LOOKING AHEAD TO THE FUTURE WITH PEACE OF MIND: THE BENEFITS OF GOOD
FINANCIAL PLANNING

MONTREAL, Oct 7 /CNW Telbec/ - In conjunction with Financial Planning Month, Laurentian Bank is advising savers to equip themselves with the proper tools to prepare their financial future. In that regard, the financial planner can play a very important role in the establishment of objectives for the years ahead.

In fact, good financial planning offers numerous benefits. For example, it constitutes a global approach to investment management for retirement or any other long-term project. Effective financial planning also provides a clear vision of goals and the way to attain them. Finally, it integrates these objectives within a coherent and rational approach in accordance with the client's actual capacities.

What is a Financial Planner?

Financial planning professionals operate in a strictly controlled framework within Québec financial institutions like Laurentian Bank. Financial planning is also a specialty that requires rigorous and extensive training sanctioned by the Institut québécois de planification financière, and the work of certified financial planners is governed by a code of ethics that covers all aspects of the function, particularly their responsibilities with respect to each client.

"Properly evaluating risks demands expertise that goes far beyond simple mathematical calculation," emphasizes Denis L'Hostie, Senior Manager of Financial Planning at Laurentian Bank. "There are many factors involved, including economic conditions, an individual's assets, and their health, which has an impact on their life expectancy, etc. Everything must be taken into account to prepare the most accurate portrait of needs possible that the financial plan will have to meet."

Anatomy of a Financial Plan

A long-term financial plan is developed in accordance with certain basic principles that generally favour a conservative approach. In view of the significant risks associated with rates of return and of inflation, financial planners base their calculations on long-term rates. They can also develop concrete investment strategies free of the uncertainties of speculation.

As is the case for any investment, a financial plan should be reviewed every four or five years taking into account how the economy and the investor's profile have evolved. Major factors such as estate planning and death or illness within an individual's circle can serve to radically change their situation and require that the strategic approach be modified.

As such, financial planners will take all the characteristics of a client's profile into consideration, as well as their specific capacities, in order to establish a personalized strategy to achieve equally personal objectives. To take advantage of the expert services of a financial planner, Laurentian Bank is inviting its clients to stop by their local branch.

About Laurentian Bank

Laurentian Bank of Canada is a banking institution operating across Canada and offering its clients diversified financial services. Distinguishing itself through excellence in service, as well as through its simplicity and proximity, the Bank serves individual consumers and small and medium-sized businesses. The Bank also offers its products to a wide network of independent financial intermediaries through B2B Trust, as well as full-service brokerage solutions through Laurentian Bank Securities.

Laurentian Bank is well established in the Province of Quebec, operating the third-largest retail branch network. Elsewhere throughout Canada, it operates in specific market segments where it holds an enviable position. Laurentian Bank of Canada has more than $23 billion in balance sheet assets and more than $14 billion in assets under administration. Founded in 1846, the Bank employs more than 3,600 people.

For further information:

Mary-Claude Tardif
Public Relations Advisor
514 284-4500, extension 4695
[email protected]