CORY GARLOCK, CFP®, Senior Investment Advisor with TD Wealth Private Investment Advice, Ottawa, On.
CORY GARLOCK
"More than just numbers"
Cory Garlock, CFP, Senior Investment Advisor with TD Wealth Private Investment Advice believes there’s more to financial planning than just numbers: it’s about balance. Ensuring the right mix of solutions, driven by a client’s end goals, with a strong helping of common sense.
It’s very much how Cory lives his life. He’s known what he wanted to do for a living since he was 15 years old, but it isn’t his only focus.
He spends time with his family, encouraging his kids to start extracurricular activities. Cory himself is enthusiastic about physical fitness, running triathlons, doing cross fit, or cross-country skiing. He jokes that exercise is his only vice, but he becomes more serious when he talks about its importance to him.
“My best ideas often come when I’m outside of the office. It gives me extreme clarity. When my mind isn’t focused on a particular task, I find that’s when the best ideas emerge. You get away from the data, from the numbers and then you come back to them with a renewed vigor and a refreshed vision. It’s the balance I need that allows me to thrive.”
A calling, not a career
Cory’s passion for his field was ignited when he was incredibly young. His high school did an investment challenge. The goal was to select a portfolio of stocks, and then tactically trade them throughout the contest period. At the end of the contest, the student with the most money earned, won. Cory loved it.
He spent hours with the newspaper, poring over stock quotes and reading every article he could on the market. Cory was voracious, spending hours at the library in search of more information.
The challenge changed his life.
At the time, he was an average student. His marks were fine, but he wasn’t leading the pack. After the challenge, that all changed. He made an appointment with a guidance counselor so he could understand what a job in the field would really look like.
From there, he buckled down. His grades improved. So did his outlook. He knew what he wanted.
And he knew what it would take to get it.
One summer during University, Cory sustained an ankle injury while playing sports. The injury left him unable to continue a tree planting job he was rather enjoying. Eager to turn his adversity into a learning experience, Cory opened a fruit stand and it was a formative experience for his understanding of business. The business didn’t provide a high rate of monetary return, but its value for his career trajectory was incalculable.
“When you’re running a business, you see things differently. Rent, waste, salaries; people don’t always see the costs or unseen risks that are associated with it. Clients constantly reach out to me seeking my opinion, even if it isn’t specifically related to our business together. ‘Cory, what do you think of this business? I can buy in, it’s at $1 million in revenue!’ But in speaking with them, it turns out that the business costs $1.1 million to run. Yes, you can cut costs, or increase revenues, but that will take effort. So, is it the right investment?
My experience as an entrepreneur has really shaped my outlook on investing. These conversations, supporting clients, it’s exactly what I wanted to do. I’ve been in the business for 20 years and I feel like I’ve never worked a single day.
To succeed, you need to focus on the right things and that’s where Cory excels.
The right perspective
There’s so much that’s led to Cory’s success: a strong work ethic, a commitment to health and an emphasis on organization.
For Cory, there is no substitute for organization. Ensuring that the right information is readily available, and accessible, is paramount.
It’s also about having the right team around you. Cory’s been fortunate to have a formidable team with him throughout his career. Staff that’s diligent, dedicated, and smart. It’s no accident though.
“Find the best people and treat them well. Empower them and make them feel appreciated. Don’t be a chore to work with. It isn’t rocket science. I care about the clients I work with and the staff does too. They don’t just see dollars and cents, they see every client as an individual and genuinely want the best for them. And if something is overlooked, the best staff identify it. We work in a fast-paced industry and the right help is crucial.”
The right help is crucial, but so too is the right plan.
Cory works hard to create a unique, and comprehensive plan for every client. There isn’t a set formula because every single client is different. He identifies their goals and then goes to work, evaluating taxation, risk tolerance, insurance, generational wealth transfer, investments and more by bringing in TD specialists as needed.
Looking at every angle is important because, for Cory, a missed opportunity may never be recovered. He works hard to leverage every opportunity for every single client.
Fortunately for Cory (and his clients,) TD has a wealth of resources for planning, and scores of information, though Cory doesn’t limit himself to just internal data.
Cory knows that TD has one of the best research departments in the world, but he takes the extra step of commissioning extra research. He pays for service, value, insight, and an unvarnished opinion.
He can’t just focus on one perspective. Cory purchases the extra research because it’s an investment in his business. Clients trust him to provide the best advice possible and Cory goes the extra mile because there are no shortcuts.
Gary Milakovic is a veteran writer with more than a decade in the public sector and corporate communications. He has covered a wide spectrum of topics and his work has been featured by large and small organizations across Canada. Gary is passionate about communication, his writing often focuses on uncovering the “story behind the story.”
CORY GARLOCK, CFP®, Senior Investment Advisor
TD Wealth Private Investment Advice
360 Albert Street Suite 1100
Ottawa, ON K1R 7X
613 - 783 - 3362
cory.garlock@td.com
All insurance products and services are offered by life licensed advisors of TD Waterhouse Insurance Services Inc., a member of TD Bank Group. TD Wealth Private Investment Advice is a division of TD Waterhouse Canada Inc., a subsidiary of The Toronto-Dominion Bank. ®The TD logo and other trademarks are the property of The Toronto-Dominion Bank or its subsidiaries.