Stewart & Kett
in the media

For many pre-retirees or those entering retirement, the repercussions of COVID-19 and market turbulence have added new fears to their financial future. Yet this is the very time for these investors to carefully prepare for the future.

While broaching the subject with clients can be tricky for advisors as they run the risk of appearing opportunistic, discussing life insurance has more merit than ever before, says Cynthia Kett, principal at Stewart & Kett Financial Advisors Inc. in Toronto.

Cynthia Kett, a principal at Stewart & Kett Financial Advisors Inc. and also a member of the Foundation’s Professional Advisors Council, adds that organizing your finances helps you prioritize your financial goals, including establishing funds for charitable giving. If such planning seems daunting, Kett says the process can be broken down into manageable steps.

A principal of Stewart & Kett Financial Advisors, Ms. Kett says there are many estate-planning strategies to simultaneously benefit individuals and the Foundation.

Permanent life insurance is a big financial commitment compared to term insurance. Cynthia Kett, principal at Stewart & Kett Financial Advisors Inc. in Toronto, says advisors must discuss with clients the need to be able to commit to paying premiums for at least 10 years if they choose the permanent life insurance option.

As co-founder and Principal at Stewart and Kett Financial Advisors Inc., Cynthia Kett has more than 30 years of experience advising families on retirement, estates, and philanthropy, including tax planning. We asked her to explain everything endowment-related, just as she would to a client.

“If you haven’t done any retirement planning,” says Cynthia Kett, advice-only financial planner at Toronto-based Stewart and Kett Financial Advisors, “this is the time to do it, in your 60s.” When transitioning into retirement, Kett “strongly” recommends that individuals do what’s called an investment policy statement.

Cynthia Kett, a certified financial planner and CPA, says “giving” shares to children who are not adults by law is tricky. “Children under the age of majority can’t hold shares in their own name because they lack legal capacity to [enter into a] contract,” says Ms. Kett, a trust and estate practitioner with Stewart & Kett Financial Advisors Inc. in Toronto.

We spoke with Cynthia Kett, Certified Financial Planner® professional and Principal of Stewart and Kett, about how she helps her clients avoid the pitfalls of trying to “keep up” and change their negative mindsets about finances.

Cynthia Kett offers advice on how to prepare for retirement.  She suggests starting to save as early as possible to have enough in retirement.