If an Investment Advisor asked what meant the most to you - getting the highest rate of return or creating the most after-tax wealth - would you be clear what they meant? In reality - it is a very rational question. The fact is that when it comes to personal finance many of us remain untrained formally, uncomfortable with the specifics, and then left to follow the teachings of friends and family (often in no position to advise) that fail to recognize the whole picture and the real results being driven by factors much more detailed than they appear on surface. It is this same ongoing pattern of poor intergenrational advice and correct habit setting that allows 10% of Canadians to control over 50% of the wealth.

Keeping the above in mind, when it comes to mortgages - is it most important to you to get the lowest rate – or to save the most money? If like above, this seems like an odd question then please read on as our approach is not something you are likely to come across through others.  

Representing one of the largest financial decisions, using a large percentage of your household income to pay, and broadly misunderstood by most - playing an active role in ensuring best use of your mortgage fund and home equity is for most is an immediate opportunity to save after-tax cash flow and allow for wealth building techniques that are largely underutilized.  Simple changes like re-writing your mortgage in ways that can allow for tax-deductible interest, re-evaluating cash flow to ensure it is being channeled to its highest and best use, or changing ownership structure of your home to protect against liability associated with certain professions or entrepreneurs can impact your net worth by hundreds of thousands of dollars. Without your mortgage provider having an understanding of financial planning and estate laws it makes it impossible for them to advise you on how to best fit your mortgage into the broader scheme of plans.

Have you ever gotten a call from your bank and been advised that their service fees are simply too high, and that you should really talk to the bank across the street about their new account plan? Ever been advised by your bank that your current credit card is simply inferior to the one offered by the bank next door? Do you think you would get a phone call letting you know when another bank (or even that bank) has a better mortgage product that can save you money or better help you achieve your financial goals? Does your current bank even know what your financial goals are?

What makes mortgages unique and challenging for consumers is that there is a direct conflict of interest for banks to give you mortgages and/or mortgage advice – let me explain. While a bank investment specialist, like you, is interested in seeing your money grow and thus increasing the management revenue received, when a bank funds a mortgage you and the bank have conflicting goals. You see banks and bank shareholders make money based on the spread between their cost of funds and your mortgage rate. Simply put, all else equal, banks generate more revenue by increasing your cost of borrowing. Due to this fact, it is actually impossible for there not to be a conflict of interest when it comes to borrowing from any financial institution. Let's be honest - do you think a bank executive will ever set up a performance plan that rewards employees for costing the bank and its shareholders’ money?

Accountants aid you in managing your taxes. Financial Planners and Investment Advisors aid you in managing your assets. But who aids you in managing your debt? For most of us our home is our largest asset, and also our largest debt. It is common knowledge that mortgage rates move in cycles. Not properly taking advantage of these cycles can destroy thousands of dollars of your wealth.

In reality, the average mortgage consumer today takes nearly 20 years to pay off their mortgage. Not only does this mean that you will likely need numerous types of mortgages along the way, but given the versatility and constantly changing nature of today's mortgage market, in many cases what was the best product today may be outdated in the months (or even weeks ahead). Mortgage products today are much different than those seen by the previous generation. With hundreds of different loan programs, using the homes equity to secure low borrowing rates, or assist in the fulfilling of other financial goals has become a key element of modern day financial planning.

To ensure that your mortgage plan is kept on the most direct path to success our system is designed to monitor your mortgage terms and conditions on a continuous basis. Using our highly customized database management system we are not only able to ensure that your mortgage product(s) is competitive today, but that it/they remain competitive on an ongoing basis.

Our commitment to our clients is for them to have ongoing access to a team of professionally accredited, caring, and experienced financial professionals who will monitor and assist in not only the choice of loan made today but also stay current on the economic and legislative changes in the market effectively allowing for near real time integration and adjustment of your mortgage and financial goals as conditions change and better options become available. Since we work for you and not the lender - we can make the adjustment for you even if the situation/opportunity means having to use another lender's product to put you in the most ideal situation.  

Talk to us today. You will quickly learn why we have been the top ranked team in Toronto since 2002 - still maintaining this position 2005 year to date. Also for first time, in 2004 we also ranked #1 in Canada out of 100 offices and nearly 600 mortgage agents. In achieving this goal I want to personally thank clients and supporters like you that made that goal possible.