Frequently Asked Questions

Frequently Asked Questions

Clear answers before you get started

Find answers about who I work with, fees, the planning process, and the choice between DIY investing and Nest Wealth. If your situation isn’t covered, we can talk it through in a 20-minute intro call.

Planning and fit

Full-service planning helps you feel in control of your finances through one coordinated plan and an ongoing partner—so you can make confident decisions, enjoy life today, and work toward your family’s goals.

Targeted planning addresses a specific concern, such as cash flow, investments, or retirement readiness. A one-time engagement gives you clarity and practical next steps.

Not sure which fits? Book an intro call to discuss your priorities and find the right approach for you.

Yes. You can start with targeted planning to address your most pressing priority, then move to full-service planning when you’re ready for a broader plan and ongoing support.

If you transition within 12 months of completing your targeted engagement, we’ll credit the targeted planning fee toward your first year of full-service planning. We’ll build on the work already completed and confirm the scope and remaining fee before you proceed.

I provide ongoing financial planning and guidance for a flat fee. We look at how the different parts of your financial life fit together—from cash flow and investments to taxes, insurance, and retirement—rather than focusing only on investments.

You’ll have a clear plan for your money, know which decisions to prioritize, and have support putting the plan into action as life changes. I can help directly or coordinate with your existing professionals and other providers when needed.

See the Services and Pricing page for what’s included in each planning option.

I work with Canadians who want their financial decisions to fit together. Many of my clients work in tech, where equity compensation, bonuses, and career changes can make planning more complex. I also work with people outside tech, including those building their financial foundation, planning for retirement, or coordinating personal and business finances.

You don’t need a minimum investment balance to work with me. The right service depends on the decisions you need help with, whether that’s one specific area or an ongoing plan.

That’s a great starting point. I can review it with you, offer a second opinion, and identify gaps or opportunities to improve it. If the plan still fits, we can focus on putting it into action and keeping it current as your life changes.

Most plans are completed within three to six weeks, based on weekly meetings. The exact timeline depends on the complexity of your situation and how quickly the required information is provided.

Your plan will typically be developed and presented over two to five meetings.

My planning services are built as ongoing relationships. After we create your initial plan, we review your progress, update it as life changes, and work through new decisions together. That includes investment behaviour coaching and help following through on your priorities. You can also reach out between scheduled meetings when something comes up.

The level of support depends on your planning service; see the Services and Pricing page for details.

A plan gives you a starting direction. Ongoing planning helps you act on it and adjust when your life, the markets, or tax rules change.

We review your progress, revisit investment and account choices, and plan how to use your money over time. I also provide coaching to help you follow through on your priorities and stay focused when market volatility makes it tempting to react.

Vanguard estimates that its full Advisor’s Alpha approach—including investment planning and behavioural coaching—can add about 3% in net returns, although the value varies by person. As an illustration, 3% of a $100,000 portfolio is $3,000; 3% of a $1 million portfolio is $30,000. These figures show the scale of Vanguard’s estimate, not a promised annual gain from working with me.

Fees and How I am Paid

Advice from a bank or an advisor may come without a separate bill, but you may still pay through investment fees or the products you buy. It’s worth asking what those fees add up to and what advice you receive in return.

With me, you pay a clear flat fee for financial planning and ongoing guidance. The fee is based on the support you need, rather than the size of your portfolio. I don’t sell products or earn commissions, and you don’t have to move your investments to work with me.

The work looks different from year to year. In the first year, we spend more time gathering information and building your plan. In later years, we review your progress, update the plan as your life changes, and help you make decisions and follow through through ongoing coaching.

Your annual fee pays for that ongoing planning relationship and the support included in your service—not a new document each year. If your needs become substantially more complex, we’ll discuss any change to the scope and fee with you.

No. I don’t sell investment or insurance products, and I don’t receive referral fees for recommending an investment provider.

For investing, you can choose to manage your accounts yourself or use Nest Wealth, my investment implementation partner. If you prefer DIY investing, I offer an education session that walks you through how to do it and the pros and cons of that approach. Nest Wealth is available for clients who want a managed option and a smoother way to put their investment plan into action. It charges its own fees, and I receive no portion of them.

You’re free to choose the approach that fits you.

For business-owner clients, approximately 70% of the planning effort typically relates to the business and 30% to personal finances. Accordingly, we bill 70% to the corporation and 30% personally.

I recommend confirming the appropriate treatment with your accountant based on your specific situation.

Investing and Privacy

I don’t directly manage investments or place trades on your behalf.

You still get similar services and experience you might expect from an investment advisor as part of your flat-fee engagement: an investment plan tailored to your goals and risk tolerance, portfolio and fee reviews, conversations about markets and the economy, and ongoing behavioural coaching.

My approach centres on diversified, low-cost passive investing. You can choose a managed option or put the investment plan into action yourself.

If you choose a managed option, I can help you get started with Nest Wealth, my investment implementation partner. With your permission, I can view your account information, review your portfolio’s progress with you, and coordinate account administration with the Nest Wealth team.

Nest Wealth makes the investment decisions, manages the portfolio, and places trades using a low-cost investment approach that aligns with my preference for passive investing. Nest Wealth charges a separate fee of about 0.5% (including an ETF fee of 0.13%); I receive no portion of it and no referral fee.

For DIY investing, I offer an education session covering how it works, its pros and cons, support you with adminstrative steps of setting up the accounts, and putting trades for the investmets you choose based on my DIY education sessions. 

No. You can keep your investments with your current institution or advisor.

Moving to my investment partner, Nest Wealth, may make sense if it lowers your overall investment costs or provides a smoother experience. With NestWealth, I can view your investments directly and help coordinate account administration.

If you prefer DIY investing, I can provide education and guidance to help you manage your own investments and potentially reduce your costs further.

The choice is yours.

I use an evidence-based approach to investing, favouring long-term, low-cost, diversified passive strategies.

We start with what your money is for, when you’ll need it, and how much risk you can comfortably take. From there, we focus on keeping costs low, staying invested through market changes, and making decisions that support your broader financial plan.

I don’t believe you need to predict the next winning investment to build wealth.

Your data is protected using industry-standard AES-256 encryption, both in transit and when stored, and is securely hosted on Canadian-based infrastructure.

We collect only minimal Personally Identifiable Information (PII) to reduce your data footprint.

Users are required to use two-factor authentication (2FA), and you can enable it as well for added security. If you choose to delete your account, your data is permanently removed after 14 days, with no ability to recover it beyond that point.