We were joined by Jonathan Durocher where we spoke about the future of the advisor-client relationship and how National Bank is carving new avenues to move from being the best-kept-secret to a more dominant player in banking and wealth management.

Among the many things we spoke about, including AI, Jonathan delved into how the advisor-client relationship is evolving and where he sees it in the next 5-10 years. As an advisor, having access to a wider variety of data will increase client satisfaction because clients are coming to their advisor for a wide spectrum of non-financial inquiries.

#wealthmanagement #nationalbank #advisors

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It’s that time of year where we’re all brainstorming hard and rushing to get those last-minute holiday presents and stocking stuffers.

To help with some ideas, our yearly Holiday Gifts is now out for 2023!! Sean, Jalal, and I, rounded up our top picks for this holiday season. All items are Canadian, supporting Canadian companies and individuals:   

For those that love books, pets, and art:

-       Golden Love- J. B. Simon-

-       A Life Well Danced- Jane Gall Spooner-

Want to get a young adult more interested in saving money and finances?

-       How to Turn $100 into $1,000,000-

-       How To Money-

Who doesn’t love awesome snacks and great coffee during the holidays? Guilty!  

-       Balzac’s Coffee- Special Anniversary Blend-

-       Aware Winning Saltwinds Coffee-  

-       Mary Macleod’s Shortbread-

Sean loves funky socks…..Nothing to get you in the holiday spirit like pajamas & funky socks…..

-       SAXX socks-

Love Yoga? Yearning for that six-pack and bettering your balance after munching through the holidays?

-       Montreal Board-

And finally….talk about the bachelor fridge...if you’re anything like Jalal who only has water, a can of Red Bull, and coffee creamer in his fridge, then this is for you…

-       Koolatron Mini Fridge-

Seriously Jalal! It’s called a grocery store!

Tune in for some fun, laughter, and a chat about each item.

Hope you enjoy & Happy Holidays to all!!!

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As inflation is seemingly coming down in October and November of 2023, what are some factors that contribute to the levels of inflation?

What is the difference between headline and core inflation?

How can individuals and investors behave in this inflationary period both from an investment perspective, and from a spending perspective?

Is the Canadian financial system in trouble?

2023 marked a significant year for the Canadian banking system. As we witnessed the downfall of a few regional banks down south of the border, many Canadians became concerned about the downfalls rippling through up to Canada.

In addition, more concern and questions have been rising in the past few weeks as we hear of a few of the large financial institutions cut employee head count.

In order to understand the difference between our banking system and that of our southern neighbor's, we invited Teresa Lesyk, Director & Head of Cash Management with the National Client Group here at National Bank, to take us through a deeper and more comprehensive analysis of the key differences.

With Teresa's guidance and expertise, we learned that Canada has a much more centralized and robust financial system than that of the U.S., inevitably making it much more stable. The very nature and structure of our banking system is very different and hence generally does not go through the same headwinds as their peers down in the U.S.

#canadianbanking #financialinstitutions #nationalbankofcanada

As October rolls over, many parents have most likely just paid their children’s college education bills (looking at you Sean). And while inflation is the hot topic spoken about in nearly every grocery store, café, and news-channel- (I recently was sitting with a friend at a café and heard a couple on their first date talking about how the rising cost of groceries made them re-think their dating habits!!) - an interesting fact is that the rising cost of education has drastically outpaced that of inflation and wage-growth.

For example, if you became a parent to a new-born recently, the cost of post-secondary education by the time they are old enough to be admitted will be much higher than where it’s at now.

So in light of autumn and the new school year being in full swing, Sean, Jalal, and I sat down to discuss the rapid rise of the cost of education in the past 20-30 years, and how an RESP can help not only in saving for a child’s education, but can also be a very effective tool for beating the rising cost.

Happy listening!

Last week, Jalal and I invited Matthew Persram with the Creative Industries team here at National Bank to chat about TIFF and how the actor’s strike south of our border ties with this exciting event.

In this insightful and engaging discussion, we spoke about what the strike is about and how there needs to be an evolution and modernization of the entertainment operating model to keep up with the changes of our times- specifically regarding the rise of subscription-based services.

We finished off by chatting about what we’re looking forward to at TIFF and the discussions at the different events that National Bank of Canada is proud to be a part of.

Corporate clients have been finding the new lending territory difficult to traverse. A recent survey has shown that a whopping 79% of large banks’ senior loan officers stated that their banks have tightened credit underwriting standards for commercial & industrial loans so far in 2023 and in 2H22.

Jalal Midani and I invited Jonathan Khan with the National Client Group back again to sit with us and share his expertise pertaining to the 5 C’s of credit and how Canadian businesses are being affected by corporate lending in 2023.

In a nutshell, the 5 C’s are:

1. Capacity
2. Capital
3. Collateral
4. Character
5. Conditions

With the National Client Group of National Bank Financial & National Bank of Canada, we take it upon ourselves to support Canadian businesses and Canadian entrepreneurs as they navigate through this new high-interest rate environment.

National Bank's Philantra Foundation was founded to help individuals and businesses do philanthropic work in a way that is meaningful to them.

Philanthropy plays an essential role in society and ensures the general well-being of the community in many business sectors. Whatever your philanthropic goal, the Philantra Foundation will help you incorporate it into your overall financial, fiscal, and estate planning.

The Philantra Foundation’s vision is to make philanthropy accessible, simple, and beneficial for all:

• By helping donors support long-term causes close to their hearts
• By supporting charities achieve their charitable goals
• By advising professionals on how to leverage funds for philanthropic project

To learn more about Philantra, visit: https://www.nbc.ca/personal/savings-investments/philantra-foundation.html