TRACY LIEW, M.Sc., CFP®, CIM®, Investment Advisor & Financial Planner–BMO Nesbitt Burns, Calgary AB.
TRACY LIEW
"Providing freedom of choice and finding the very best solutions"
Tracy Liew has always had a passion for finance. While the path to her career in the finance industry has not always been a straight one – she worked as an engineer for a year – her expertise in financial planning and her love for helping people achieve their goals is proof that she is doing exactly what she was meant to do.
Tracy’s career in the finance industry began in 2010. In the last decade she’s been certified as a Chartered Investment Manager (CIM®) and became a Certified Financial Planner (CFP®). Today Tracy is an Investment Advisor and financial planner at BMO Nesbitt Burns in Calgary.
Her philosophy and approach
Solving problems and finding solutions are key aspects of Tracy’s practice and an important reason why her clients trust her advice, no matter what stage of their lives they’re in. She has a vast knowledge of financial planning, wealth management and estate planning for professionals, business owners, individuals, and multiple generations of families; and her expertise enables her to provide valuable advice to her clients and families – helping them to build, maximize and preserve their wealth.
People and relationships are always a priority. She has built many long-term client relationships, all of which are based on trust, expertise and care. Her dedication to her clients is matched by her passion for helping them reach their goals. With an enormous emphasis on integrity, accountability, transparency, and professionalism, Tracy provides the highest level of comprehensive wealth management that she tailors to her clients’ unique needs.
Financial planning goes beyond investing
Tracy believes that a holistic financial plan goes far beyond investment management. “Having a comprehensive financial plan with the guidance of a CFP® professional can provide a road map to help clients reach their financial goals and ensure peace of mind,” says Tracy. “A comprehensive plan can include many areas, such as investment and tax planning, risk management, insurance planning, retirement planning, business success planning and estate planning.” Tracy has attained CFP certification, which is the industry gold standard in financial planning. CFP professionals are the largest group of financial planners in Canada with only 17,000 who meet and adhere to the strict standards of this designation.
A passion for finance started at an early age
As a young girl, Tracy had a clear vision of what she wanted to do with her life. “In grade three, when the teacher asks what your ambition is, I always wrote down ‘accountant’. Every year, my ambition was the same: accountant, accountant, accountant. In high school, I took accounting as part of my electives,” says Tracy.
True to her calling, Tracy eventually entered the finance industry, but not before first becoming an engineer.
“My father’s side of the family runs a successful shipping company in Singapore and Malaysia,” says Tracy. “And my dad and family always thought it would be a good fit for me to become an engineer.” Tracy took major steps in that direction, obtaining her Bachelor of Engineering at the University of Birmingham, UK. She returned to Malaysia and worked as an engineer for a year, before returning to school – acquiring her Master of Science on a full scholarship to the University of Alberta. Upon graduation from the U of A, she began a career in the industry she’d always had a passion for: finance and banking.
The leap from a career in engineering to one in finance is not as far as one might think. In fact, the science skills Tracy developed in university fit nicely with financial planning. “I think there’s a strong sense of discipline in problem-solving, especially with my scientific skillset in engineering,” says Tracy. “It does apply to wealth and investment management. I apply all my engineering skills and strong mathematical modeling skills too.” Tracy also speaks Cantonese, which is an added benefit to her clients who come from Calgary’s Chinese community.
Providing choices for sustainable investment
Providing choices is a priority for Tracy. And it’s important to her that she offers her clients responsible and ethical choices, especially as society shifts towards embracing a more environmentally responsible and sustainable way of life, and as more companies follow suit. This is why she incorporates sustainable investing and socially responsible investing into her practice.
“There is a growing recognition in Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) investing – from climate change to social unrest,” says Tracy. “Many companies have committed to positive ESG outcomes. Investors are increasingly investing more in companies with high ESG standards to protect their interests and the company’s success. I want my clients to have the option to choose companies that they believe are doing the right thing.”
