Frequently Asked Questions

What Does “Being Independent” Really Mean?

Being independent means that we truly do answer to and are accountable to you. We are financial professionals employed by our clients, not employees of an institution. There is an entrepreneurial spirit that drives us to be the best and to do the best for those we serve, because it’s our clients’ success and outcomes that build our reputation and legacy.

Why Should I Pay An Advisor – Can’t I Do This Myself?

There are many tools for those who want to take responsibility for their own investing and financial planning. What we’ve found though, is that while they may be able to research a great fund, do their own taxes or set up their estate documents, these people struggle to bring all the pieces together in the right way and at the right time, which can cause costly mistakes.

For example, what if you didn’t save enough to cover for inflation before and during retirement? How do you know if you’re really saving enough? Should you work another year? Or more? What if you pay off your mortgage at retirement with your investments and end up running out of money and you have to sell your house anyways? When is the right time to sell during a market correction? Or is there a right time? When should you take CPP or OAS? When should you downsize? What accounts should you build before retirement and then in what order should you access these after retirement?

Each question might have its own answer, but how do you pull together all the answers to provide perspective on each of those decisions? There is no one-size-fits-all answer and it’s hard to Google your way to financial security. We are here to help you pull all the pieces together in the right way and at the right time.

What Makes MCI A Good Choice For Me?

We build long-term relationships with our clients that go far beyond fund selection and rates of return: we are an ongoing and consistent sounding board for all your financial needs.

We stay current so you don’t have to (unless you want to, of course). We pay close attention to what’s happening in the world, the economy, the markets and financial and social trends in order to bring you relevant feedback about how it relates to you and your financial life.

Our investment practices are evidence based. You can rest assured that your unique situation is being managed with a disciplined and objective eye.

We’re accessible and approachable and strive to make financial decisions easier for you.

We work to build a relationship of trust with our clients so they can be confident knowing they have an experienced financial partner supporting them.

We take a proactive view of financial and wealth management.

We build long-term
relationships with
our clients.

How Do I Know If MCI Is A Good Fit For Me?

At MCI we advise clients from many financially diverse backgrounds: those who want to get a solid financial foundation started early, those who are at the height of their income-earning years and wanting to do the right things now to secure their next stage of life, and those who are ready to retire or are already in this stage. With such diversity, there are things that our happiest and most successful clients have in common. One or more of these qualities may resonate with you:

  • Your life is busy and you don’t have the time or interest to take on the responsibility of a ‘do-it-yourself’ platform.
  • You see value in seeking advice from professionals.
  • You’re interested in a long-term relationship with a proactive team dedicated to helping you organize your financial life and keep it that way.
  • You’re looking for help making sense of your present state of financial affairs, and to help you see what the future might look like based on what you have in place today.
  • You understand that market timing is not an effective investment strategy.
  • You’re willing to meet or connect at least annually where we can keep each other up-to-date.

How Are You Compensated?

There are several ways that a financial advisor can be compensated; however, the two primary ways that we use are the following:

Investment Services

Our compensation is linked to the value of your accounts, as a percentage. There are two primary methods of calculating:

Fee Based: a tiered fee schedule, percentage reduces as your assets grow
Embedded: Investment firms pay our dealer (Investia) a set percentage of your assets

Under both methods, our compensation is directly tied to how well your portfolio performs.

Insurance Services

Insurance companies pay our managing general agency (BridgeForce Financial) an up-front percentage of the annual premium for any insurance policies that are placed. If the policy is cancelled within two years, our compensation must be paid back to the insurance company.

What Partners Do You Work With?

We have many relationships with professionals in complementary businesses. Through them we can provide comprehensive, integrated solutions for you. This can include strategic partners that offer professional advice and personal service such as an accountant, lawyer, real estate agent, credit or debt specialist, or a mortgage specialist. It can also include product suppliers and industry resources such money managers, fund companies, insurance companies, and our regulatory, compliance and infrastructure partners, Investia Financial Services Inc. and BridgeForce Financial Inc.


What Is Investia’s Role In Our Relationship?

Investia Financial Services Inc. (Investia) provides us with the technology and infrastructure for reporting and trading as well as back office and compliance support. They sponsor our license to offer mutual funds and are a member of The Mutual Fund Dealers Association of Canada Inc. (MFDA).

Investia is a wholly owned subsidiary of Industrial Alliance Insurance and Financial Services Inc., a life and health insurance company founded in 1892 that operates under the trade name iA Financial Group. The Investia head office is based in Quebec City, Quebec, with offices across Canada.

How Do I Get Started?

Taking that first step is easy, there’s no cost and no obligation, just some of your time. You can send us an email ([email protected]), give us a call 519-569-8800 or toll-free 1-844-569-8800 and we’ll arrange a time to start the conversation, get to know each other and see if we’re a good fit.