Frequently Asked Questions

If you’ve been wishing you could get help with your finances but aren’t sure if help is available to you—you are in the right place. We aim to make our services accessible to all, with low or no barriers. Even if you haven’t been able to access financial services in the past, get in touch with us; we would like to help you in a way that is affordable, and can help you gain financial health

Yes! If you are struggling financially and hoping to build or rebuild your financial health - we can help you. It is part of our mission to remove barriers for low-income clients; we offer sliding-scale investment services as needed, and can also help you navigate programs that offer bonds for some low-income folks, such as the RESP and RDSP!

We don’t charge a fee for service; in other words, you won’t be charged an hourly fee. The way we’re compensated is through commission; should you choose to place insurance and/or investment business through us, we’ll be compensated by whichever carrier you go with (more on this below).
What we ask of clients:
Meeting with us carries no obligation with it. If you go through the planning process and ultimately feel confident with the recommendations, we ask that you go through us to implement those plans so we’ll be compensated accordingly. It is similar to how a mortgage broker works… you don’t pay them out-of-pocket, they are paid by whichever carrier you place your mortgage with.
As for investments, you may have heard the acronym “MER” before… 'management expense ratio'. Here is how it works. It is a percentage of your invested assets. In some funds, your market value on any given day is net of that annual cost, on a pro-rated daily basis. In those mutual funds, the MER pays 3 institutions: the mutual fund company (we have access to a broad array such as NEI, Mackenzie, Fidelity, Manulife, Desjardins, RBC Global Asset Management, and so on), the mutual fund dealership (Investia, in our case), and your advisor. We offer Series F funds, where we “unbundle” the above fee, to arrive at a lower MER. With full transparency, you’ll know exactly what fee applies to any funds you’re considering.

Yes! While we can’t control the mutual fund company’s fee, we offer a sliding scale on the portion which pays Investia and Smart Investments. We offer reduced rates for anyone unable to pay the regular rate of 0.9%. No explanation is required to access these reduced rates. You do not need to justify why you require a reduced cost.

No—you know your situation best. If you are facing adversity or hardship, whether visibly or invisibly, no justification or proof is required. We operate based on trust and integrity, and we value your lived experience. Our sliding scale is available to every client. You do not need to justify why you require a reduced cost.

Part of our mission is to lower the barriers for folks to access financial planning. The default advisory fee is 0.9% per year (this pays Investia and Smart Investments). Our sliding scale allows folks to pay a reduced fee if needed, and the opportunity to pay a generous fee if they’re comfortably able to do so. We believe in the power of community in order to lift one another up. Some clients are able to pay a little more which allows us to offer lower-cost services to those who need it.
When we pay what we're comfortably able, it flips the script on oppression. Whether you pay the standard fee, a marginally higher fee, or a reduced fee, you're wholly welcome here. And no matter the fee you choose here, it will be entirely reasonable compared to the cost of investing at other financial institutions.

Yes! We do everything we can to provide no-barrier services for folks who are disabled - whether it be a visible or invisible disability. Please get in touch and we will work with you to support your accessibility needs.

If you are deaf or hard-of-hearing and would value ASL interpretation, we will provide an ASL interpreter at no cost to you. Let us know and we will be pleased to accommodate you.

Yes, we are pleased to offer phone and video meetings, whichever your preference.

We are mask-friendly! We are happy to provide a mask at your request and those of us who are medically able will wear a mask. Please note that some of our staff are medically unable to wear a mask, so if that poses a health risk for you, please ask us about convenient phone or video appointment options. Our aim is to accommodate folks’ varying comfort levels with in-person and virtual meetings and to heed science-based advice regarding COVID safety.

Some forms may require your legal name or gender (as it appears on your identification), but we will do everything possible to make this easier for you and will respect your name, pronouns, and gender in all our interactions with you.

Yes, we are an explicitly queer-friendly organization! We are a queer-owned business; not only are you safe here, but you’re warmly welcome. Your privacy and confidentiality are paramount. We will keep any information about your identity confidential, and respect your names, pronouns, and privacy. We will always get your consent before sharing any personal information.

Your gender and sexuality matter and are valid. Your pronouns matter and we will respect them. We are a queer-owned organization; not only are you safe here, but you’re warmly welcome. We will do everything we can to support you if you have changed or will change your name or gender, or if you have a fluid identity!
The financial industry largely operates on the incorrect premise that gender is binary. While we can’t “fix” the entire industry (immediately), we will center your identity and lived experience while working within the confines of the system.

Yes! There are 4 smaller washrooms and 1 more spacious washroom. All 5 washrooms are gender-neutral and each is its own private room with a toilet and sink (rather than stalls which would offer less privacy).

Yes! While we’ve been favouring virtual meetings throughout the pandemic, we offer our services in-person or online, whichever is your preference! Book a meeting with us!