ESTEVAN - This is a busy time of year for the staff at Assante Wealth Management in Estevan.
The firm, which has four people working out of its Estevan office in the 1300-block of Fourth Street, is bustling with meetings and tax planning, said Michelle Yergens, the senior financial advisor and branch manager.
“A lot of people want to know how much they should do for RRSPs for tax purposes. And then we can tie that in with what we’re doing on the financial planning side for retirement,” said Yergens.
This would be one of their busiest times of the year. A lot of their clients invest monthly for RRSPs, but there are those who like to see where they will be at the end of the year and top up their plans, or find out what they should do for tax purposes.
Assante offers comprehensive wealth planning, which includes everything from financial planning for retirement, risk management, business succession, and tax and estate planning.
“We get as technical as philanthropic strategies. It’s very comprehensive,” Yergens said.
Clients and customers have been very receptive to their work. The staff at Assante tries to do everything they can to ensure clients feel comfortable. Some of those clients have retired in the past year, and it feels like a milestone in which they get to share in the success of their clients.
“It’s very rewarding for them and for us as well,” said Yergens.
Assante’s Estevan office has experienced a lot of growth in the last few years. Assets that they manage have increased substantially, as has the number of clients.
There is a team approach, with her assistant Chris Hoffos and her administrative employee Heather McArthur. Yergens has nearly 30 years of experience in the financial services industry, and in 1995, she started her own practice with Assante.
“We work as a team to take care of all of our clients,” said Yergens. “Just to make sure that they have a lot of backup and support from the office itself. It’s not just a one-person show.”
Technology has evolved a lot, especially since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic. Now a lot of their meetings are happening digitally, but Yergens believes that’s consistent with most businesses.
“I still like the face to face meetings,” said Yergens. “It’s the relationship part of it that I find is the most valuable. We’ll never be one of those offices where you call and get someone (saying) ‘Press 1, 2 or 3 to leave a message),’” said Yergens with a laugh.
Assante is a national firm and it has offices all over Canada. It’s one of the largest non-bank-owned financial service firms in Canada, Yergens said, and the company has been expanding into the U.S.
“Our big focus is we take a very personal approach with our clients where we work to help them achieve their goals and to make sure that they’ve protected themselves adequately, both from an estate planning and a risk management perspective. So it’s a very holistic approach as opposed to doing the investment side of things, which is obviously a big part of it. But we’re very planning focused,” said Yergens.
