Local Business Owner Spotlight, Brad Wise, Investment Advisor and Financial Security Advisor, Dollard-des-Ormeaux, Quebec
We go back a long way with Brad Wise, having attended school together and now as a neighbour who lives down the street. Brad has always been meticulous in his work and developed a passion and knowledge for investments at a very young age. From as early as eight years old, he can remember listening to his father’s advice at dinner. His dad would often talk about the importance of dollar-cost averaging, compound interest and putting aside money for a rainy day. Brad believes that this dinnertime discussion resonated because he followed a career path to give the same advice to his clients.
This was a very interesting interview with Brad. And due to the uncertainty of our times, I’d encourage you to really listen to his advice. This interview is the result of several days of back and forth emails, plus some light editing. Our interview with Brad is below. Let us know your thoughts in the comments. Also, make sure to read our Local Business Owner Spotlight series, including our interview with Brad’s wife, Kim Hannah. Also remember to support local businesses in any way you can while these physical distancing restrictions are in place.
Interview with Brad Wise, Investment Advisor and Financial Security Advisor
10|20 Marketing: Hi, Brad! Thank you for agreeing to participate in our series. So perhaps we should get started by having you explain your area of specialty.
Brad Wise: Thanks for doing this, Mark! I have been working as an Investment Advisor and Insurance broker since 2002 and am a fully licensed Investment Advisor. The products and services I offer include: mutual funds, low cost ETFs, stocks, GICs, and retirement planning. I am also licensed to offer insurance products, including life insurance, disability insurance, salary insurance, critical illness insurance, mortgage insurance, travel insurance, and health insurance.
Although I do work at Manulife Securities, we are a brokerage firm so we could place investments and insurance through many companies such as Manulife, RBC, BMO, Desjardins, Canada Life and many others! This allows us to be objective in our advice and offer our clients the best value on the market.
10|20 Marketing: Great! So how do you stand out from all the advisors in your field? What makes people want to work with Brad Wise?
Brad Wise: It sounds like a cliché but it’s my honesty. I am upfront with my clients in terms of the fees and commissions they are paying for the investments and insurance products that I offer them. Some products have higher fees and commissions and are not necessarily the best value for my clients. I am very transparent with everyone I deal with.
Another area that differentiates me is my customer service and response time. I always ensure I respond to my clients in an efficient manner. Whether I get an email at 10 o’clock at night or on the weekend, I will always respond to my clients the same day. There’s nothing more frustrating to me than calling an institution and waiting on hold for 30 minutes or waiting until Monday if you absolutely need a response on the weekend.
I am very passionate about my job and love what I do. Even prior to becoming an investment advisor in 2002, I would follow the stock market and read books on various financial investing techniques. I welcome all questions from my clients as I love sharing my knowledge and passion about the market and helping them choose the right financial services based on their goals and risk tolerance. For some advisors, this is just a job. Personally, I don’t dread Monday mornings as I love what I do.
Not all investment advisors are fully licensed to offer all types of investment products. I am also a fully licensed IIROC advisor, which means I can offer all types of investments including low cost ETFs and stocks. Of course I do offer mutual funds as well but many people would benefit from having both mutual funds and low cost ETFs in their portfolios. Although I do work at Manulife Securities we can place business with several investment and insurance companies which ensures that my clients are getting the best value on the market for all their financial needs.
10|20 Marketing: Very interesting. Let’s change gears here for a bit. How have you been handling investments in the current market climate? What advice have you been giving people as the economy starts to suffer as a result of the pandemic?
Brad Wise: With over 17 years experience as an investment advisor, I have helped my clients manage their expectations and concerns during extreme market volatility including the 2008 Great Recession. I am always there to help my clients make informed decisions during these difficult times and guide them to make rational and logical investment choices rather than decisions based on their emotions. Prior to this correction, we had the longest bull run ever so I have been preparing my clients for an inevitable correction in the market by ensuring they had sufficient exposure to asset classes such as bonds to help reduce their volatility. Diversification across several sectors and asset classes is the key to ensuring your portfolio experiences less volatility than the market. Some government bonds, for example, have made money during this downturn.
Some people tend to become very nervous during these corrections and look to sell all their investment when the markets are falling. This rarely proves to be the right strategy as markets are resilient and investors who stay invested will recover their losses and grow their wealth. Generally the best days in the market follow a downturn so you don’t want to be on the sidelines when this happens. For many of my clients, I highly encourage investing the same amount each month to benefit from dollar cost averaging. This strategy helps reduce the impact of volatility by spreading out your fund purchases so you’re buying more shares at a lower price and less shares at a higher price. Dollar cost averaging works incredibly well in volatile markets and helps take emotion out of investing.
I am always there for my clients to talk about their investments and help respond to any concerns they have about the market, their finances and their general health and well being.
10|20 Marketing: Smart advice, Brad. What would you say are the top three areas where you help people the most. In other words, don’t answer with what you can do, but rather with what kind of work you find yourself doing the most!
Brad Wise:
- Responding to inquiries about my client’s investments whether it would be something simple as providing tax slips or an overall analysis of its diversification and past rate of returns.
- Finding life and health insurance solutions for potential clients. I search the market for the lowest pricing and best value and see which insurance product fits their needs. Some people assume they can’t get life or health insurance if they have any current health issues but there are plans that give coverage to those who are traditionally hard to insure.
- Keeping myself informed on the latest updates on the markets as well as insurance products by attending several webinars on a weekly basis.
10|20 Marketing: And in terms of the products you offer?
Brad Wise: The top 3 Insurance products I sell the most are:
- Manulife Vitality life insurance. Both my wife and I are personally on this life insurance plan and love it! It gives us the opportunity to earn rewards like Amazon gift cards and hotel discounts and lowers our life insurance premiums. In addition we get a free annual checkup from a nurse who comes to our home. Most importantly it encourages us to stay active thus improving our overall health.
- Health Insurance plans for people who are retiring or leaving group health plans. Everyone is accepted without any medical underwriting, which ensures that everyone could get complete coverage. I offer these plans through Sunlife, Manulife and Greenshield.
- Travel insurance for snowbirds. I have several clients who travel to Florida every year so I find them the most competitive pricing on the market.
10|20 Marketing: This has been great, Brad! Any last words of advice?
Brad Wise: To my knowledge, there is no crystal ball to help foresee the future of the market. Instead, I make sure to work with my clients to find the right strategy by building portfolios in anticipation of market volatility, not in reaction to it. I help people stay on track with their short-term and long-term financial goals and provide guidance during difficult times.
There are thousands of advisors to choose from with incredible credentials. When choosing an investment advisor, you want to make sure you are working with someone that actually cares about you. Any advisor can sell you products but it’s essential to find someone you can truly trust in helping you plan for your financial future. Find someone who will put your needs first and do what is in the best interest of you rather than the advisor. Make sure to B. Wise with your decision.
I wanted to thank you for including me in your spotlight series. I have read all the interviews you have conducted the last several weeks and I think it’s an incredible initiative on your part especially during these challenging times.
10|20 Marketing: Thank you, Brad! It’s been our pleasure.
Brad Wise: Thank you!
**
This interview is part of our Local Business Owner Spotlight series. If you’re interested in having your business highlighted, please reach out to mark@10-twenty.com. And if you’re interested in a free online small business marketing consultation, we’re happy to set up a time to discuss your situation as well.