Our clients work with us for different reasons. Some choose us for our investment knowledge that comes from years of experience and extensive education. Others appreciate our attentiveness to their needs whenever they arise.
Here are a few examples of why clients trust us as their wealth management partner, and of the solutions we have developed for them.
My name is Ben Pascuzzi. I am a Lawyer in Sault St. Marie. I have been a client with Keith Donnelly of Donnelly Group Private Wealth Management since November of 2003. The focus when we first met was and has continued to be comprehensive financial planning. As an individual diagnosed with a rare form of life threatening cancer almost 18 months ago, I am writing this testimonial to advocate the work Donnelly Group has done with my insurance planning. In June of 2013 we completed a major overhaul of my insurance coverage. We converted a portion of my Manulife term life insurance policy to a permanent policy to provide a benefit to my family. We replaced the disability policy I had through my association with a Canada life disability policy providing an income benefit in line with my needs. We also added riders that are very important to self-employed individuals, that I didn’t understand I needed at the time. (Regular occupation/ Cost of living/ Future earnings/ Residual disability/ and Return of premium). I initiated a claim when I was first diagnosed. The residual disability rider allowed me to work part time while on claim. This was very important to me. I feel comfortable and confident that this policy is in place to provide income to my family for as long as I may need it. I had an office overhead policy which Donnelly Group analysed with the support of their insurance specialist and head office. They recommended I keep it in place. It was similar to what they could provide, but with much less cost as it was in place for 10 years already. I have been able to claim on this policy for office expenses while going through chemotherapy. I had a critical illness policy in place with another carrier that Donnelly Group had documented and recommend I keep in place. When I was going through claiming for DI and Office overhead, Keith asked me if I submitted a claim on my critical illness policy. I had completely forgotten I had this policy. I was able to track the policy down and submit a claim which paid me my benefit tax free. As you might assume, I am overwhelmingly grateful for the insurance plan I have in place. It provides great comfort to me and my family that they will be provided for through all stages and potential outcomes of this battle I have ahead of me. It allows me to focus on the important things without worry. Donnelly Group has built a safety net under the financial plan for our family to achieve our goals. They have done it with integrity, and putting my family’s interests first, by analysing existing policies and making recommendations to keep, replace, or add to, based on the effectiveness of the policy and how it fits our overall situation. Thank You Donnelly Group!
I’ve been with Keith, Carla and team for over 20 years. It’s safe to say they’ve helped me with every financial decision I’ve ever made. From saving for retirement, to buying my first home, to the dreaded tax season, their thoughtful planning has set me up for financial success. As my career changed from full-time employee to self-employed, they made sure I was prepared for the unexpected. This year the unexpected happened. I was diagnosed with cancer and needed time off for treatment. Thanks to Keith and Carla’s foresight, and the long-term disability insurance they had recommended, I was able to take the time I needed to focus on my health without the stress of worrying about my financial stability.
I want to say to all of you a big Thank you for the bottom of my heart, and how nice it is to find such wonderful people to help me through this crazy time in my life. Going into this not knowing much about what I needed to get done and finding you all was a huge bonus. Keith I thank you for letting me go(lol) and handing me over to you Mark who has been wonderful in guiding me sloooooowly through this entire process, having the patience to deal with me and who will continue to mentor me through I hope to be many many years. Then I meet Carol Ann, you are a wonderful lady with a passion and care for others. We just clicked that fast the first time we met with all your kind words and listening ears have been a spot in my life that was missing and I thank you. Then to my surprise coming to have a quick tea with me in the middle of the day was also a treat and then surprise me with such a wonderful gift from you all, very overwhelming to say the least. I consider you family and I am looking forward to our continuous time together.
My dad has been praising Mark’s services for years before we decided to meet with him and his team to see what they could offer us. We already had a financial advisor for our personal finances. However, after meeting Mark, Levi, and Keith we were blown away by the all inclusive and encompassing wealth planning they provided within the first hour for both our personal and business needs. We are small business owners with young children, we don’t have a lot of time to focus on investment planning. Mark, Keith, and Levi showed us the potential of our personal and business investments. We immediately put our full trust in them. It was one of the best decisions we made for our future investments. Since then, they have gone above and beyond and have included both our business accountant and lawyer in relevant communications so we didn’t have to. It is exactly the hand holding we needed. We were so impressed, we got other family to make the switch to Mark and Levi at IG as well.
