Page 38 - Newcom

by KANUPRIYA VASHISHT, a Toronto-based nancial writer
RAMANDEEP BANGA, FMA, FCSI, CIWM
TITLE
Financial Advisor, Portfolio Strategies Corporation
CITY
Calgary, Alta.
IN THE BUSINESS
10+ years
MINIMUM ASSETS
$250,000
BOOK SIZE
125 households
EDGE At our rst meeting, I always
ask: “Think ve years from now. What would I have done for you to say I was a great advisor?” Their responses help me customize their services. For example,
a client told me he doesn’t want generic emails or newsletters. He’d be happy meeting twice a year, and would rather receive phone calls.
I make sure not to put him on my mailing lists. Another client said she’d like me to meet with her children, to review their nancial plans as well. I now do that annually. In my last client satisfaction survey, one client said he was so impressed with my approach to managing client expectations that he implemented it in his own business.
BULL’S EYE I’ve segmented my book into different life stages, and target my seminars and newsletters accordingly. For the newsletters, I focus on one segment a week, and compile related stories and news feeds from various media sources. For clients expecting children, I send articles on RESPs
and life insurance. For people in their 50s, I send out a list of variables (ailing parents, children moving back home,
critical illness, etc.) that might impact their retirement plans. I also send news- letters to my female clients with articles and seminars on issues they may face
in their current life stages (life after divorce, death of a partner, outliving their money).
GIVE BACK Since 2006, I’ve been teach- ing a free, 12-week nancial planning course at the Calgary Drop-In and Rehab Centre (Canada’s largest home- less shelter). Every participant gets a personalized nancial plan at the end. For most participants, I emphasize cash ow management, budgeting, paying down debt, ling outstanding taxes (sometimes going back 10 years), and saving enough for the rst month’s rent and damage deposit.
One of my students was a 50-year- old who’d been homeless or behind bars since age 16. After taking my course twice, he got himself an apartment
and met a girlfriend. In 2011, this work helped get me nominated for the Prime Minister’s Award. The fact that many people now know me and refer me is just a nice by-product of my giving back. AE
IF I WEREN’T A FINANCIAL ADVISOR,
I would most likely be working in the non-pro t sector.
communicator.
I’M A
REALLY GOOD
38 AE 01 2015
www.advisor.ca
RYAN HETHERINKEGVTIONNC-KHEUYNSG