How to invest with us
For starters...
Who are our clients and what are their needs?
- On the Private Client side of our business, some of our clients are young and are investing for the their future. Other clients are retired and require a monthly income stream. There are others that require some income and growth.
Getting to know each other.....
- To get started, we will initially need to talk and or meet to review your current financial position. As part of this process we will examine your existing portfolio. We will want to know what is working and what is not? What is keeping you up at night and what you would like to see changed? What are your dreams and goals?
- All of our clients have direct access to their money manager. As a result, it is really important to have a good working relationship. The relationship has to be open, honest, informative and comfortable.
Meeting of the minds...
- We want to understand your financial goals, expectations and timeline(s) to achieve your financial requirements. We want to be sure that both of us are comfortable with your requirements and we will be able to work towards meeting your objectives.
- You also will need to understand what the related fees are and what services you will receive.
Next steps...
Through conversations and or meetings, we will gather information on what your needs are, the timeline(s), what your expectations are and determine what your risk tolerance is.
How do we meet your objectives?
- From our understanding of your financial situation, we will put together a working document called an Investment Policy. This document provides the framework from which your assets are managed. It includes things like your asset mix ranges and your investment controls such as your minimum and maximum range for investment holdings. We will both review the document and ensure that we are both comfortable with the guidelines for managing your portfolio(s).
- As in life, this document is not cast in stone. It will change as your circumstances change. When your life takes a new path, it could impact your financial requirements. We need to know about it. Together we will determine if we need to adjust the framework or keep the existing framework in place. Regardless of any changes, your Investment Policy is reviewed annually or on an as required basis.
Forms:
- In this industry forms are required and they are there for your protection. We will be providing you with the following:
- Management Agreement - which covers the relationship between you and BirchLeaf Investments.
- Account Opening forms - which are the forms required by the financial institution where your assets will reside. These forms will be dependent upon the type of account that you are opening i.e. RIF, RRSP, Taxable etc.
- If you choose to use your own bank custodian, there will still be forms required to permit BirchLeaf Investments to manage your assets.
Ongoing...
Remember you have direct access to your money manager. If you need to know how the markets could impact your plan or you require clarification about the economic outlook or an investment. Just call us.
We send out quarterly reports after the close of each quarter, which include the following:
- Quarterly review of the markets and the economy
- Financial Outlook for the markets
- Your current holdings
- Tax Information if required
