We value our relationships with all of our clients.  Here is what some of our clients say about their experience with us. 

Dr. Robert and Yvonne Glaskin-Clay

Dr. Robert and Yvonne Glaskin-Clay live in a popular beach town on Lake Huron that quiets down when summer crowds go away. When the Glaskin-Clays were looking for sound financial advice in the 1990s, local resources were limited. "The financial advisors in this area were more focused on mutual funds or products sold by their parent company," says Dr. Robert Glaskin-Clay. "We held various GICs ourselves then, but we were looking for more diversification than could be handled by a single firm. As well, we were too busy raising an active family to do all the research ourselves - nor did we have the tools."

As they searched for help, Jan Pryde came up to Grand Bend from London to put on a financial planning seminar. "We went to her presentation and thought we had found someone we could work with and trust," he says. "So we had her come over for a one-on-one visit to discuss our individual needs." That was 25 years ago.

Now retired, the Glaskin-Clays say they have always been kept up-to-date and informed on their investment portfolio. They meet with Jan at least quarterly to review their investment strategy. "I look at the bottom line more and worry less about the details," says Bob. Yvonne added, "If I have a question, I can call Jan or her team and ask. Jan attends a number of seminars with senior economic advisors and portfolio managers and is learning all the time - then she advises us. I trust that Jan is not going to let us down. In my opinion, that is huge."

Yvonne says the trick to investing in volatile markets is to work as a team. "For example, I used to check the Canadian exchange rate daily when the kids were at graduate school in the U.S. and could lose sleep over things I could not control," she says. "Now we just watch the daily market trends on the local news and trust our investment strategy will weather the storms. Our Advisor has put us in a good position. It's all about working with and trusting your financial advisor, who in our case is Jan."

Bob says over time they diversified their portfolio to minimize risk and losses. "Sometimes companies and markets do weird things. Jan's overall investment strategy for us has been highly successful and adapts with changes to our needs over time. You have to accept that sometimes individual decisions do not work as well as anticipated and keep your eye on the big picture," he says. "We've done very well with Jan and never have had any reason to doubt our decision made some 25 years ago."

Bruce and Kim MacGowan

For almost 30 years, Jan Pryde has worked with Bruce and Kim MacGowan - dedicated investors who have followed all the rules to maximize their retirement savings. Jan met the MacGowans in 1987, when she worked in retail banking and they needed a bridge loan for their first home. They chose to follow Jan through her career, including her eventual move to CIBC Wood Gundy - a testament to their professional rapport. "When we started to work with Jan on investments in 1998, we had nothing saved for retirement," says Bruce. The MacGowans are now are debt-free, with enough invested to maintain their comfortable lifestyle when they retire.

Today, Bruce and Kim are comfortable with asset allocation. "I prefer blue chip and value stocks - not high-flyers but equities with strong dividends," says Bruce. "I think I am moderately aggressive. Jan knows that. We get along because she never pushes [us]. We meet every three months to check in on the market and to match where we are to my benchmarks." He says Jan is also very conscious of costs and will make recommendations based on both performance and fees.

In 2015, the MacGowans enjoyed a positive return in a year where the TSX was down double-digits. "I am really happy with these results even though the market these days drives me nuts," he says. "But I'm in it for the long haul, and Jan has structured our portfolio to reflect that goal."

Bruce and Kim appreciate Jan's work ethic and their long-standing, trusted relationship. "I think Jan is really great. She is very engaging and I respect her. She's intelligent, hardworking, and always has our best interests in mind."