INVESTMENT MANAGEMENT
Cardinal Point provides personally tailored investment management services for clients with U.S. and Canadian investment accounts. Investment strategies are customized to our clients’ risk tolerance and goals and then we work to fully integrate them into their tax, financial and estate planning initiatives.
Investment Management
Cardinal Point provides personally tailored investment management services for clients with U.S. and Canadian investment accounts. Investment strategies are customized to our clients’ risk tolerance and goals and then we work to fully integrate them into their tax, financial and estate planning initiatives.
Professionally Managed
The firm’s Investment Philosophy is molded by the Cardinal Point Investment Committee, a group of five investment professionals with over 100 years of combined investment management experience. Committee members hold numerous industry credentials, including CFA, CFP, CIM, CIWM, and FCSI designations. The Committee meets formally on a quarterly basis to review all aspects of the investment management process.
Investment Philosophy
Our Investment philosophy guides an investment management process comprised of three key components: Discovery of your risk tolerance & capacity, formation of a customized asset allocation, and implementation of that allocation across multiple currencies and jurisdictions.
A Transparent Investment Strategy
Cardinal Point adheres to a transparent and conflict-free investment philosophy in which our clients’ interests are always put first. As a fee-only firm, we do not invest our clients’ assets in investment products that directly compensate our firm through hidden commissions, trailer fees or 12b-1 fees, and we do not offer proprietary products for investment. We feel these products can create a conflict of interest between the advisor and client. Instead, our investment committee puts an emphasis on investment process and researching best-in-class investment solutions for our clients. To help further protect our clients’ assets, all investment accounts are held and safeguarded through third-party custodians.
Managing Money Across Borders
Cardinal Point through its portfolio management company, Cardinal Point Capital Management, has the ability to manage integrated investment portfolios that include accounts in Canada and the U.S. Many of our clients have lived and worked in Canada and the U.S. and have accumulated assets and investment accounts in both countries. It can be very difficult to locate an advisor that can oversee these investment accounts in the two countries, and many have had to work with an advisor on each side of the border. At Cardinal Point, we create and oversee integrated cross-border investment portfolios that include all types of accounts in both Canada and the U.S.
OUR RECENT PUBLICATIONS
Dual Tax Residency in a Canadian Context
Cross-border residency may create numerous significant Canadian tax issues for you, in both countries. That’s increasingly important since many people now work remotely across borders. Certain criteria are used to determine Canadian residency for tax purposes, but filing official forms to determine your tax status may also trigger reviews or audits that are not in your best interest. On the other hand, cross-border taxpayers may avoid double taxation thanks to treaties other countries sign with Canada. Tax rules are always complex, and those involving dual residency can be extremely complicated. That is why insight from an expert cross-border tax planning professional is strongly advised.
Communicating Your Estate Plan is a Vital Part of “The Estate Plan”
Estate planning is a vital part of financial planning and wealth management. But communicating your estate plans is equally vital, to ensure that your plans are executed according to your wishes. That’s especially true when it comes to communicating with the Executor of your estate and those who are designated with Power of Attorney for Property or Personal Care. Too often that communication is overlooked, but you can ensure that those designated persons are well-informed and prepared by writing them a letter that outlines their tasks and responsibilities. The following article includes more information, plus convenient, customizable templates to help you draft those vital communiqués.
Nannies, Housekeepers and Gardeners: U.S. Taxpayer Implications for Household Workers
If you are hiring a household worker in the United States, you need to have an understanding of their status related to income tax purposes and your obligations as the payor. The first thing to determine is whether the worker is an independent contractor or your employee. That status will determine the documentation required for the work agreement, payments made to and for the worker, as well as how you report their income paid by you. If you’re a Canadian resident, you’ll be interested in our next article on hiring household workers in Canada.