SHERRY BLAMEY CFP®,CIM®,FCSI® Investment Advisor,iA Private Wealth Greenhaven Private Wealth Counsel
Sherry Blamey - CFP®, CIM®, FCSI® Investment Advisor at
iA Private Greenhaven Private Wealth Counsel Vancouver, British Columbia
"Black, White & The Most Brilliant Shades of Grey"
According to Quotabulary.com, “…Depth, dynamism, and simplicity are so beautifully wrought in black and white photos that you almost feel that the subject is going to spring to life.”
However, CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER® Sherry Blamey also believes that “it is the ‘grey areas,’ the magical space between black and white, that form the nuances, depth and dynamism of each of our wonderfully unique lives.”
Sherry spent the early part of her career in sales, which included many hours of cold calling. Businessman Alex Smirnov suggests life lessons that can be gleaned from working in sales include being comfortable talking to strangers, learning not to take things personally, discovering how to persuade without being annoying or pushy, figuring out how to be an active listener, learning how to prioritize and practicing self-discipline.
Although Sherry has had the same phone number for decades, industry consolidation has led this Wealth Advisor to work for various dealers over the years, from Great Pacific Management to Cartier Partners and now iA Private Wealth (formerly HollisWealth). She currently serves about 600 households and manages approximately $275 million in assets on behalf of her clients.
“I entered the industry over 30 years ago when there were not many female advisors,” says Sherry. “Because I was committed to doing the best job possible, I pursued a number of prestigious industry credentials, including the Certified Investment Manager (CIM®) and Fellow of CSI (FCSI®) designations, followed by the CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER® designation, which is the industry’s gold standard for planning. This education equips me with investment the knowledge and understanding of grey areas like state planning and tax issues"
As a CFP® professional, Sherry believes that “planning is crucial to investment success. The ‘why’ becomes clear and I can help clients stay on track when markets become more volatile. Ongoing education allows me to better serve my clients and help improve their outcomes. I love my role and I especially enjoy the personal relationships I’ve built over time.”
Sherry is also devoted to improving clients’ financial literacy. She works with brothers, sisters, parents and grandparents on multi-generational wealth planning, to avoid the types of adverse consequences that Forbes has outlined in its article, How The Wealthiest Families Make And Lose Their Money.
According to Forbes, roughly one-third of businesses pass to the next generation, while only about 10% of family businesses actually pass to the grandchildren’s generation. Still fewer family businesses make it to the subsequent generation. With each subsequent generation, there is typically less interest, passion and commitment to maintaining the family business.
A common expression among Wealth Advisors is that the first generation makes it, the second generation spends it, and the third generation squanders it. This is why Sherry spends so much of her time educating the next generation about building, managing, protecting and passing on family wealth.
Sherry’s approach resonates with her clients, as the following testimonial illustrates: “My parents, husband and I have had a few different financial planners and have not been happy with them. They seemed more interested in making money for themselves than for us. So, we went looking for someone with professional qualifications, was a member of a professional association, was ethical, had a team to back them up and the experience with financial markets during both good and bad times…We have not regretted our decision to switch to Sherry 18 years ago…Every recommendation that she makes, she explains to us in detail and backs up with facts and figures…My parents also use Sherry as their financial advisor…When our children started to earn a living we sent them to Sherry to help them with their finances and budgeting…She has been extremely patient explaining financial concepts to them. They would not be in the great financial shape they are in today without her help and expertise…”
Philosophy & Approach
Some might argue that there are no grey areas in financial services – and while Sherry agrees that black and white numbers are important and irrefutable, she also believes that “addressing the grey areas helps unearth the information we need to customize a holistic financial plan. It’s important to identify clear goals and desired outcomes. I use active listening, which is a skill learned in sales, to discover what clients really want and what they need their money to accomplish.”
A lot of work is done before any investments are selected. As part of the client onboarding experience, Sherry asks a series of qualifying questions designed to facilitate knowledge and understanding of the grey areas. These include personal and professional experiences, financial goals, resources that support goals, return expectations and risk tolerance review. “I’ve been around for a long time, which makes it easy for me to identify the red flags we need to address. When working with clients, it’s important that we are all wholeheartedly committed to the collaboration process because it will help us successfully put all of the puzzle pieces together.”
Legendary basketball player Michael Jordan once said, “Talent wins games, but teamwork and intelligence wins championships.” Sherry works with a hand-selected and extremely capable professional team. For the past 30 years, she has collaborated closely with branch principal and Investment Advisor, Michael Nott, the former president of Cartier Partners. Associate Investment Advisor Kate Jonas has worked with the firm for 18 years, including the last two years with Sherry. Sherry’s daughter Bella Blamey is a Licensed Assistant and is the team’s technology guru. This team approach has proven to be highly effective. One long-time client notes that Sherry’s team members are knowledgeable, experienced, trustworthy professionals who are “completely dedicated to providing responsible, friendly care and a complete service package. They augment their excellent business and listening skills with personal and compassionate service.”
Up Close & Personal
Sherry believes in the value of educating and empowering youth. Based in Port Moody, she has worked with Junior Achievement and has helped guide local youth for the last five years by teaching them about basic money management principles and investment strategies.
In recent years she has written a monthly column for the local newspaper, explaining financial concepts using “examples of successful companies that kids can relate to, such as Walt Disney, Starbucks and Nike. It’s a great way to get their attention and help them understand the concepts.”
She also believes in giving back to the industry and the company that have been so good to her throughout her career. Sherry spent two years on the Advisory Council to Management at her dealer. In this role she provided input on the design and content of the new client portal, account forms, improved client reporting and more.
As a last word, Sherry notes that Deepak Chopra once said, “Success comes when people act together; failure tends to happen alone.” She asserts that “being in a position to help people is what energizes and inspires me. Failure is not an option. It’s important to me that clients understand the grey areas and, in doing so, feel safe, comfortable, and confident about their financial future. I leave no stone unturned to get the information needed to customize a plan that increases the positive outcomes for client and, in turn, helps strengthen the foundation of their happiness.”
iA Private Wealth Inc. is a member of the Canadian Investor Protection Funds and the Investment Industry Regulatory Organization of Canada. iA Private Wealth is a trademark and business name under which iA Private Wealth Inc. operates.
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 Catagory.
Sherry Blamey – CFP®, CIM®, FCSI®
Director, Private Client Group
Investment Advisor - Insurance Advisor
iA Private Wealth | GreenHaven Private Wealth
700-609 Granville Street Vancouver BC V7Y 1G5 1-800-665-2030 Ext. 3331 M: 604-895-3331
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