Life transitions

A clear next step when
your financial life changes.

After losing a partner, going through a separation or divorce, or receiving an inheritance, you may face unfamiliar responsibilities and several decisions at once. We help you decide where to begin and work through the financial decisions with you.

Where to begin Talk with our team

Advice, financial planning and investment management through bereavement, separation or divorce, inheritance, retirement and other major changes.

The experience of change

The event can happen quickly.
Adjusting can take longer.

Some people come to us before a change. Others need help after it has happened, when they are responsible for finances they have never managed before.

Two people looking across a lake toward the mountains.

Anticipation

You know something may change.

We review your finances and consider what the change could mean for your income and commitments.

The fog

There is a lot to take in.

When even familiar tasks feel difficult, we help you gather the information, understand immediate responsibilities and take one decision at a time.

A new normal

You are getting used to the finances.

We review how your income and investments are working for you, and adjust the plan as your needs change.

You may recognize more than one of these experiences. There is no fixed timetable.

Our explanation draws on the Financial Transitionist Institute’s work. “The fog” describes the unsettled period in everyday language.

Now, Sooner, Later

Put the decisions in
a manageable order.

When every question feels urgent, it helps to separate what needs action from what needs more information or time. We use Now, Sooner, Later to work through the list with you.

See an example

You are taking responsibility for finances your partner previously handled. The first task is to understand what is already in place.

Now

Keep everyday finances working

Check which bills need paying, what money is available and which deadlines are approaching.

Know where to turn

Identify the financial and professional contacts who can help.

Sooner

Build the financial picture

Bring together accounts, income, commitments and the information still needed.

Review what has changed

Consider how household spending and sources of income may differ.

Later

Consider the larger choices

Explore longer-term housing, family support or other commitments when the information and timing allow.

Revisit the plan

Review whether your investments suit your income needs and longer-term plans.

Priorities can change. A deadline, new information or a change in your needs may bring a decision forward.

For each concern, we clarify the next step, who will help and what information is still needed.

You do not need to arrive with everything organized.

Tell us what is worrying you and whether anything has a deadline. We can identify the information needed and sort the work into Now, Sooner and Later. You will know what to start with and where our team can help.

Illustrative situations, not client cases or a universal checklist. Timing depends on your circumstances. Our approach uses the Financial Transitionist Institute’s Now, Sooner, Later framework.

Help with unfamiliar finances

Get to know your finances.

You may be paying the bills for the first time, choosing an adviser of your own or deciding how your investments will support a different life. We explain how the finances work and take time for your questions.

Receiving an inheritance can bring questions about what to preserve, what to change and how the money fits into your own life.

Make sense of what you have.

We work through accounts, statements, bills and sources of income with you. If something is unclear, we go over it again.

Understand the consequences.

A housing decision can change the income you need. An investment change can have tax consequences. We work through the financial trade-offs, drawing on your accountant’s and lawyer’s advice where needed.

Put the decisions into practice.

We develop your financial plan and manage your investments. We explain how much money to keep accessible and how the portfolio can provide income while allowing for longer-term needs and risk.

You do not need to become an investment expert to understand your financial life.

We manage the portfolio and help you understand how it supports your life.

Debbie’s transition training

Financial advice during
a difficult transition.

Debbie Bongard is one of only two advisers in Canada to have completed mastery training through the Financial Transitionist Institute.

The training helps Debbie recognize when a client needs more explanation or time before making a decision. We use that approach when discussing the financial plan and managing investments through a transition.

Our team

Work through the priorities with you, explain financial choices and manage the investments supporting your plan.

Your other advisers

Your accountant and lawyer provide tax and legal advice. We use their advice when reviewing your plan and recommending investment changes.

Additional expertise

We can involve BMO banking, insurance, trust or estate specialists when you need their expertise.

Meet our team Explore our services

Further reading

A useful place to begin.

Other changes you may be consideringReceiving an inheritance Preparing for retirement

Before we begin

Questions about
getting started.

More about fit, fees and scope
I have not managed the finances before. Where do I start?

We can begin with the bills, accounts or questions you are unsure about. We will explain unfamiliar terms and help you identify the information you need.

I would like an adviser of my own. Can we talk?

Yes. We can discuss the help you need and explain our services and fees before you decide whether to work with us.

Can we talk while an estate, separation or divorce is still being resolved?

You can begin a conversation about what is changing and the questions ahead. The work we can undertake depends on the information available, the relevant authority and the arrangements in place. Your lawyer and accountant remain responsible for their professional advice.

How does this connect with investment management?

We develop your financial plan and manage the investments supporting it. We consider income, near-term needs, longer-term commitments and risk together, explaining the decisions as your circumstances change.

Start with what needs
your attention.

Tell us what has changed and where you need help. We can discuss what working together would involve.