Doing the right thing for her clients is a cornerstone of Tracy’s practice. Tracy takes a holistic goals-based approach that’s tailored to the needs and dreams of her clients at whatever stage of life they’re in – and her commitment to their financial well-being goes beyond wealth management. Working with other professionals at BMO allows Tracy to provide a full range of services, from helping a young person buy their first house to helping an older client move comfortably into retirement.
No matter who she’s working with, Tracy seeks to simplify complex financial planning and investment options. She offers honest advice and guides clients along the way. Their journey begins with a unique discovery process – a process that’s anchored in a deep understanding of her clients and fosters a trust that will only build as their relationships continue. This ongoing planning relationship is the real value of financial planning.
Dreams really can come true
Many of Tracy’s clients are in the process of accumulating their wealth and look to her for strategies to maximize their efforts. Many are retiring and want to ensure the wealth they’ve been accumulating will see them into a happy and comfortable retirement. And some have specific goals in mind and turn to Tracy for help in achieving their dreams.
Helping people reach their dreams – and seeing their happiness when they realize their dream really will come true – is one of the most rewarding aspects of Tracy’s practice.
“I really want to see them smile,” says Tracy. “A smile on their face means they have confidence in every stage of their lives.” It also means Tracy is cultivating relationships with her clients that go beyond the numbers.
“We’re very comfortable,” she says of her clients. “We always joke that we’re more like friends. They talk about their personal lives or maybe they have some complicated relationship right now. I can be a psychologist to them. I can be a mentor. Sometimes the parents and the children have a miscommunication and I may be the middle person helping them in their relationships. I’m a trusted person to them.”
Promoting financial literacy
Tracy believes that educating the younger generation about wealth and money is important, and something that’s lacking in Canada. “It starts from a very young age. It doesn’t start when you retire,” says Tracy. “I think younger people should start at least in high school so they get a sense of how to manage a credit card. What does it mean? How is it going to help them in the future when they want to buy a car or something? How do they start saving? Is it in a piggy bank or is it sitting in a chequing account not getting any interest? And what is a TFSA? When you turn 18, how can that help you with your first investment?”
Tracy meets with some of her clients’ children, some as young as 11 or 12. She simply lets them know what she does and how she can help. She understands they may not be that interested right now, but she also knows that their interest, just like their trust, will grow over time.
Educating young people – and not-so-young people – is something Tracy plans on putting more focus on in the near future. With public health restrictions easing, Tracy intends to hold more educational events and seminars that she knows will really benefit her clients and their friends and relatives and lay to rest some of the myths and fears they may have about investing and financial planning. “I hear a lot that wealth management is really only for rich people. Not necessarily,” she says. “If you start young, you can be rich very young as well.”
Creating legacies
Tracy’s knowledge, expertise and commitment are helping her clients create legacies for their families. She strives to do the best for her clients through comprehensive wealth management and by cultivating long-lasting relationships, bringing peace of mind to her clients who know their loved ones will be looked after.
Trust, caring, integrity and professionalism – not to mention transparency, accountability, and expertise: these are just some of Tracy’s many characteristics that are helping to create her own legacy.
BMO Private Wealth is a brand name for a business group consisting of Bank of Montreal and certain of its affiliates in providing private wealth management products and services. Not all products and services are offered by all legal entities within BMO Private Wealth. Banking services are offered through Bank of Montreal. Investment management, wealth planning, tax planning, and philanthropy planning services are offered through BMO Nesbitt Burns Inc. and BMO Private Investment Counsel Inc. Estate, trust, and custodial services are offered through BMO Trust Company. BMO Private Wealth legal entities do not offer tax advice. BMO Trust Company and BMO Bank of Montreal are Members of CDIC. ®Registered trademark of Bank of Montreal, used under license. BMO Nesbitt Burns Inc. is a Member of the Canadian Investor Protection Fund. Member of the Investment Industry Regulatory Organization of Canada.
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Tracy Liew, M.Sc., CFP®, CIM®
Investment Advisor and Financial Planner
BMO Nesbitt Burns | BMO Wealth Management
525 8th Avenue SW, 10th Floor,
Calgary, Alberta, T2P 1G1
403-261-9513 - Mobile 587-830-3328