.
Government Workers
Territorial, provincial and federal employees. Help with pension decisions. Should you invest in a RRSP when you have a defined pension? What to do with your severance pay?
Retirees
Do you have enough savings and income sources to retire comfortably? CPP and OAS decisions, income splitting and tax savings, estate planning.
Canadians Living with Disabilities
Parents of children with a disability, adult accident victims, mid-life long term disabilities. Disability Tax Credit and RDSP planning.
Nice, hard working people
no further description needed :)