WHAT REAL CLIENTS HAVE TO SAY
At the end of the engagement, I ask my clients how they would describe the process to someone else who might be interested.
Here is what they had to say.
We highly recommend Matt. Prior to working with him, our money was invested through traditional money managers. We were interested in moving our money to low-cost ETFs but didn’t know how. We are professionals (lawyer and doctor) and needed someone who could advise us on the financial planning issues associated with professional corporations. Matt collaborated with us to develop a workable plan based on our situation and showed us how to invest money ourselves. The whole process was very easy and empowering. We learned more working with Matt in six months than we learned from our traditional money managers over six years. This is because we learned not only about investing but about overall comprehensive financial planning, from insurance to saving to assessing spending and so forth. Matt was excellent in terms of explaining concepts in lay terms and was a pleasure to work with. We are now recommending him to our family and friends and cannot say enough good things. Adam & Natasha G
Before starting the one-on-one consultations with Matt I was sceptical. I thought I already had an advisor with a well-known organization. However, the personal and individual approach was missing, and I started questioning how much I understood about the investment of my own money. Once I learned how much money I would potentially pay to the organization to manage my investments, I wanted to be able to do it on my own. Working with Matt was exceptionally easy. From scheduling my sessions to asking silly questions, everything worked out. There were no umbrella statements like, "You are going to be okay once you retire". Now I know exactly how much I can make, how I can improve my financial situation, and I can actually do it on my own. Having sessions with Matt saved me a lot of money and will earn me even more money in the future. I am glad I did it now, because I would be so upset with myself if I only learned these things 10 years from now. My financial plan is organized and, what is even more fascinating, I understand it! Iryna L
My wife and I are both physicians and we wanted to develop a solid plan for our retirement. We also wanted someone to look over our investments to make sure that we have a strong investment portfolio. We have tried to work with the big banks in the past but found their financial plans confusing and often they don’t tie into investment decisions. Matt provided us with all of that and more. He uses a highly individualized approach to creating a financial and investment plan and his fees are very reasonable for the service that you receive. We highly recommend Matt! Travis & Beth C
Matt, I just wanted to thank you for all your work with us. We have in the past handled our investments on our own with a bit of help from the odd broker. We have, in recent years, been looking for a "second opinion" on our situation. We wanted an independent review of our retirement plan; would it work for the long term; were we making the right decisions along the way? We have been very impressed with the work you have done. You were able to very quickly grasp our situation and analyze whether or not we are on the right track. You showed us the big picture but also offered smaller ideas both on the investing side and on the timing and order of expenditures in retirement that could work to our advantage. We have come away feeling reassured that we were moving in the right direction and with new knowledge on both investing and retirement that will serve us well over the next several years. Your services are valuable for people like us who do not have a financial advisor familiar with their situation. Also, for people who have an advisor who are looking for a second opinion on their retirement plan, or a part thereof, seeking a review from an independent third party, such as yourself, is invaluable. Garnet H
There is no hocus-pocus with Matt's investment approach: it is simple yet efficient and down to earth. Matt has equipped us to take charge of our financial future by teaching a systematic approach that is easy to understand, logical and sustainable. His positive attitude, punctuality and organizational skills made it a pleasure to work with him. Judy & Guillaume
I am actually excited now, instead of fearful, to get my financial plan in place after being mentored by Matt. My goal was to find out if I could retire next year and how to have my finances in place in order to do that. In actual fact, Matt walked me step by step through all the learning required to meet my financial goals. His slides, explanations and mentoring were tailored to my level and gave me the clarity and confidence to build and manage my own portfolio. Presenting numerous scenarios, Matt was able to hone in on my particular needs and lifestyle, customizing for my personal circumstance. I was able to quickly make some very important changes to the way I view money, spending and assets. Matt is pleasant, upbeat, knowledgeable and encouraging. I wouldn't hesitate to recommend Matt's expertise to anyone who is overwhelmed, confounded or afraid of taking their portfolio into their own hands. Julie P
