When starting a portfolio with the Birdsall Wealth Management Group, you gain access to a broad range of investment opportunities. From new issues of stocks, bonds, preferred shares, and convertible debentures, to discretionary account management and access to institutional pension managers, we give you the guidance and the options to build the future that you want. It’s our belief that the person who knows you best is you, so our portfolios are based on your unique financial goals, how long you want to invest, your tolerance for risk, and your values. We recognize that situations change, so we are always monitoring and ready to make changes and rebalances when you need them. Because trust is paramount to us and we are proud of our work, we send regular performance reports that are easy to understand and let you know exactly how your investments are doing. With full transparency of costs, we want you to see the big picture.
Investment Philosophy
The heart of our investment philosophy can be summed up in one word - Diversification. Investing is like many other things in life - it's preferable to focus on what you can control than on what you can't. Investment returns are dictated by financial markets which are largely unpredictable over the short term, but investment risk is something which one can control - and the way to do so is with diversification.
We first start by ensuring proper diversification between the major asset classes - the weighting of which will be determined by your risk profile and investment objectives. Within each asset class, we ensure that there are enough securities to reduce the individual risk associated with any one. For equities, we try to ensure representation from each of the major economic sectors, picking the best opportunities from around the world. On the fixed income side, we diversify from triple A credit government bonds, to investment grade corporate bonds, global bonds, and high yield bonds to add more yield. For taxable accounts we include preferred shares in our fixed income holdings for tax efficiency. Finally, when appropriate, we will include a small portion of alternative investments to benefit from the negative correlation that this asset class gives.
Our Pension Services
Our pension services are as diverse and all-encompassing as the needs of the institutions we serve.
When it comes to the security of your members’ retirement savings, there is no room for unnecessary risk. Our wealth management services are rooted in reliable, proven strategies aimed at preserving and increasing your institution’s wealth over time. We take a holistic approach to financial care, getting to know your Board of Trustee team personally, so we can best understand your pension’s goals through the people who run it.
Our Products
Our financial plans are customized and take a holistic approach to meeting your short, medium, and long-term goals. We provide you with retirement cash flow planning and reports, as well as Registered Retirement Savings Plans (RRSPs) and Tax Free Savings Accounts (TFSAs) based on your needs. We also offer Registered Education Savings Plans (RESPs) and Registered Disability Savings Plans (RDSPs) so you can help prepare your children or grandchildren for their future.
We provide Personal and Business banking solutions through our in-house bankers. This means you have access to highly competitive mortgage rates, industry-leading all-in-one lines of credit, as well as preferred banking privileges and currency conversion rates.
Preparing for the future is a key to achieving your goals, and there is no better way of doing this than planning your retirement. Our Retirement Planning approach is to use our experience and your input to make sequential goals. This way we have a clear path to your future and you are involved in every step. To ensure that you have the best options, and the best information, we are always researching ways to make sure that you are getting the most out of your pension and we factor in CPP/OAS into retirement cash flow planning with monthly, quarterly, semi-annual and annual options. We also offer conversion of RRSP accounts into Registered Retirement Income Funds (RRIFs). This means that no matter where you are on the path to retirement, we can help you make that path a little brighter.
Planning for the future shouldn’t stop after retirement. To make sure that you get the most of post-retirement life, we offer a variety of services that help you and those you care about. We can help you with your Will, as well as authorizing Power of Attorney and Health Care Directive Assistance and Assessment, with help from our in-house estate lawyer. This forms part of our holistic estate plan, which bring all of your important information and plans together into a single document. We also can perform calculations of share donations for estates, which help you offset capital gains, and we work with a large network of lawyers and accountants that can help you create a family foundation.
Helping you make the most doesn’t mean a lot if we don’t help you keep it. For that reason, we provide both term, permanent, and disability insurance solutions that help you protect what is most important. We also offer Advanced Corporate Insurance Planning and annuities, with access to our Insurance Solution Specialists.
Responsible Investment :
Social Responsible Investing (SRI) is the integration of environmental, social, and governance (ESG) factors into the selection and management of investments.
There is growing evidence that SRI reduces risk and yields superior financial returns in the long-run. In addition, there is increasing consensus among investors that having accurate valuations and proper risk management means having greater disclosure and consideration of ESG issues (e.g. climate change, human rights/labour relations, consumer protection, health and safety, and indigenous/aboriginal community relations).
Negative and Positive screening is used on companies to determine if they are socially responsible. Negative screening can exclude weapons contracting, alcohol and tobacco production, pornography, and gambling for example. Positive screening, on the other hand, helps select industry leaders using international labour standards, environmental impact, gender and cultural equality, and animal welfare.
Using the ESG impact model:
Environmental damage is mitigated or healed; forest companies which replant trees are a good example.
Social (community) development occurs through fair treatment and responsible management of employees and customers, as well as charitable work with employees.
Governance that is responsible on a corporate level and shows high standards of business integrity is reinforced. This can mean including women on boards of directors, ensuring equal pay, and respecting disabilities for example.
Investing in a socially responsible manner lets you align your investments with your values, meaning you can make money and make a difference at the same time
