administrative assistant

financial advisor

manager

customer service representative

adjoint administratif

IG Wealth Management

RD and DD that I was under where suppose to be responsible for training and helping us learn the many different systems.   After coming aboard to Red Deer I quickly found out those where empty promises and the leadership lacked integrity and could not be trusted.  Many promises where made and non of which came to fruition,  A shame based culture that not many could thrive in.    There has been an RD change since which was too late for me.   1 in 15 people failed which was easy to see came from the culture provided by leadership and although the training was abundant, asking questions to the leadership was not safe.   The changes the regulators imposed has since made it unsustainable to start as a consultant without the possibility of have a large warm market base or joining a established team.  I found the head office lacked communication in the matter and pretended that they could go on with business as usual without addressing the matter.  That was scary.  When all incentives where stopped and expectation was increased without providing a stream or possible way of gathering contacts like a storefront back model.  
Until this is addressed I believe IG will continue to run over people by promising the potential of big income but not being able to deliver.  
The systems are archaic and lack mobility which is what customers want.  Having a paper system that triples the work of the individual and not being able to recoup high fees to be a consultant.  $1000 - 1500 dollars a month. I believe this model will have to be updated and the leadership will have to be properly monitored to insure integrity is being maintained as I seen many things that were not done with honesty and integrity.  It was a wild west model with the old RD and if you didn't appease his ego you would get passed over no matter what your level of performance.    I have pulled my assets and look forward to working with a Bank.   IG is outdated and the model no longer works without special circumstances.   It was great to work with other consultants that cared about the their clients but unless you can hire on with a team which would shelter you from have to deal with DD and RD that are greed motivated.  I would not recommend the consultant role without direct support from a team.

There is no work-life balance.  It is astonishing to read of the experiences at head office and how much on the other end of the scale the life of the Consultant (aka Independent Contractor) actually front facing to clients is.
There is zero job security, ever changing expectations, and huge bureaucratic, employee heavy Head office to deal with every day just to open accounts and make changes.  Then if you actually sell insurance policies, there is other big, bureaucratic insurance company head offices to deal with.
The last 2 1/2 years, the majority of our time has been spent trying to keep up with all the changes, which do not put the client first.

DO NOT quit your job to come work here with the carrot of "controlling your own schedule" "flexible work hours" and "self-employment" helping quide your decision.

The only new people that will be successful as Financial Consultants in the new IG Wealth Management world will be those moving an existing book of business from a bank.

And the culture does not support women or people with any kind of disability, and forget being an international person.

The latest changes are forcing us to abandon younger accumulators with under $50,000 in investments.  I didn't mind the pace of change so much until head office and the new management team tells us who we can serve for clients.  Soon enough, they will be taking over clients with under $100,000.  These are the exact people I joined the company to help develop and coach them with their finances.

And now Head office wants us to "team up" with people to make minimum business size of $50,000,000 investable assets, also not what I signed up for.

If you don't know that the financial services industry and insurance industry in Canada are in a major turbulent period of time, please research this before deciding to join this sector.

As a new consultant you will at best, have about a one in twenty likelihood of seeing your second year anniversary.  Unless you have an established book from another firm to double-dip, parents that own a real estate company to feed you insurance prospects, plus a spouse that is happy to support you for the several years it will take to build a viable book you will be unlikely to succeed. 

If you can build a 20 plus million dollar book apparently its then a great job, I will never know...

The job is 97% sales and 3% financial planning, at least for the first 5 or so years.  So unless you love cold calling, door knocking or are an extroverted queen of professional networking - consider another career.  

You will be badgered to sign up your grandmother, mummy, daddy and all of your friends.  As this will not pay you enough to live, you will then run up a 14k draw (funny how this is sort of considered salary for taxation, but then ends up a loan, again probably works best for head office...but I digress...) you will  be forced to go and find a salaried job at about the 2 year mark.  

IG will keep the family clients (You were pressured to place them into IG proprietary, deferred sales charge mutual funds with an seven year schedule). They will then hand you the bill for 14k as you leave (for your loan/ salary/ advance/ draw/ whatever...careful with the tax on that...).

Its a great business model - if you are the owners of Power Corporation.

If you are considering this career, shop around to different firms, pay close attention to the success rates of the under fours.  Consider starting as an associate if possible, and work toward purchasing a book.


While working at Investors Group, I found the atmosphere very professional and very supportive. The focus always remained on what was best for the client. In that regard, all of our professionals were ready to sit down with us at any point in time and talk client options with us.

It was an environment where you were constantly learning. Investors Group would recruit various professionals to speak on different topics that would help you in dealing with your clients, teach you about new things within the industry and generally keep you up to date. This was done on almost a weekly basis.

A typical day at work would be to contact clients and service their accounts, prospect for new clients, build your network of professionals, completing paperwork, marketing your brand and ensuring that you remain remain compliant with the Securities Commission's requirements.

The most difficult part of the job was client prospecting. People are very guarded with their finances and generally stay loyal to their consultants. It is difficult to break through the skepticism and actually get them to focus on what could possibly be a more effective method within their portfolio. People do not like talking about their finances.

The most enjoyable part of my job was working with the clients and helping them achieve their financial goals. I loved working with their portfolios and implementing new methods to increase their cash flow, reduce their debt and help them save.

- Typical work day can be described as:
Always sweat the small stuff, because you never know who your audience will be when you're presenting

- What I've learned
1. 'No' is never the end of a conversation. Rather the beginning.
2. The basics are just as important as the advanced stuff
3. Try to understand the emotions behind a person's decision as well as their logic.

