Common
Questions

A good advisor connects the pieces most people manage separately: investments, insurance, taxes, your business, and your estate. Rather than selling a single product, the work is building a coherent strategy where each piece supports the others — then keeping it current as your life changes.

With commission-based advice, the advisor is paid by the financial institution when you purchase a product. With fee-based services, you pay the advisor directly for advice and planning, independent of any product. Both models are legitimate; what matters is that your advisor tells you clearly which applies and what it costs you. We offer both, and we'll always tell you which one you're in.

Significantly. A corporation opens planning opportunities most employees never encounter: corporately-owned life insurance, income splitting, the timing of salary versus dividends, and tax-efficient ways to move money out of the company over your lifetime — or past it. It also creates risks, like what happens to the business if a shareholder dies or becomes ill. This is a core focus of our practice.

A Registered Retirement Savings Plan (RRSP) gives you a tax deduction today, with withdrawals taxed later; a Tax-Free Savings Account (TFSA) works in reverse — no deduction now, but growth and withdrawals are tax-free. Which to prioritize depends mostly on your current versus expected future tax bracket, and on whether you're incorporated. There's no universal answer, which is exactly why the question is worth an hour of planning.

Earlier than most people think — the right moment is when someone depends on you: a spouse, children, business partners, or aging parents. Estate planning isn't only a will; it's beneficiary designations, insurance structure, corporate share arrangements, and making sure taxes don't consume what you intended to pass on.

The discovery call is free, 15–20 minutes, with no obligation. Beyond that, it depends on the engagement: insurance and investment solutions are typically compensated by the institutions involved, while planning-only engagements are billed as transparent fees under our fee-based services. You'll always know the cost before we begin.

No. Much of our practice is entrepreneurs, incorporated professionals, and families who are building — people whose situations are becoming complex faster than their spare time can keep up. The best time to build a structure is before the wealth arrives, not after.

For the discovery call: nothing but your questions. If we proceed to a planning meeting, we'll send a short, specific list — typically recent tax returns, investment and insurance statements, and corporate financials if you're incorporated. We ask for documents once, and only the ones that matter.