Mission

My mission with Just Retirement Strategies is to make real (evidence-based, complete and custom-fit) and pure (unbiased) “retirement” planning services available to more people near or in retirement (age 50+).

Experience and Qualifications

For 25 years, I worked in pension administration in both the public and private sectors, most recently with the BC Pension Corporation. I have strong knowledge of the workings of the BC Public Service, Municipal, Teachers’ and College Pension Plans.

I have a Bachelor of Commerce (BCom) degree from UBC and have completed the Registered Retirement Consultant (RRC) education program through the Canadian Institute of Financial Planning (CIPF). I also completed the Canadian Securities Course on investments with honours standing.

A Personal Call to Action

Limited Access to Advice

Most financial planning advice is offered by organizations whose advisors are paid based on the amount of client assets they have, and, in some cases, also on the financial products they offer (sell). So, if you don’t have sizeable assets to be “gathered” and managed, it can be tough to get good advice.

If you find advice, it can be difficult to determine how biased or constrained it may be due to the options available to the advisor.

High and Non-Transparent Fees

It can also be difficult to stay abreast of the fees you are paying and whether they are good value for the service you are getting. Until recently, fees were often quite hidden. Regulatory changes have made little improvement to this as investment advisors are only required to total up the dollar amount of fees paid for investments and related services once per year on December client statements.

Higher fees really impact the gains you keep for yourself, especially in a lower return environment. They can leave you with less than half what you would have had over the long-term!

For years I’ve been been dismayed at the limited access to real planning advice and high, non-transparent fees for more limited services masquerading as real planning.

Professionalism

The financial planning field in Canada has been slowly evolving toward service models that are more professional, like accounting and law, where the advisor has a duty to act in a fiduciary capacity, having the client’s best interest placed above all other. Australia, the UK, and the US have moved further and faster in this direction. I believe the most transparent and just way to be professional as an advisor or planner is charging flat fees for services , rather than a percentage of assets or sales commissions.

In support of this movement focused on clients rather than profits, I decided to launch JUST Retirement Strategies.

Your needs are always put first, ahead of mine or any other party.

JUST Retirement Strategies adheres to a knowledge-based and evidence-based approach to planning and advice; not sales-based.

The only things I sell are my knowledge, experience, time and advice.

Recommendations do not come from my personal crystal ball outlook on future economic and financial conditions. They incorporate guidelines for future assumptions set by the standards body for financial planners, and my continuous monitoring of reports on research in financial planning, investing and behavioural finance.

Recommended solutions are the best combination of fit, cost and expected outcome for you.

Family and Other Interests

When not helping clients and nerding out on retirement planning, Kevin enjoys walking with his wife Lisa and dog Maple Beans, running, kayaking, reading, and traveling to France and other parts of Europe.