As Power of Attorney for my mother, then Executor for her estate, I have relied on the Donnelly Group Private Wealth Management in many ways over the last 6 years. My questions, worries and requests have always been promptly addressed, competently, efficiently and with compassion. If necessary, professional opinions were sought from other experts. My mother had entrusted her financial matters to Keith, Carla and Gloria at IG Wealth Management for many years and thought of them as “like family”! After she moved away from Sault Ste. Marie, she looked forward to her regular phone meetings with Keith and Carla, which continued until the very end of her life. As my mother’s life came to a close, the relationship between my mother and the Donnelly Group was transferred to me, and I came to understand the trust that my mother placed in all of them. After the passing of my mother, the Donnelly Group became indispensable to me, in my role as Executor of her estate. I have been guided every step of the way by Carol Ann and Keith, with Carla and Gloria helping as well. I truly do not know how I could have performed the role of Executor without Carol Ann’s help. She has made it possible and, in fact, fairly straightforward to do what was necessary, even though I live 750 km away from Sault Ste. Marie. She and Keith have been very patient at explaining things (sometimes multiple times!) and keeping the process moving along steadily. Through it all, they have been kind and empathetic, going above and beyond in their service. I am in agreement with my mother – the Donnelly Group is “like family” and they have been instrumental in the successful estate planning and execution of the estate plan for our family.
Keith has felt like a part of our family for decades. Over the years, it was clear that Keith took great pride in his work and esteemed position. He devoted time and energy to building a solid relationship with my Dad, one based on mutual respect, understanding, and, above all, trust. With Keith’s guidance, my parents made wise decisions that would positively impact their financial security throughout all stages of their lives (and ours) - from raising their young children to their post-retirement years. I truly appreciate this relationship even more now, as an adult, working more closely with Keith, Carol Ann and our family, through the some of the unexpected changes and challenges life brings. We are extremely grateful that our parents entrusted their financial affairs to Keith, and now Carol Ann. Their exceptional level of personalized care, communication, patience and flexibility in providing the reassurance and guidance we need at this time in particular have brought us tremendous relief. We are confident that the IG team will continue to be an invaluable source of financial advice that we can count on. Welcome to the family, Carol Ann!
As long time investors, but fairly new to IG Wealth Management, we couldn't be more pleased with the personal attention and the focus on details to reach our retirement goals. We have many U.S. Investments, Mark and Keith have worked with our U.S. Advisor to again help grow our portfolio and make tax reporting much easier and helpful to our tax accountant.
As we turned 50 we decided to make our plan a reality and hopefully reach our retirement goals earlier than expected. Mark and Keith have shown us long term results of our investments at a reasonable growth that makes us feel very confident that our goals our will be reached. Our quarterly meetings keep things very personal and up to date and keep us focused on our long term goals.
We think any individual can benefit from the personal attention that Mark and Keith can give you. It makes investing easier and gives you great peace of mind to know they are there to answer any questions you may have!
As a CPA who has focused on cross-border tax planning and compliance for most of my 20 years in practice, I have worked with many members of the banking and investing world, creating paths forward for our mutual clients. My experience with Keith Donnelly of Donnelly Group PWM has been nothing short of excellent. His understanding of the issues facing US citizens, and of financial planning for those with a foot in multiple countries, is exemplary. He is open to advice and opinions, he has a wealth of experience to draw upon, and his back-office support is second-to-none.
I grew up in Wisconsin. For nearly 50 years I personally filled out the forms for the US Tax Department annually – even continuing to send them in after living, working and paying taxes in Canada. That is, until about six years ago when the US Tax Department put a little known policy in force – they were now requiring all US citizens living outside the country to account for all invested funds (including an accounting for the six previous years). Fortunately, Keith Donnelly of Donnelly Group IG Private Wealth Management was able to help me navigate through all the requirements and submissions. I’m now caught up, and his investment suggestions have helped improve my situation in terms of future US tax status. Thanks, Keith… now I don’t have to worry about ending up in jail!
Carol Ann, Thanks so much for your help in settling Mom's estate. I enjoyed meeting with you back in April, and appreciate the level-headed approach you brought to the process. It has been very frustrating dealing with the paperwork at "that other financial institution", but everything with you was done with professionalism and efficiency. Now I have to be more efficient and get Mom's taxes done!
During a difficult time for our family, the Donnelly Group team went above and beyond assisting with our parents’ estate. The commitment to their clients is evident in the top quality service they provide. Their knowledge and expertise was extremely helpful, especially for first time executors, and the integrity and compassion shown as they guided us will forever be appreciated!