REGAN SCHILLER, CFP, CLU, RRC, EXECUTIVE FINANCIAL CONSULTANT "PERSONALIZED, HOLISTIC & DIS
REGAN SCHILLER
Before he began his financial career, Regan Schiller worked with his father on the family farm in Saskatchewan. Much as he enjoyed working with his dad, life on an isolated farm did not provide the intellectual or social stimulation Regan craved. In 2001, he sold everything, purchased a small car, and moved to Edmonton.
With focus, discipline and good old-fashioned hard work Regan
overcame a tough economic climate to secure a position first as an
Electrician, and later, as an Electrical Estimator for one of Canada’s
largest non-union electrical companies. Thanks to his passionate
discipline and incredible work ethic, Regan’s bid wins soon outpaced his
bid losses. He finished off his electrical ticket as a Red Seal Journeyman
Electrician.
As you might imagine, career prospects as an Electrical Estimator were
limited. After much thought and soul searching Regan set his sights on a
career in financial services because he felt it would challenge his
intellect, utilize technology in innovative ways, and allow him to make a
measurable difference in individual lives.
He joined Investors Group (IGM) in November of 2009. He chose IGM for its depth, breadth and staying power – the firm has been helping investors achieve their financial goals since 1926. Today, more than one million Canadians trust IGM with more than $132 Billion of their hard earned money.
Shortly after joining the company, Regan obtained both his CFP and CLU designations and created the Schiller Wealth Management Group (SWM). SWM works with successful families to build after-tax wealth, protect their families and businesses and ensure a future by design.
During this period Regan also earned a number of coveted, internal,performance awards - in 2013, he was named the top 1-4 year consultant in Canada. He also achieved all four pillar awards and qualified for the President’s Club in 2012 and 2013 and again in 2015.
Regan attributes his success as an Executive Financial Consultant to his passionate commitment to his Clients. “At SWM you are not just a number or a trailer fee. You are a real person, with a real family. We take the time to learn about what’s important to you. This crucial step underpins everything we do. Clients appreciate this. Our business has grown on account of Client's referrals to their family members, their friends, and their co-workers," Regan Schiller says.
Q: How do you build wealth for your Clients?
RS: We have what I like to call a boutique Wealth Management practice within one of the largest and most respected firms in the world. This structure ensures SWM understands our Clients’ goals and designs specific strategies to achieve them.
We also collaborate with an experienced team of internal professionals including accountants, tax and estate lawyers, actuaries, pension and securities experts, and insurance and mortgage specialists. Our holistic model includes collaboration with our Clients’ professional advisers (accountant, lawyer etc.), which ensures we don’t overlook anything important.
Q: How does your planning system help your Clients make good financial decisions?
RS:
"I believe that with great systems ordinary people can do great things and that with great systems great people can do extraordinary things. SWM has both. Our proprietary planning system helps our Clients visualize the implications of all of their financial decisions and clearly illustrates the power of every single investment dollar."
Our system also allows us to run different scenarios. For example, if you don’t change anything that you are doing now, and want to determine your assets in twenty years, our planning system can accurately predict this number. It can also predict what will happen if you add or subtract different investments, increase or decrease the amount invested or speed up or slow down the investment timeline.
In fact, our planning protocol is so accurate that we can predict how much our Clients will spend on groceries or how much they will spend on taxes five, ten or twenty years from now. Many Clients have told me this both sets us apart, and makes it easy for them to visualize the impact of their financial decisions. Many Clients have said that they wished they would have started working with SWM 5-10 years before they actually did.
Q: How does SWM use Gamma retirement planning concepts?
RS: A retiree faces a number of retirement risks. Many of these risks do not apply during wealth accumulation phases. SWM uses each of the following ‘Gamma’ concepts in our Wealth Management practice:
Asset Location and Withdrawal Sequencing:
Asset Location involves placing assets in the most tax-efficient accounts so that most of the return comes from capital gains, which are taxed at a lower rate.
