“If you want to understand what is possible when professional advice is collaborative, intelligent, accountable and sincere, read this book and your expectations of financial advice will gain a new dimension. Maili Wong is the quintessential financial professional, a trusted confidant who combines sophisticated, proven investment strategies for portfolio management with her strong personal commitment to help her clients achieve their life long ambitions and needs.”
From Wong we learn why investors need leadership to navigate their emotions, greed, panic and delusions. Maili identifies opportunities in crisis and takes action to benefit her clients’ portfolios. Wong’s skills as a leader shone through in 2008, when she extended business hours, calling every client to provide reassurance and advice. She raised the bar by hosting a forum in her community, offering insightful answers to a standing room only group of anxious investors, most of whom were someone else’s client.
This is not an academic approach. Wong is a high achiever in every aspect of her life and she wants her client’s to experience their potential too.
What I found remarkable is the deftness with which Maili moves from running sophisticated portfolio strategies, to implementing advanced planning solutions for business owners, to advising around mental health issues, then estate plans and income tax solutions. These are not easy waters to navigate, so when Maili Wong decided to write about her approach to making Smart Risk decisions, I was excited to learn from her insights, as will you.
Smart Risk doesn’t shy from the difficult to discuss issues of cognitive impairment and with it, the risks of elderly fraud, family financial requests and charity solicitations. Cognitive decline is increasing and Wong’s approach includes dementia proofing one’s wealth with a Circle of Trust. Living longer is expensive and as the boomer demographic ages, governments will shift more of the burden of care to individuals – plan for this.
The planning process is crucial to a wealth strategy. Every financial plan is outdated in short order, but having a well thought roadmap allows one to navigate the inevitable, unplanned life events. Failing to plan is a plan to fail.
James Pelmore, FEA
Director Private Client Group, HollisWealth, Scotia Capital Inc.
