however times have changed and cars are much more complex;
-So: Today you look for an expert to service the needs
of your vehicle.
We earn, spend and sometimes even save money so we know something
about money but it is a complex subject.
-So: When it comes to your financial health does it not make
sense to seek the advice of a personal financial expert.
CONCLUSION:
We know: -the health expert is a Doctor.
-the law expert is a Lawyer.
-the car expert is an Automotive Technician.
-the personal financial expert is a Financial Planner.
What does a FINANCIAL PLANNER do?
A FINANCIAL PLANNER IS A PROFESSIONAL IN THE FIELD OF PROVIDING
THE RIGHT FINANCIAL ADVICE, PRODUCTS AND SERVICES TO A CLIENT.
They bring together many financial disciplines and ensure the
information provided is pertinent and up to date at all times.
A good financial planner has access to many other financial disciplines including:
-Accounting
-Investment Management
-Taxation
-Retirement Planning
-Life Insurance
-RRSP's (Registered Retirement Savings Plans)
-RRIF's (Registered Retirement Income Funds)
-Annuities
-Legal
-Pension & Group Benefits
-Corporate Financial Services
-Residential & Commercial Mortgages
While not an expert in all these fields, a financial planner has the
ability to combine the knowledge of the above and this is what sets
apart financial product salesmen from FINANCIAL PLANNERS.
A FINANCIAL PLANNER WILL ANALYZE YOUR NEEDS, HELP YOU TO
ESTABLISH AND PRIORITIZE YOUR FINANCIAL GOALS, WORK WITH
YOU TOWARDS MEETING THOSE GOALS AND ASSIST YOU IN MANAGING
THE MONEY YOU HAVE ALREADY ACCUMULATED.
Financial planners are compensated for their work by either fee
for service or direct commission. Fees are generally charged on a
sliding scale from 5% on investments under $50,000 to 0% on
investments of $200,000 or more. The financial planner will always
include in his/her recommendation the full cost to the client.
A financial planner will maintain a continuity of service and provide
a regular review and update based on your changing needs.
COMMON QUESTIONS
CLIENTS ASK
DO THE SERVICES OF A FINANCIAL PLANNER MAKE A DIFFERENCE?
Interviews were conducted with 1,890 Canadian
investors to determine their financial
performance between 1989 and 1992. Of those who utilized the services
of an independent
financial advisor, their net asset growth was 34% higher than the financial
returns
achieved by investors who made their own investment decisions and did not
receive
outside-professional advice over that three-year period. *
*excerpt from "The Strategic Personal Investing" by Jerry White,
published in Canadian MoneySaver June 1993.
MUTUAL FUNDS ARE RISKY ARE THEY NOT?
Risk means different things to different people. Let's look at risk.
-Many people when investing perceive risk as losing all or part of their
money. People feel that
investing in G.I.C.'s is safer than investing in mutual funds. The
major reason for this is they or their
parents lived or were brought up during the depression. They remember
or have heard how many
people lost everything they owned during and after the stock market
crash in 1929. What happened
in 1929 was not a stock market crash but rather a devaluation of the currency
brought on by
speculative stock buying throught the world. Conditions were
different then. You could buy stock
on margin, all you needed was to put up 10% of the purchase price.
This allowed many people to
over-extend themselves. When the market moved downward people didn't
have the available cash
or assets to pay their brokers for their losses and in turn the brokers
sold these shares at whatever
price they could. This cycle continued and share prices tumbled.
They reached their lowest point in
1932.
-The Dow Jones Industrial reached it's lowest: when July
8, 1932 Value 40
The Dow Jones Industrial reached a high:
when Jan. 31, 1994 Value 4000
This represents a 100 times increase in value in 62 years. Clearly
the biggest risk when investing is
in not owing equities.
-In 1973 a first class mail stamp cost 8›. In 1994 the same stamp
costs 43› plus G.S.T.. That's an
increase of 537% before tax. The risk should not viewed as
a loss of principal but rather the loss of
purchasing power as shown by the above example.
-If you retire today at age 60:
-a man will live
another 24 years and see his cost of living double.
-a woman will live
another 28 years and see her cost of living triple.
It's not the loss of principal but extinction of purchasing power that
really matters.
EQUITIES HAVE SHOWN THEY PRESERVE PURCHASING POWER
OVER TIME BETTER THAN DEBT [Bonds & G.I.C.'s].
Common Questions (continued)
Are you confident that you can retire to the lifestyle you want and remain
financially secure
throughout your retirement.
If you can answer YES than you are in the top 10-15% of Canadians.
If your answer is NO or MAYBE, then we can show you how to make it a reality.
Cost: Investors Group eliminated the Front End
Sales Charge effective August 2, 1994 if a clients's total purchases
are $10,000 or more.
RRSP'S SHOULD YOU NAME A BENEFICIARY?
RRSP's are deemed to be cashed in immediately
at death. The RRSP proceeds are included
in the deceased's income and are taxed at the deceased tax rate.
RRSP's left to a spouse (legal or common law),
or to a disabled, dependent child, continue
to be sheltered from tax by virtue of a tax-free rollover. Where
the funds are left to a spouse over
the age of 71, a grace period of 60 days is given to convert the amount
into a registered retirement
income fund or an annunity.
It is important that intended beneficiaries be
named as beneficiaries in the RRSP and not just
in the Will. If they are named in the Will only, the transfer of
funds between RRSP's still takes place.
However, income earned on the plan proceeds from the date of death to the
date the Will is probated
is taxed at the beneficiaries tax rate. Depending on the size of
the estate, this may result in a
significant amount of tax.