Total Wealth Asset Allocation:
Most asset allocation techniques focus on aversion to risk and ignore the Clients’ ability to assume risk. We believe asset allocation should focus on both.
Annuity Allocation:
Many retirees fear outliving their resources. Annuities allow retirees to hedge longevity risk and can improve the overall efficiency of the portfolio.
Dynamic Withdrawal Strategy:
SWM recommends that withdrawals are based on portfolio survivability and mortality experience and not on a static calculation.
Liability-Relative Optimization:
Most asset allocation methodologies ignore funding risks like inflation and currency. By incorporating liability into the portfolio optimization process, we build portfolios that can better hedge against these risks.
In order to measure the R.O.I. on Gamma strategies, SWM focuses on levels of income over many periods rather than only one period. This requires additional assumptions and modelling which is where our proprietary planning process shines.
Q: What are some of the Family Wealth Services SWM provides?
RS: Our Family Wealth Services include:
• Investment portfolio construction and progress tracking.
• Financial planning – including provision of a comprehensive, written plan.
• Taxation – Using proven strategies to effectively minimize or mitigate taxes.
• Estate planning.
• Retirement planning – including Gamma considerations.
• Education savings.
• Insurance – Risk management and effective use of tax advantaged insurance solutions.
• Legacy and philanthropy consultation.
SWM also helps business owners and entrepreneurs plan their business interests, manage their business investments, create employee retirement plans, implement enhanced executive benefits, reduce business risk, and create a business succession plan.
Q: Who are the other members of your private Client team and what role do they play.
RS: Each team member focuses on a different area of Client service -SWM Clients always receive expert counsel from the subject matter expert best equipped to deliver it.
Taylor Goulden, BBA, CFP, CLU, RRC, Associate. Taylor is a licensed associate and joined SWM full time in June 2014 (she started as a part-time volunteer while she completed her degree). Both Taylor and Regan collaborate on files, work directly with Clients, and back each other up.This ensures SWM Clients’ always have access to an accredited Wealth Manager at all times. Taylor is also the planning specialist for the team. While completing her Business Administration degree with a major in finance, Taylor played basketball for the NAIT Ooks.
Nadelle Schiller, Client Relationship Manager organizes and orchestrates much of the activities of our highly dynamic team. Her background in organizational theory and management also ensures SWM sets the industry standard for efficiency and personalized service.
Tessa Nguyen, Executive Assistant holds an Office Administration diploma. She joined the firm part time in October 2014 and transitioned into a full time EA role in 2015. Tessa has continued her education with the elite Executive Assistant seminars.Assistant seminars.
Q: How do you give back to the community?
RS: I am a networking hub for my Clients and where possible, connect my Clients with each other as well as with other members of my professional network. I also volunteer for YOUCAN Youth Services a non-profit charitable organization dedicated to giving young people the knowledge, support and skills they need to remove themselves from harm’s way (http://www.youcan.ca).
I helped YOUCAN youth set goals, and provided perspective on how to look at and deal with challenging situations. It is hard to even imagine the things these young people have endured. My volunteer work makes me even more grateful for the wonderful life and family situation that I have.
Q: What is life like for the Schillers’ today?
RS: I am blessed with a great team, a thriving business and good health.
My wonderful life got exponentially better when my wife Nadelle and I adopted our son, Felix Ferdinand. I had no idea it was possible to love anyone so much. Our ‘pack’ now includes Nadelle and I, our healthy and happy son, a cocker spaniel named Foreman and a Boston Terrier and Pug mix named Dogg. I am one happy guy.
Life doesn’t get any better than this.
Suzen Fromstein is the author of Suits and Ladders, Ten Proven Ways to Keep Your Job Safe - with a few jokes thrown in. Suits and Ladders was an Amazon Best Selling Book in the Career Guides Category.
SCHILLER WEALTH MANAGEMENT GROUP
2400 Scotia Place, Tower 1,
10060 Jasper Avenue Edmonton, AB T5J 3R8