Issue 73 - Investors Group & Story

Trevor LeDrew, Certified Financial Planner, and his team at Investors Group is proving that the product is not the most important part of a financial plan, but rather the consulting and building of the plan that is ultimately going to fit best with each individual client's needs.

LeDrew graduated with a degree in Business from Trent University, and with his knowledge of business and finance, he pursued a career in financial planning right out of university. He was fortunate to be selected by Investors Group fifteen years ago as his first career out of school and he has worked his way up and is now the Regional Manager of all offices west of London.

His attitude, work ethic and passion are all results driven and he has never rested on his laurels. After working in one of the offices in Whitby, he was given the opportunity to travel to Windsor six years ago to take over the Investors Group office here.

During his first year in Windsor, the company went from being one of the bottom performers to being one of the top five performing regions in the country. In 2009, they were number one in the country for bringing in new clients, and are currently ranked in second place.

With the rapid addition of clients and employees due to the newfound success of the Windsor office, their Investors Group branch had to acquire a second office outside of their original Temple Drive location. Now, they have a temporary office space on the fifth floor of 1 Riverside Drive West, but in two years when the lease expires at the older location, their offices will move permanently to the second floor of the Riverside Drive location.

Investors Group has a very unique approach to financial planning. Contrary to what Hollywood or preconceived notions of greed might provide, the employees are not considered brokers after your money; they work closely with clients and get to know them on a deeper level, consulting all throughout their relationship, and then selecting the product that best suits their needs last.

"We sit down with the client first and ask them what is important to them, whether it be retirement, sending their children to school or even just owning a cottage," says LeDrew.

"Point A is where you are at and Point B is where you want to go. The vehicle that gets you there, whether it be through stocks and bonds, managed assets through mutual funds or insurance products is not what we're concerned about. We want to get you that vehicle, but first we want to build you a map and show you how to get there."

Obtaining investments is easier than ever now that everything can be found on the Internet, which is why the employees at Investors Group do not focus on a specific product for their client until the very end of their analysis. The main component of a successful investor/client relationship is guidance. A 'financial X-Ray' is done on clients, doing a hard analysis first then a soft analysis. Each client receives a written, tangible financial plan for ease of understanding.

LeDrew currently oversees seventy employees, each having their own set of clients to build trusting and long standing consulting relationships with. There are also in-house accountants, bankers, security and technological specialists at the Windsor Investors Group office, making it a one-stop shop for financial planning and ultimately, a comfortable experience that leaves the client feeling confident that their money is being utilized in the most beneficial way possible.

"We're not here to give you an unreliable get-rich-quick scheme; we're here to get you rich slowly, and keep you rich for the rest of your life," says LeDrew.

There is so much more than just financial planning being done at Investors Group. The employees there have the amazing opportunity to help people achieve their dreams, whatever they may be, and watch them unfold for them. It is a very rewarding job, helping people and eliminating their stresses and fears over retirement or sending their children to school.

The team at Investors Group is also very proud of the impact they have made on the Windsor community. They work closely with the sports teams at the University of Windsor, sponsoring and attending events. They have a boat in the Dragon Boat Races and are also large supporters of Habitat for Humanity and local food banks. A recent event for clients was held at Lakeshore Cinemas, where a private screening of the newest Harry Potter film and Disney's new animated film Tangled was held for those who brought in canned good donations. There are many client-based events throughout the year to benefit the community and also to help the relationships grow between clients and their investors.

"Our industry has a mixed reputation from Hollywood of greed and dishonesty, but our institution has a much different philosophy. We educate our clients on proper financial planning habits, and we work hard to protectyou from financial risks," says LeDrew.

The approach at Investors Group is certainly a unique one, and has proven that even in the most difficult financial times, that this company has longstanding credibility and a promising future ahead for both the clients and employees. TDM

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