Wealth & Finance International - Wealth & Money Management Awards 2016

Wealth & Money Management Awards 2016 56 The William Douglas Group Best Financial Advisor 2016 - Canada & Award for Excellence in Retirement Planning - Canada The William Douglas Group is a boutique firm located in Burlington, Ontario led by Bill, a senior financial advisor with Manulife Securities Incorporated. We invited Bill McElroy to provide us with more information on the businesses and the services offered. William D McElroy BA, CFP, CIM, FCSI Senior Financial Advisor Company: The William Douglas Group Manulife Securities Incorporated Website: http://www.wdg.ca/ Bill McElroy is a multi-faceted advisor with a very holistic approach to wealth management; utilising dynamic planning to capture clients’ risk tolerance as they move through various stages of their life cycle. Bill explains how the firm works to achieve this by working closely with clients. “The deep relationships I form with my clients are truly the greatest reward I experience. I tend to develop long-term client relationships and they in turn refer a large percentage of my new business. I guess the practice that brings the most prestige is the referral business, which indicates that I am doing a good job with my existing clients and they feel secure in referring me to close friends that are in need of my services.” “We spend a lot of time upfront customizing a client’s wealth strategies by understanding their individual risk profiles and their financial goals. We design investment strategies to contain and mitigate risk using insurance products and reach clients’ stated financial goals by using a customized risk-adjusted investment portfolio. The ability to offer a combination of insurance and securities allows us to design and adjust our clients risk profile and investment returns to better satisfy their financial goals.” Operating in many provinces across Canada, Bill highlights the variety of clients he works with and how he aims to support them. “Our primary focus is Ontario, however, over the last few years, we have had clients refer clients to us from many provinces across Canada. When I look at my client base, we have customers in almost every province in Canada. I think that this is largely a reflection of the referral business. The fact is, some families have created large amount’s of wealth in small communities but do not want their business known for personal reasons, so they choose an out-of-town wealth manager to conduct their business with privacy being one of their main criteria. “Our value proposition is simple; we provide comprehensive wealth management and brokerage services, complemented by a uniquely personalized client experience. As an independent firm, working alongside the Manulife Securities Incorporated model, we have the ability to offer our clients access to the entire spectrum of investment and insurance options without bias – we work for our clients.” Ultimately, Bill is keen to emphasize that they have a great responsibility for investors’ money and this is taken very seriously. “Our responsibility in the wealth management business is to be aware of all the various products and services that may potentially fit our clients’ needs. The industry is dynamic and new products and services are constantly being introduced into the market. The truth of the matter is that the relationship and the time spent upfront really understanding my client’s needs and risk tolerance is the most important aspect of my process. The products all fall out of that process so I am always refining my upfront process to ensure I have understood my client’s objectives clearly.” Stocks, bonds and mutual funds are offered through Manulife Securities Incorporated. Insurance products and services are offered through The William Douglas Group Inc. o/a The William Douglas Group. WM16026