Life-centered financial planning starts with your life, not your investments. Instead of focusing only on rates of return, we look at what money is for in your world: the people you care about, the work you do, the causes you believe in, and the lifestyle you want to enjoy.

We ask questions like “What is it all for?”, “How much is enough?”, and “Do I have enough?” to help you align every financial decision with the life you want to live.

Traditional financial advice often centres on products and performance charts. At Advice First, we focus first on Return on Life (ROL) rather than only Return on Investment (ROI). In other words, we want to know: “Are you getting the best life possible with the money you have?”

We take time to understand your history, your principles, your goals, and the life transitions you’re facing, then build a plan to support those things. Investments, tax strategies, and risk management are important tools, but they come after we understand your life.

We work with individuals and families who want more than a one-time financial plan or stock-picking conversation. Many of our clients are professionals, business owners, and retirees who value a long-term partnership and want their money decisions to reflect their values and priorities.

If you’re looking for guidance across the full picture of your financial life, and you appreciate honest, straightforward advice, there’s a good chance we’ll be a fit.

Advice First Wealth operates in association with Harbourfront Wealth Management Inc., a member of the Canadian Investor Protection Fund (CIPF) and regulated by the Canadian Investment Regulatory Organization (CIRO).

That means your investment accounts are held with a regulated investment firm and are covered by the protections available to Canadian investors through CIPF, subject to its terms and limits.

Our work together can cover all six major areas of financial planning. At Advice First, our core services include:

• Life-Centered Planning – Building a financial life plan around your goals, values, and upcoming transitions.

• Tax Planning – Structuring your income, savings, and assets to reduce lifetime tax and keep more of what you earn.

• Risk Management – Identifying and managing risks that could derail your plan, with a focus on provision, not just protection.

• Investment Management – Designing and managing an investment strategy that serves your plan and your comfort level.

• Wealth Transfer & Estate Planning – Helping you pass wealth, wisdom, and values to the next generation, starting while you’re alive.

• Retirement Coaching – Looking beyond “the number” to help you design a meaningful, flexible next chapter, whether you retire at 50 or work into your seventies.

Retirement is an important focus for many of our clients, but it’s far from the only one. We help with tax planning, risk management, wealth transfer and estate planning, investment management, and the many life transitions that happen long before and long after retirement.

Our goal is to help you make wise decisions in all money matters, across all seasons of life.

Tax planning is an important part of financial planning because it affects how much of your money you keep and how well it supports your goals. Taxes come into play at every stage, including while you’re earning, saving, investing, drawing retirement income, and eventually passing wealth on. With thoughtful, proactive planning, you can reduce unnecessary taxes, improve cash flow, and make more confident financial decisions over time.

At Advice First, we look at tax planning through a life-focused lens. That means making financial decisions in a way that supports your bigger picture, from retirement income and charitable giving to legacy and wealth transfer planning.

Major life changes can affect many parts of your financial picture. Whether you’re getting married, growing your family, changing careers, going through a divorce, caring for aging parents, receiving an inheritance, or preparing for retirement, each transition often brings new decisions, responsibilities, and emotions.

A thoughtful financial plan can help you navigate those changes with more clarity and confidence. At Advice First, we look at the full picture, helping you prepare for life transitions rather than repair them once they happen. We help you adjust your plan, revisit your goals, and make decisions that support both your finances and the life you want to live.

Our investment philosophy at Advice First is built around moving beyond the traditional stock-and-bond approach and adopting a more modern, pension-style strategy. Large institutional investors have shifted away from the classic 60/40 portfolio because it may no longer deliver the returns needed after inflation and taxes, and we believe individual investors deserve access to the same thinking. Instead, we focus on a diversified mix that includes both public markets and alternative investments, creating a portfolio designed to provide more consistent returns, reduce volatility, and better protect against market downturns.

This approach fits into your financial plan by aligning your investments with your long-term goals rather than just market performance. By incorporating asset classes such as private credit and private equity alongside equities, we aim to improve diversification, reduce correlation with traditional markets, and enhance risk-adjusted returns. The result is a portfolio that is more resilient across different market environments, generates steadier income, and helps you stay on track toward your lifestyle and retirement goals with greater confidence and less stress.

Disclaimer: Past performance does not necessarily predict future performance, and each asset class has its own risks. Private credit, private equity, and alternative investments may not be suitable for all investors. Before making any decision or taking any action, you should consult with a licensed professional advisor.

At Advice First, risk management is more than just protecting against what could go wrong. It is about making provision for what matters most in your life and ensuring the people, goals, and priorities you care about are supported, no matter what happens. 

