- SUZEN FROMSTEIN
FERNANDO CAMPOMAR, CFA®, CFP®, RRC®, DIVISION DIRECTOR & SENIOR FINANCIAL CONSULTANT, IG WEALTH MGT.
FERNANDO CAMPOMAR
“Doing What is Right”
Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. once said, “It’s always the right time to do the right thing.” Whether as a business owner, as a Senior Financial Consultant or as a Division Director, Certified Financial Planner® professional, Fernando Campomar, has always been committed to doing right by his clients and IG Financial Consultants.
He has set the bar in terms of client expectations. His practice is thriving. He has clients who have been with him from the very beginning. Many would consider these markers of success. Not Fernando. “I don’t consider myself successful. I consider myself blessed,” the Financial Consultant says.
Born in Argentina, Fernando studied law and operated two family businesses. With tremendous financial upheaval and a looming recession in the region, he decided to sell his share in the family businesses and to relocate to Canada, his wife Sophia’s birth country.
“Having owned and operated a family business, I understand the challenges and the opportunities that come with being a business owner. I decided to focus my energy and experience on helping other entrepreneurs, business owners, and professionals over 50 years of age create solid financial underpinnings,” Fernando explains.
In 2003, he joined IG Wealth Management (IG), Ottawa and Outaouais Region, as a Financial Consultant. In addition to this client-facing role, from 2006-2014, Fernando took on the role of Division Director. His responsibilities included managing, coaching, and helping internal IG consultants reach their full potential. He continued to work with clients, but stepped away from his role as Division Director between 2014 and 2016 while he pursued his Certified Financial Analyst (CFA®) credentials. In 2016 he re-assumed his role as Division Director.
“No matter what hat I wore, I never counted the hours I spent on a specific issue. Whether I was trying to complete a project for a client or whether I was coaching a new advisor, I always allocated sufficient time to deliver. That’s how I do right by everyone who has blessed me with their confidence.”
Financial Planning
A good financial plan is like a good road-map in that it identifies the optimum route. Like a financial GPS, the plan adapts to changes in the external environment and life circumstances. “Helping clients clarify their goals is a great starting point. Having a clear sense of direction ensures a client’s financial decisions are consistent with their life goals.”
For example, during the wealth accumulation phase, Fernando and his team help clients identify strategies that have the most economic benefit. “We are also mindful that there are other considerations that may impact the strategy. For example, we have clients and advisors for whom social considerations are important.”
He adds, “We always start by making sure we get to know the people who work with us. We spend a considerable amount of time building our understanding of them and their specific circumstances. Whether clients or IG Consultants, we are very interested in learning about their lives, what’s important to them, and any worries they might have. We are honoured, inspired, and grateful when clients and IG Consultants trust us with their stories.”
According to one client, a senior manager at an engineering company, “Fernando has been a key part of our strategic financial planning for the last decade following the birth of our children. He has been a trusted advisor and has always been transparent and honest, having our family's best interest at heart. Fernando's guidance and advice in multiple facets of our personal finances has allowed us to feel stability and trust that our financial investments are in good hands, especially through difficult financial periods…”
Because Fernando operates in an IIROC environment, his team can offer a full suite of securities, from simple stocks and bonds, to ETFs, bought deals, SMAs, Mutual Funds, Risk Parity pools, GICs, GIFs, and everything a client looking for independence and choice wants to have. For example, Fernando’s team can help clients that want to expand their real estate portfolio or start a new business.
“Our information gathering process is detailed and comprehensive and follows four specific steps - understanding the client’s current financial situation, understanding how his or her finances will evolve over time, ideas for improvement, and next steps. We’re in a unique position to be able to offer financial planning advice and full service to all of our clients, because we have two financial planners on our team. We also quarterback input from all of the client’s other professionals, including their accountants and lawyers. Many clients tell me that this level of service goes far beyond anything they have received in the past,” he adds.
Education & Illumination
Fernando is a Chartered Financial Analyst® (CFA®), a Certified Financial Planner (CFP®) professional, a Registered Retirement Consultant (RRC®), a branch compliance officer, and a Financial Security Advisor. He believes that academic credentials, practical experience, and a commitment to constant education is vital. “Our team has a very specific set of skills, so we can be on the leading edge and deliver results.”
In addition to himself, Fernando has a core team. Bilingual Senior Associate, Eric Robichaud, was a high-tech Product Manager for 18 years before joining IG in 2008 as an MFDA and Insurance Consultant. In 2018 he transitioned over as an IIROC consultant with IG Securities.
In October, 2022, Executive Assistant, Sophia Piteros, will celebrate her 12th Anniversary as a part of Fernando’s team at IG. Previously, Sophia worked in a Post-Secondary Career College for many years as an Instructor and Administrative Manager.
“Our level of collective knowledge, how we communicate that knowledge, and how we encourage people to take action are what sets us apart from other teams. As well, our passion for education allows us to explain very complex issues in a clear, concise, and understandable manner.”
There is so much information out there many clients find it difficult to know where to direct their attention. “One of the biggest challenges we have today is to give clients the appropriate level of information that’s also well contextualized. This helps them understand the decisions they have in front of them and gives them the information needed to assess what’s beneficial in terms of achievement of their short, medium and long-term goals.”
Clients appreciate this. "It must be almost two decades that Fernando has been guiding me along what for me are the unfamiliar paths of financial literacy. At the initial interview to determine the limits of my investment knowledge and recklessness, Fernando established his principled approach. To be his client I must accept that decisions were mine to take but that Fernando would not proceed until I had met his standards for an informed investor. With great clarity and patience he has taught me about the myriad of issues that have appeared over the years. I value his friendship and council beyond measure," one client says.
“We started harnessing the power of technology well before there was a requirement to social distance. More and more of our clients are travelling around the world and working in different time zones. Video conferencing is a must. We are also active on social media.”
As a way of giving back, Fernando hosts public workshops that deal with a wide range of financial planning topics, including investment planning, retirement planning, tax planning for business owners and families, and cash flow management. If you are interested in participating in an upcoming workshop, or in receiving a complimentary portfolio review simply email him at Fernando.campomar@ig.ca.
“Management guru, Peter Drucker, once said “Efficiency is doing things right; effectiveness is doing the right things.” “We’re equally committed to both concepts because that is how we empower people to understand, manage, and achieve their financial, lifestyle, and business goals,” Fernando concludes.
Division Director - Investors Group Financial Services Inc., Financial Services Firm Financial Consultant – Investors Group Securities Inc., Firm in Financial Planning National Capital Region, ON This article is a general source of information only. It is not intended to provide personalized tax, legal or investment advice, or as a solicitation to purchase securities. The article was written based on information provided by Fernando Campomar during an interview with Dean Askin and Suzen Fromstein. For more information on this topic or any other financial matter, please contact Fernando Campomar or an IG Wealth Management Consultant.
Suzen Fromstein is the author of Suits and Ladders, Ten Proven Ways to Keep Your Job Safe - with a few jokes thrown in. Suits and Ladders was an Amazon Best Selling Book in the Career Guides Career Guides Category
Fernando Campomar CFA, CFP®, RRC®
Senior Financial Consultant
Investors Group Securities Inc.
Valeurs Mobilières Groupe Investors Inc.
228 St-Joseph Blvd., Suite 400
Gatineau (Quebec)| J8Y 3X4
1-800-867.6497x3268 C: 613-295-2183|
Fernando.campomar@ig.ca