NANCY SOUTER, CFP, SENIOR FINANCIAL CONSULTANT, INVESTORS GROUP FINANCIAL SERVICES INC. BRAMPTON, ON

NANCY SOUTER

“Like Hockey, Financial Success is a Team Sport”

Among his many accomplishments, Wayne Gretzky, “The Great One,” was: the NHL’s all-time leading scorer, named league MVP nine times, and, led the Edmonton Oilers to four Stanley Cups in five years. Gretsky attributes his success to his, “Ability to skate to where the puck is going to be, not where it has been.”“

" I have always had a unique ability to connect people with what they need. Life doesn’t go in a straight line. There is premature death, critical illness, or, like me, having to survive six months of bed rest during pregnancy. Helping clients reduce stress and deal with change, as well as to build, manage, protect, and later, to transfer their wealth, is my version of taking them to where the puck is going to be," says Nancy Souter, a financial services veteran, and hockey aficionado, player and fan.

Nancy has spent almost two decades as a Senior Financial Consultant at IG Wealth Management and views all aspects of her clients’ lives as part of one, interconnected, eco system. She makes it a point to document and analyze all aspects of clients’ personal, professional and financial lives, including their portfolios, market exposure, savings, insurance, and estate and tax strategies. She also delves deep into their long- and short- term goals, concerns, lifestyle, and health and estate planning.

“I simply will not dispense any advice until I have a good understanding of everything about you. And, that often means working with many generations from the same family. I don’t want to go to your funeral and see your beneficiaries, and not be able to think my team protected you and did the best job possible,” she says.

Prior to joining IG, Nancy was an analyst with Bombardier, a large manufacturer of regional airliners, business jets, and mass transportation equipment. She met her husband, Steve, while they were both working there.

Team Approach

Although there can be individual stars in team sports - Football has the star quarterback, Baseball has the star pitcher, and Basketball, the star enforcer - it is impossible to win in Hockey unless the star athletes play together as a team. Gary A. Vasquez, writing in USA Today, once said, “In hockey, being a strong team is one of the most important factors in being successful.

”Nancy sees her role as the team captain and coach, and is focused on asset gathering and minimizing taxes for clients in the 50+ age bracket. Since wealth is often a measure of how much money clients get to keep, paying the least amount of tax is a priority – to ensure this happens, Nancy sends tax packages to clients’ accountants.

Nancy also helps business owners and entrepreneurs envision the future including the strategies needed to monetize their businesses. “I like complex challenges, with many moving pieces. I also like interacting with clients’ accountants, legal professionals, risk management specialists, and working on the group side of things,” she adds.

Nancy is supported by Associate Consultant, Janine Wyslobicky, B.A. (Hons), from the University of Toronto. Janine’s main focus is on risk management and mortgage planning. Her Administrative Assistant, Marta Freitas, initially worked with Nancy for seven years, and has recently rejoined the team.

IG head office also provides what Nancy describes as phenomenal support. Clients appreciate the fact that there are tax accountants, lawyers, actuaries, and succession planning experts waiting in the wings. All are available to help when needed.

Nancy often goes to clients’ homes for their appointments. “In many cases, it’s more convenient for them, and I like visiting them in their home environments,” she explains. Clients describe Nancy as their biggest cheerleader, coach, educator, and guide. “Every time I get together with clients, we talk about a different aspect of their financial and personal lives. And, I actually enjoy having what I like to call ‘courageous conversations’ about life, death, and legacy,” she adds.

Coaching

In sports, coaching also has a big impact on strategy, as well as the health and well-being of individual players. If, for example, a player gets hit in Football, he or she lands on grass; in Basketball the athlete lands on the court.In hockey, the player lands on Ice. To minimize the hits and the penalties, it is important to have a coach, who, as journalist Amanda Williams says, “Understands the rules of the sport…and is committed to taking continuing education courses to stay updated on the rules and procedures…"

Her people skills and sincere interest in how individuals engage in the human experience were sparked by a number of psychology, geriatrics, and gerontology courses she has taken over the years and while studying for her B.A. at York University in Toronto. Nancy also played defence on York’s varsity hockey team while studying there.

The importance of protecting and defending others was well established by the time she earned her CFP credentials from Humber College (she also played on the Humber varsity hockey team while there). A Certified Financial Planner® professional has achieved and maintains internationally recognized standards of knowledge, skills, abilities and ethics. CFP professionals demonstrate their financial planning competence through extensive education, a rigorous standardized national examination process, comprehensive continuing education requirements and accountability to FPSC for a code of ethics, practice standards, and the rules and regulations of their professional body.

Nancy has also taken a coaching course through Addca and often goes out into the field with new advisors. In terms of her own personal growth, she has also been involved in the Strategic Coaching program, out of Toronto, for the last two years. “I don’t want to just coast in my career. This coaching program is helping me create a bigger vision for my practice,” Nancy explains.

Up Close & Personal

Nancy has developed lifelong friendships through hockey. She grew up in a sports family, in Etobicoke, across the street from an outdoor skating rink. ”I eventually found a girls’ hockey team in Woodbridge. Since then, I have played hockey non-stop for nearly 45 years. In all that time I was never injured until last year, when I was sidelined with a wrist injury. Thankfully, I am back to playing now,” Nancy adds with a smile.

Two of Nancy’s three daughters, Amanda (36), Michelle (25) and Erica (22), also play hockey, one plays on a Rep varsity team at Humber College, and both play on Rep hockey teams representing Brampton. Marbles, a dwarf rabbit, rounds out the household. Nancy continues to plays on an OSGA 55+ (Ontario Senior Games Association) team - - they won gold at Cobourg, in 2017.

Nancy believes in giving back. Besides financially supporting a number of worthy charities, she volunteers to do income taxes for needy seniors and new Canadians, educating school children about the great wars (her father served and was a prisoner of war in WWII), fundraising to send underprivileged kids to camp, supporting the Peel Knights Table soup kitchen, and is a former director of a children’s charity in Puerta Vallarta. She believes women are under-represented in the industry, has participated in many women’s summits, and encourages young women to consider financial planning as a career choice.

Ensuring people have the information they need to make informed financial decisions is a priority and the team hosts a number of educational seminars throughout the year. Upcoming sessions include: April 24th: Retirement Income, and May 29th, Incorporated Professionals. If you would like to attend any of these seminars, please contact Nancy.Souter@investorsgroup.com.

As a last word, Nancy says, “Another one of the Great One’s quotes I find inspirational is this one: ‘I knew at a young age, whether I was playing baseball or hockey or lacrosse, that my teammates were counting on me, whether it be to strike the last batter out in a baseball game or score a big goal in a hockey game.’ Janine, Marta and I focus all of our passion, commitment, and education on making sure the clients’ aim is true, and that they are in position to make the game-winning shot.”

This article was prepared by Suzen Fromstein for My Business Magazine, based on an interview of Nancy Souter. It is not intended to provide personalized tax, legal or investment advice, nor is it intended as a solicitation to purchase securities. For more information on this article or any other financial matter, please contact Nancy Souter directly. Insurance products and services discussed in this article are distributed through I.G. Insurance Services Inc. Insurance license sponsored by The Great-West Life Assurance Company

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

NANCY SOUTER

Senior Financial Consultant

Investors Group Financial Services Inc.

208 County Court Blvd. Brampton, ON L6W 4S9

nancy.souter@investorsgroup.com