Because life is full of uncertainty, insurance and risk planning form an important foundation of a financial plan. When thoughtfully designed, it helps preserve your financial well-being, support your family or business, and protect the legacy you are building. 

Our approach focuses on integrating risk management into your overall plan in a way that aligns with your life vision. Rather than thinking only about what you need to protect, we help you consider what you want to provide for and build strategies that evolve with you over time.

Our Life-Centered Planning process follows a clear, structured path:

1. Discovery – We start by learning your story: your history with money, your values, and the key transitions you’re facing or anticipating.

2. Clarity – Together we explore “what is it all for?”, “how much is enough?”, and “do I have enough?” to clarify what you want life to look like.

3. Planning – We then build a comprehensive financial life plan around the six pillars of financial planning, with clear action steps.

4. Implementation – We help you put the plan into action, whether that’s restructuring investments, adjusting cash flow, or updating tax and estate strategies.

5. Ongoing Coaching – Your life will change, and your plan should too. We review regularly, adjust as needed, and walk with you through expected and unexpected life transitions.

For an initial conversation, it’s most helpful to bring:

• A rough idea of your current financial picture (savings, investments, pensions, insurance, debts).

• Any existing financial plans or investment statements you’d like us to review.

• A list of questions, worries, or goals you want to talk about.

Most importantly, come prepared to talk about your life: what matters to you, what’s changing, and what you’d love your future to look like. The numbers are there to support those conversations.

Retirement is an important focus for many of our clients, but it’s far from the only one. We help with tax planning, risk management, wealth transfer and estate planning, investment management, and the many life transitions that happen long before and long after retirement.

Our goal is to help you make wise decisions in all money matters, across all seasons of life.

It begins with a conversation. We’ll explore what’s important to you, answer your questions, and determine whether working together is the right fit.

Start with a Discovery Call

At Advice First, risk management is more than just protecting against what could go wrong. It is about making provision for what matters most in your life and ensuring the people, goals, and priorities you care about are supported, no matter what happens. 

Because life is full of uncertainty, insurance and risk planning form an important foundation of a financial plan. When thoughtfully designed, it helps preserve your financial well-being, support your family or business, and protect the legacy you are building. 

Our approach focuses on integrating risk management into your overall plan in a way that aligns with your life vision. Rather than thinking only about what you need to protect, we help you consider what you want to provide for and build strategies that evolve with you over time.

Advice First Financial Group is a fee-based financial planning organization. Our goal is that fees are fully disclosed, fair, and free of surprises.

There are three main components:

• Planning Fee – A one-time fee for new clients to complete, produce, and review your personal Life-Centered Financial Plan. This begins at $2,500 and may increase depending on the complexity of your situation.

• Investment Management Fee – An annual fee charged by the investment vehicles you own, paid to the investment or professional money manager. This generally ranges from 0.20% (passive strategies) up to 1.20% (active strategies).

• Advisor Fee – An annual fee paid to our team for ongoing service and monitoring related to your Life-Centered Financial Plan, on a declining scale not exceeding 1.25%.

The Investment Management Fee plus the Advisor Fee make up your total annual cost (often called the Management Expense Ratio, or MER), which typically ranges from 1.2% to 2.2% per year and is fully disclosed and agreed upon in advance.

Advice First Wealth operates in association with Harbourfront Wealth Management Inc., a member of the Canadian Investor Protection Fund (CIPF) and regulated by the Canadian Investment Regulatory Organization (CIRO).

That means your investment accounts are held with a regulated investment firm and are covered by the protections available to Canadian investors through CIPF, subject to its terms and limits.

A beneficiary is the person (or people) who will receive the funds in your TFSA after your

death. Here’s what happens:

• The TFSA is closed, and the assets are paid out to the beneficiary.

• The payment is tax-free, but the account itself does not continue as a TFSA.

• Any income earned after the date of death is taxable to the beneficiary.

This option is often used when leaving money to children, other family members, or

charities, because it provides a straightforward payout.

A successor annuitant is available only for spouses or common-law partners. Here’s why

it’s powerful:

• The surviving spouse becomes the new holder of the TFSA.

• The account continues as a TFSA, with all its tax-free benefits intact.

• There is no impact on the survivor’s own TFSA contribution room.

This means the funds stay sheltered from tax, and the surviving spouse can keep the account

growing without any extra paperwork or tax consequences.

The best way to begin is to contact us for an initial conversation. This gives you a chance to ask questions, share what you’re looking for, and see whether our life-centered approach feels like a good fit.

You can reach us by phone, email, or through the Contact Us page on the website, and we’ll guide you through the next steps.