- My previous managers are still good friends of mine and continue to mentor me in the areas of business development and leadership

- Workplace Culture
A place to grow, with a focus on the clients' needs

- The hardest part of the job, yet one that was surprisingly enjoyable to me at the time, was keeping up with the additional reading required. At that time, which was early on in my career, I was learning about the financial services business and acquiring my licenses to practice. On top of those books, my manager gave me a library of business management, sales and leadership books to read as well.

- The most enjoyable part of the job was meeting new people through the various marketing initiatives we did like charity golf tournaments, local trade shows etc. Then watching those individuals grow through the process of being strangers at first, then becoming long lasting clients where we now knew them and even some of their extended families as well.

I would not recommend working at IG Wealth Management to anyone. You have to work nearly 60 hours a week to even be competitive, and by competitive I mean to earn $40k a year. You are far better off at a Company who pays your expenses for you as opposed to hanging the carrot of "Flexible Hours", "Unlimited Pay" and "Owning your own business". In reality the demands of the job are so high that there is very little flexibility if you want to succeed (or even pay your mortgage). The one element I would give them is that their training was in-depth and on going, and that does help you become a more experienced Financial Consultant over time. Another major downfall, however is that IG was unwilling to pay for any of your training or professional development. The monthly expenses to operate your business run in the range of $600-$800/month when you realize that you have to pay for Software, your computer, your office space and any admin that you may require. The management was fairly inept. Their qualifications were far less than many of the people reporting to them. They were promoted based on sales figures more so than true leadership ability. The workplace culture is very much one of everyone being in it for themselves. There is a lack mentality where every employee feels that another colleague's success is taking something away from them personally. I do not recommend working here to anyone.

The day would begin logging on my computer, and prioritizing incoming Outlook messages & voice mail for immediate transactions and action to be taken.  
A plan of action for the day/week was formulated to balance short-term and long-term initiatives.  
Clients then received a response to their inquiries by email or phone, and these were recorded in their respective transactional journals.
I started with the most quickly completed matters of administration first, followed by the more difficult or time-consuming transactions, completing required forms appropriate to that transaction (mutual fund trades, insurance forms, estate matters, etc).  
My personal ethic was to ensure that each action taken was completely finished before I started another client's work, ensuring that I would be taking that client's transactions to the highest possible level of completion for that day. 
Because accuracy is so critical in the financial field, I was careful to ask questions if I needed clarification, before submitting my documentation to others.  Management was very supportive, making new learning a non-threatening quest for excellence.  Co-workers shared their expertise, as did I, on a routine basis, when new employees came on board.  This fostered a very encouraging work atmosphere.
  
All in all, it was a very profitable experience.


I am delighted to share my experience working at IG. It truly stands out as a fantastic place to work, thanks to its supportive management, strong commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion, and ample opportunities for personal and professional growth.

The management team has been consistently supportive, providing a nurturing environment that fosters success. The emphasis on diversity, equity, and inclusion is palpable, creating an inclusive workplace that values each team member’s unique contributions.

One of the key highlights is the company’s dedication to providing opportunities for growth. If you are driven, consistent, and dedicated, the company equips you with all the necessary tools to flourish. The availability of mentorship programs and free training further enhances the overall growth experience.

I must commend the compensation package, which is not only competitive but truly reflective of the value and dedication employees bring to their roles. The company’s commitment to recognizing and rewarding hard work is evident.

In summary, IG has been instrumental in my professional journey, offering a supportive and inclusive atmosphere with ample opportunities for advancement. If you are seeking a workplace that values your dedication and provides the tools for success, I highly recommend considering a career here.

Typical day at work would involve: Beginning the day according to daily-to-do scheduled task assigned to each assistant. Signing in to Outlook, respond to emails, and any request made by Consultant. Starting up "Pathway" (a system created by the company to keep all electronic record of client files) Following up on scheduled task marked for that day on Pathway.

What was learned, were a number of skills such as: Assisting with re-balancing of client portfolios, filling out RRSP, TSFA and LOC. Learning how to manage time wisely, knowing the proper time to to conduct cold-calls, organizing client files according to last name in alphabetical order, arranging documents in client files according to product and portfolio.

Co-workers were group of friendly individuals willing to provide a helping hand wherever it was needed. Assistants worked together as one, imputing task to be done in a list of To-Do's in a journal, any assignment that was not completed (if any) were noted by previous assistant for the next assistant to complete.

Most difficult part of the job would be the consistent use of cold-calling to market "Lunch and Learns" which were accommodated by the company

Most enjoyable part of the job, would be the continuous learning that occurred on a daily basis.

Investors Group opened my eyes to the whole concept to managing finances. My role as a Financial Adviser was to help families plan their financial future, set goals and plan for the unexpected. Throughout the job, I gathered a lot of knowledge regarding taxation and how to make your money give you the best returns. A work day would typically consist to me servicing client investments and prospect new clients. I have learnt a lot of new ways to acquire new clients through hosting programs and events. I also managed a team that helped me gather new clients through tele-marketing. My co-workers were all wonderful and unique individuals. They conducted their schedule in different ways and there's a lot I have learnt being around such dynamic co-workers. Sometimes the hardest part of the job was to keep motivated and to stay on track during prospecting. Another hard yet rewarding process of the job was to manage the emotions of the clients during periods of market volatility. While it is a tough time, I took accountability and handled all the concerns which left them feeling calmer and more engaged about their financial portfolio.

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