Investing $1Million

If you’ve been a diligent saver, or you have recently inherited some new wealth, then you may find that you have $1million or more to invest. Admittedly, a million dollars isn’t what it used to be, so aside from being a member of the millionaires club, why is this threshold important?  Once an investor can boast a million dollar portfolio, they can generally begin working with any number of Investment Counsellors.

What is Investment Counsel?

An Investment Counsellor, or Portfolio Manager, is a firm that offers continuous management of a client’s investment portfolio. These professionals are highly trained (most have earned the rigorous Chartered Financial Analyst designation) to select securities for the client’s portfolio that are appropriate for their circumstances. They offer a disciplined approach to managing your investments as well as a personalized Investment Policy Statement (IPS). An IPS is a written agreement between you and your Investment Counsellor to ensure that everyone is on the same page when it comes to how your money is to be managed.

Fiduciary Oversight

An Investment Counsellor has a fiduciary duty to act in your best interest at all times. Portfolio Managers for mutual funds are also fiduciaries, however, their duty is to the mutual fund, not to the individual unit holders of the fund.

Direct Access

By working with an Investment Counsellor, you gain direct access to the people that are managing your money. When your emotions are leading the way, you can pick up the phone and have a meaningful conversation with your portfolio manager to gain the right perspective to help keep you on track.

Separately Managed Accounts

With an Investment Counsellor, you benefit from holding your securities directly, and having your account managed independently from other investors. You have complete understanding and comfort with what you own in your account. When there is a market correction, it’s much easier to remain levelheaded when you understand the merits of each security you own.

Lower Transparent Fees

Generally, Investment Counsellors offer much lower fees than the typical mutual fund or investment broker. Investment Counsellors are not paid commissions on account transactions, rather they earn fees based on the value of assets managed. Therefore, their interests are aligned with yours and they have strong incentive to sustain and grow your wealth for the long term and to minimize costs along the way.

Exclusivity

Investment Counsellors are in the business of serving high net worth families and institutional investors exclusively. This is their sole business. If they can’t do this well, then they’ll find themselves out of business. They typically offer a conservative time tested investment approach and are said to be in the “stay wealthy” business rather than the “get wealthy” business.

The reason we like to work with Investment Counsellors

The world of financial planning is complex, with many areas that require advanced training and expertise. By recommending an Investment Counsellor, not only do our clients benefit from all of the advantages noted above, including lower fees, but it also adds another highly qualified member to the client’s team of professional advisors. This approach allows us to delegate the day-to-day portfolio management tasks to a competent team member, while spending our efforts on the financial and estate planning issues required to help our clients realize their hopes and dreams for the future.

If you’re ready to take your portfolio management to the “next level”, then please feel free to contact us. We think you’ll be glad you did.