CLINTON ORR, Senior Wealth Advisor and Senior Portfolio Manager, Canaccord Genuity,Winnipeg, MB.
CLINTON ORR
“Being able to help people feel more at ease with their finances
is easily the most enjoyable part of this job and, to this day,
is part of what drives me to continue coming to the office every day.”
Clinton Orr, Senior Wealth Advisor and Senior Portfolio Manager with Canaccord Genuity Corp. started his career in finance in 2003. Since then, he has established strong relationships with his clients.
Clinton earned his Bachelor of Commerce and holds multiple designations, including designations in financial planning, investment management and derivatives markets.
However, Clinton’s journey truly began during Christmas when he was only eight years old.
“The first item on my Christmas list when I was eight years old? A calculator. I suppose that was a pretty clear indicator that I was headed to a career in numbers. My dad is an accountant, so I guess the apple did not fall too far from the tree,” said Clinton “After high school, I attended the I.H Asper School of Business at the University of Manitoba.”
While in University, Clinton balanced his studies with part time work, where he was employed with Bieber Securities. The experience provided Clinton with the opportunity to learn the academic side while also seeing the practical side of the business. This led to Clinton completing additional courses, eventually earning his current designations.
Clinton sets himself apart from other financial professionals by building a strong team of specialists and developing what he considers to be a unique process The process he and his team uses to build a customized financial plan is called “Financial Architecture.”
“We take a holistic view of our client’s situation. Our process is designed to assist clients in all aspects of their financial goals. Whether it is minimizing the tax on their estate, reducing the volatility in their portfolio, getting a mortgage or simply seeing if they have enough to retire, our team of professionals can help,” said Clinton. “ We call that holistic approach financial architecture. The idea is that if you were to build a new house, you would require a vision for the home, a detailed blueprint and a team of professionals to construct the home. We view our team as the financial architect that can help clarify your vision, map out the detailed blueprint and assist with the construction of your financial home.”
Financial Architecture refers to a process of building a “solid financial house,” a comprehensive five-step process. The process approaches finances as if you were constructing a new home:
Vision:
We need to start with the end in mind. What financial goals do you want to achieve?
Drawing the blueprint:
Having clarified the financial vision, we need to map out all the details, when will we draw down the RRSP? When should we take CPP? How to minimize tax on the estate? The blueprint will provide the guide to meeting your financial goals, answering the questions, and building a solid financial house.
Building a solid foundation:
We now have to start to implement the plan and construct the home. The building blocks of a financial house are the estate and insurance plans. Often, we work with other professionals, such as lawyers and accountants, to ensure the foundation is solid.
Constructing the Framework:
With the foundation of the house intact we begin to construct the frame. Tax planning and retirement planning are often addressed as part of the frame. We must ensure your work pensions, personal savings, and government pensions work together to create a tax efficient income in retirement. The blueprint will guide us in this process.
Interior Design:
When building a new home, it would be odd to start by choosing the paint colours. The interior is the portion we see the most but is not the starting point of construction. Similarly, our discussion of the investment portfolio will be guided by the work we have done in the prior steps. Setting up a unique portfolio to match your financial goals. Of course, we have to stay in touch, because houses need renovation from time to time.
Clinton’s approach to his practice has been based on two fundamental principles: a love for numbers and helping people. These passions are what led to his current career.
“I’ve always enjoyed numbers, the challenge was that my other passion was helping people. So, I needed to find a blend of both. Fortunately, this career provides both,” said Clinton. “Numbers and helping people – I found a way to blend both my passions in one amazing career. It’s a combination that continues to fuel my love for what I do each and every day.”
Clinton’s approach to managing his client’s finances follows a pension plan approach, where he develops a plan for each client, as described above, and manages their investments to minimize volatility and provide consistent returns. His aim is to ensure his older clients have peace of mind throughout their senior years.
“If you don’t know where you are going, you might wind up someplace else. That’s a quote from the great Yogi Berra. I believe it can be applied to financial planning,” said Clinton. “If you do not have a financial plan, it will be pretty tough to achieve your financial goals. Getting an overarching vision of how all the financial pieces come together to achieve your goals, in my view, can provide some piece of mind and is one of the big benefits of a financial plan.”
Helping people is the most enjoyable part of Clinton’s job, knowing that he can put his client’s minds at ease.
“Being able to help people feel more at ease with their finances is easily the most enjoyable part of this job and, to this day, is part of what drives me to continue coming to the office every day,” Clinton said.
Clinton was recognized for his work in Monthly Finance’s Global Awards for 2021 and was also the central winner of the Client Dedication Award presented by Canaccord. His efforts have built a strong connection between him and his clients, relationships that make his job worth coming to every single day.
“One client of mine, whose husband had passed away, was not only grieving but came to us in a state of desperate need of direction and navigation,” Clinton recalls. “Her husband had handled all things financial for them and she was in effect, lost, without guidance. I walked through the entire situation with her, including every step and option, helping her regain confidence and comfort. She was and is to this day, very grateful.”
When he isn’t working, Clinton participates in multiple charitable initiatives, including one both he and his wife started together – the Pet Life Animal Fund. He and his wife love animals and own two dogs of their own in rural Manitoba. The successful financial advisor practices Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, he started in his 30s and currently holds a blue belt.
Clinton looks forward to continuing to support his client’s financial needs and fostering bright futures for them and their families.
CANACCORD GENUITY WEALTH MANAGEMENT IS A DIVISION OF CANACCORD GENUITY CORP., MEMBER-CANADIAN INVESTOR PROTECTION FUND AND THE INVESTMENT INDUSTRY REGULATORY ORGANIZATION OF CANADA
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Clinton Orr, Senior Wealth Advisor and Senior Portfolio Manager,
Canaccord Genuity, Winnipeg, MB.