It's been a pleasure working with Matt over the last 3 plus years. We have developed an incredible comfort level in discussing our finances and mapping out strategies with his advice. He is very good at listening and has an ability to identify investment temperaments and goals. We appreciate that there is never any pressure or urgency in making decisions, we always feel completely in control. We recently made some major changes in life and are transitioning into retirement so spent some time discussing these changes with Matt. He then provided a very comprehensive analysis of multiple scenarios so that we can choose a plan and have a reasonable assurance of how things will play out as we look to the future. All three of our adult sons, who have very different risk tolerances and resources, have also been very happy working with Matt on their financial plans. We would absolutely recommend working with Matt. Greg and Heather W
Matt came along at the right time in our lives as we needed to put together a financial plan and were procrastinating in taking first steps. We didn’t know where to begin and finding someone open, knowledgeable and trustworthy was key. We have found those qualities in Matt. In particular, we like his unbiased approach. He was genuinely interested in achieving the BEST for our particular situation and guided us on questions relating to pensions, insurance, estate matters and investments. Matt is a good listener. He guides, without pushing, and teaches about his simple approach to saving and growing investments. Early on in the process we quickly found out that no question is a stupid question. This brought an immediate sense of relief and ease to our relationship. Although we are still working with Matt, we want others to benefit from our personal account and first-hand experience of Matt’s professionalism in Financial Planning. Ann and Ray H
For several years I did my investing through large institutions. From time to time I would have a review to determine if I was on track to meet my retirement objectives. Every time they would look at my assets and my debts and say "you are fine just stay the course". To me, this was a conclusion based on very limited information and did not give me a lot of confidence due to the lack of detail. I became aware of Matt's analytical method and liked what I heard. I provided the requested information and Matt provided me with accurate detailed conclusions as to my retirement readiness. What was even more valuable was that Matt was able to perform some personal "what-if" scenarios for me such as what if my wife, myself or both of us end up in long term care at $6,000 each for a prolonged period of time. Or, what if I wanted to give each of my children some money each year. He provided detailed financial analysis as to the impact of these "what-if" scenarios in the long term. In addition, Matt provided some financial investment advice to help ensure my financial goals are met. In the end, I have a significantly higher degree of confidence that my wife and I have the financial means to carry us through retirement. To me this was well worth the cost and effort. Darryl P
We reached out to Matt a few years ago to learn how to invest our money in the stock market. After working with our parents’ advisors and the big banks which resulted in minimal returns with high fees, we wanted to learn how to manage our investments ourselves. Matt was able to clearly walk us through the foundations of investing using simple language and always took the time to respond to our many questions. We saw the value of his program early on and our work together quickly expanded to include planning for retirement, budgeting and a short and long-term savings plan. Matt has offered expert and unbiased advice that has been tailored to our unique needs. In particular, we appreciate the emphasis he puts on education to guide us through the process rather than simply telling us what to do, which is what we’ve experienced with previous financial advisors. As a result, we feel empowered and motivated to work on our financial plan to achieve our goals as we work towards buying a house in the next few years. We recommend Matt’s services to anyone who has an interest in working towards a financial goal and needs a plan for how to get there, especially young families like ours as it will undoubtedly help set them up for success. Lyndsey S
There are few subjects which require understanding more than retirement planning. I would highly recommend Matt Poyner to beginners, experienced investors and anyone saving for retirement. I found the exercise fulfilling while illuminating the path forward. There were easy-to-read, tailor-made charts with concise answers to basic retirement questions that were very helpful. The guesswork was taken out of the planning process for me. Now I have a professionally designed foundation on which to continue moving into and through the retirement phases. Peace of mind is priceless. Geoff K
We connected with Matt to help us organize our finances, which felt a bit scattered and overwhelming because we were operating without a clear long-term or short-term plan. After our four meetings (as well as our homework between) we have a much more organized approach to retirement savings, cash flow from our corporations, short-term savings and DIY investment strategies. The best investment we made in 2023 was hiring Matt! It was so convenient to meet virtually, yet it didn’t impact our ability to develop trust and relationship - we really felt Matt understood us and our unique needs and goals. We finally feel like we’re the ones in charge of our money - and have the confidence to make our plan work for us! We wish we would have met with Matt years ago! Jen & Jeff S