Cory Almquist, Mark England & Jason Bearchell, Senior Portfolio Managers and Senior Investment Advisors, TD Wealth Private Investment Advice, Edmonton, AB
- GARY MILAKOVIC
- Jul 23
- 4 min read
Cory Almquist, Mark England, and Jason Bearchell
"All things in balance"
For Cory Almquist, Mark England & Jason Bearchell, Portfolio Managers at TD Wealth Management, a strong financial future, a good business, and a great life, all rely on balance. A good financial plan, for example, relies on a deep understanding of a client’s needs and goals, as well as a comprehensive examination of their current financial reality. Do they have children? A business to protect? A philanthropic passion?
There’s so much to consider.
But fortunately, Cory, Mark, and Jason are used to balancing multiple priorities.
In addition to running an immensely successful business, they are each devoted to their loving families, while at the same time giving back to their community.
That balance gives them the perspective they need to thrive, and their partnership gives them the one thing everyone needs more of: time.
Time is money
It’s a cliché used by movies, businesspeople, and executives from dozens of industries; the phrase is ubiquitous, because it’s true. A day has only 24 hours; no matter how hard you try, you can’t squeeze more hours into a Tuesday than anyone else. What Cory, Mark, and Jason, realized however, is that if they partnered up, that 24 hours would become 72 – and their businesses, when combined, would become unstoppable!
“We were successful on our own, each delivering results for clients,” Cory said. “But as we considered joining forces, we realized the opportunities were nearly endless. There are so many pieces that go into building the right financial plan: it must be tax efficient, investments need to maintain a good rate of return, which goes hand in hand with good portfolio management principles, the estate planning needs to be on point; on top of that, our industry continues to evolve. It’s a layered business with a lot of moving parts. It’s a lot for any one person to keep track of – which is why our partnership made sense. For the most part, the clients haven’t seen a difference, they’re still getting the top-notch, high-touch service they’re used to, but behind the scenes we’ve overhauled our processes to be more efficient. It was a huge change, but it’s working so well, we haven’t looked back.”
It’s also allowed them to focus on their areas of expertise and deliver more impact for clients overall. Things like creating value through new relationships and partnerships to fortify the strength of their offerings.
“It can even be as simple as having the time to look at every client’s portfolio more regularly,” Jason added. “We’re also in a much better position to touch base with clients more often, which deepens the relationship. It’s easy to get lost in the numbers, but at the core of our business is the people. That’s something we never lose sight of.”
Planning
Every family is different, and what sets Cory, Mark, and Jason apart is the depth of their exploratory process at the outset of the client relationship. They need to have a clear vision of what the client hopes to achieve, but it goes much deeper than that.
“What are their goals? What are their dreams? What are their concerns?” Jason mused thoughtfully. “When you have that deeper understanding you’re better able to build an effective, tailored plan. At our firm we don’t rely on one-size-fits-all solutions for clients – we work together, in partnership with the client, from the ground up to build a plan that gets them to where they want to be.”
Every single client wants peace of mind.
The extensive planning process that Cory, Mark, and Jason undertake facilitates that.
Their team also includes three other members who support these efforts. It allows this trio to maximize their time with clients, concentrating on the things that really matter. Every member of their team cares deeply about the work they do, and the clients they serve.
Over the last ten years the industry has changed, and it will change even more in the next ten, and the uncertainty in global markets is fueling the concerns of investors of all sizes. But in an era where individuals have access to markets like never before, they deal with Advisors like Cory, Mark, and Jason because of their experience, and ability to cut through the static and see the opportunities.
They’re supporting the development of family legacies, built on a foundation of client values that will echo through the generations. Cory, Mark, and Jason consider the amount of multi-generational family clients they work with a source of tremendous personal pride.
A different approach
One of the key differentiators for Cory, Mark, and Jason is that they don’t take a siloed approach to their business. Right outside their boardroom door they have access to lawyers, chartered accountants…partners, who are standing shoulder to shoulder with the trio in the trenches with them. It’s natural to bring these types of partners into a client relationship, but their method allows for a smoother client experience – because they’re all right there.
TD Wealth Management is unique in that way, and the trio have gone all-in on this approach, with great results. The familiar faces offer that peace of mind clients are seeking and allow the trio a shorthand that they couldn’t get with external consultants.
Their approach is just another way that Cory, Mark, and Jason are strengthening the bond between them and clients.
“Some of our most cherished friendships started out as clients first,” Cory said.
Mark attributed this in part to the “values-based approach” they use with clients. It allows the clients themselves to guide the financial process - toward the things that are important to them, with Cory, Mark, and Jason providing gentle guidance along the way.
Ensuring a client's financial plan works for them is, in a lot of ways, the trio's most important job. And it's why they work so hard at making sure that it does.
Gary Milakovic is a veteran writer with more than a decade in the public sector and corporate communications. He has covered a wide spectrum of topics and his work has been featured by large and small organizations across Canada. Gary is passionate about communication, his writing often focuses on uncovering the “story behind the story.”
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