Books and Tools
How to Choose a Financial Advisor
One of the greatest reasons people delay their decision to invest is that they don't know how to choose a financial advisor. This book offers all the challenges you'll need. The Canadian market and economy is fundamentally strong and demographics will play a major part for the next two decades of ensuring continued growth and investment opportunities for those who choose to participate.
This book is for you if:
- you have trouble understanding financial issues
- you can't seem to save
- you often procrastinate about financial issues
- you want to understand how fees, commissions, and loads work
- you are paying too much in taxes
- you want to choose a financial advisor with confidence
The road to retirement for most Canadians will be much tougher to negotiate than many envision. Government debt is still a major problem with over $800 billion combined federal and provincial debt. Of the 18 million working Canadians, over 10 million do not have an employer pension plan nor an RRSP. The large middle-class group of Canadians is rapidly shrinking to either end of the spectrum creating two groups, poles apart -- the haves versus the have-nots -- and it is not a pretty picture.
When we ask participants in our seminars, "At what age do you plan to retire?" most respond, "Mid to late 50s." When we ask, "What degree of financial planning are you doing to ensure your early retirement?" many respond, "Very little or nothing at all!" Many other surveys show most Canadians are not pension planned. What does it take to get the message across to the large number of people who are doing no planning at all?
Perhaps the major reason Canadians procrastinate about financial planning is they don't know how to get started. We spend more time in our seminars on the subject of, "how to choose a financial planner/advisor" than any other area. People will often offer me a cheque for their life savings after experiencing our program saying, "I trust you Graydon, you've got all the characteristics and traits I'm looking for." Of course, if I could take their cheques their employers wouldn't have sponsored our company in the first place. There would be a conflict of interest between offering independent education and one-on-one financial planning with product sales and implementation.
Whether you are a seasoned investor looking to evaluate your current relationship or a novice investor looking to get started, this book will provide the tools you need to find that special person who can help you with your financial planning. Beyond your primary relationship with a spouse or partner, this relationship ranks right near the top. After all, we're dealing with your second most important asset -- your financial health which ranks right behind your most important asset -- your physical health.
Praise for...
"A must read for those who need the nuts and bolts to make that critical decision on how to choose a financial quarter-back."
Stuart McKay
President
McKay Financial Management
"Once again Graydon has taken the complex and made it accessible to all. Well done!"
Michael Ortelli
President
Bold Internet Solutions Ltd.
"The financial planner who helps you attain your life goals will be your subject matter expert, confidante, and trusted advisor that makes it most important to choose the right person, and this book tells you how."
Carole Griffen (ret.)
Manager, Benefits
General Dynamics of Canada