FAQ

Yes. 100%. We believe in total alignment with our clients. All our staff are invested in the same equities, fixed income, and preferred shares as our clients, and most hold units of the Evans Value Fund too.

We meet with potential clients to discuss their current circumstances. This is what is called the Know-Your-Client (KYC) process. We need to get to know you, your ability and willingness to accept risk, your financial situation and potential income needs, the reason you want to invest (short term goals like saving for a house or car, or longer-term ones, such as retirement) and investment objectives.

Risk Tolerance:
How comfortable are you investing in stocks that on their own, can be highly volatile in the short term? We have a client questionnaire to help determine your overall ability and willingness to handle risk.

Income Needs:
Do you require any income monthly, quarterly, or annually from your investment portfolio? If not now, in the future?

Time Horizon:
Over what time horizon are you planning to invest to achieve your personal, family and/or business investment objectives? Are there any big events (children’s tuition fees, house purchase, etc.) for which you will require a large sum of money? When are they?

Once we have developed your investment profile, we decide which asset mix best meets your needs. We assist you with completing the appropriate paperwork and take care of all the details of transferring assets into your new account with us. Your Portfolio Manager will look at your current portfolio and will sell securities that do not meet your investment criteria. We review your asset mix regularly to ensure it reflects your financial circumstances and expectations. We offer the following general asset mixes, but can tailor them to your personal circumstances:

Composite Portfolios Asset Mix
Equity 60-100% equity, 0-40% cash or cash equivalent
Balanced Growth 65-85% equity, 15-35% fixed income
Conservative Balanced 40-60% equity, 40-60% fixed income
Balanced Income 15-35% equity, 65-85% fixed income
Fixed Income 70-100% fixed income, 0-30% cash or cash equivalent

This depends on the type of account you’re opening. After the initial KYC process is completed, a straightforward personal account can often be opened in a few days. Registered accounts take a few days longer. With more complex accounts, such as trusts or estates, the timeline can vary.

Once your account has been opened, we can start managing your portfolio within 24 to 48 hours following a cash deposit. If assets are transferred in kind from another institution, non-registered accounts will take approximately two weeks to be moved over whereas registered accounts take a little longer. In particular, transferring GICs in-kind is a very manual process and can take a few weeks.

Non-Registered Registered (Non-Locked-In) Registered (Locked-In) Beneficiary Plan
Cash
Margin
Margin Short
In Trust (Minor)
RRSP
Spousal RSP
TFSA
RIF
Spousal RIF
LIRA
LRSP
RLSP
LIF
LRIF
RLIF
PRIF
RESP
RDSP
Entity Accounts
Corporation
Estate
Partnership
Trust
Charitable Organization
Sole Proprietorship

We can manage all your accounts separately or as a single cost-efficient alternative.

When people think of types of investments, they might only think about classes of stocks, bonds and mutual funds, but in recent years there has been a shift to consider the philosophy of the company issuing the shares, not just the numbers. The concept of “Ethical Mutual Funds”, which first came to mainstream prominence in the 1980’s, has expanded, and today there is ESG (Environmental, Social, and Corporate Governance) investing, which evaluates the extent to which a corporation works towards social goals instead of just seeking to maximize profits on behalf of the corporation’s shareholders.

Currently, we do not offer a solution that is in line with the principles of ESG investing. However, since each portfolio we manage is customized to a client’s circumstances, we can easily exclude any sector, company, or security you wish. We would be happy to discuss tailoring your holdings accordingly.

If you are interested in learning more about the investment approach we use, you may find the following books useful:

Common Stocks and Uncommon Profits by Philip A. Fisher (John Wiley & Sons)
Philip Fisher became a securities analyst in 1928 and made his name by espousing the importance of extensive research and owning only a few growth companies. This book has become an investment classic, as Fisher’s techniques enable one to make intelligent investment decisions.

Security Analysis by Benjamin Graham and David Dodd Cottle (McGraw-Hill)
This is what we consider the ultimate textbook on investing, though it is admittedly a very heavy read. This book provides the tools to analyse the inherent value of a business. At 700 pages, it is a lengthy but invaluable guide for analyzing financial statements.

One Up on Wall Street by Peter Lynch with John Rothchild (Simon & Shuster)
This folksy but wise book was written by the very successful manager of the Fidelity Magellan Fund, and is full of practical advice. Peter Lynch had hundreds of stocks in his portfolio, while Phil Fisher had only a few, yet both were successful. Perhaps Warren Buffett is correct when he states that “each investor needs to paint his own canvas”. The principles these great investors use are much the same; the difference is in their application.

The Essays of Warren Buffett: Lessons for Corporate America by Warren Buffett and Lawrence Cunningham (The Cunningham Group) 
This book organizes Warren Buffett’s investment views thematically. If you do not have the time or the inclination to read the last twenty years’ worth of Berkshire Hathaway annual reports, this book is an excellent alternative.

The Intelligent Investor: The Definitive Book on Value Investing by Benjamin Graham (Harper Business) 
Warren Buffett has said that he rereads Chapter 20 of this book (called “Margin of Safety”) annually, because it is the central concept of investing to him. After reading Graham’s biography and discovering that from 1929 to 1932 the cumulative losses for his partnership were 70 percent, it is understandable that Margin of Safety is the cornerstone of his own approach as well. This makes The Intelligent Investor a must-read book.

Buffett: The Making of an American Capitalist by Roger Lowenstein (Main Street Books) 
This is the definitive biography of Warren Buffett, one of the greatest investors of all time. It tells the tale of this legendary mid-American who turned $10,000 in 1956 into $350 million today.

Value Investing: A Balanced Approach by Marty Whitman (Wiley)

John Neff on Investing by John Neff (John Wiley & Sons)

Beating the Street by Peter Lynch (Simon & Schuster)

Margin of Safety by Seth Klarman (HarperBusiness)

The Warren Buffett Way: Investment Strategies of the World’s Greatest Investor by Robert G. Hagstrom (Wiley)

Contrarian Investment Strategies: The Next Generation by David Dreman (Simon & Schuster)

The Little Book of Value Investing by Christopher Browne (Wiley)

Our Approach to Wealth Management

With decades of experience as a trusted provider in the wealth management Toronto industry, our value investment approach is tried and true, simple and effective. We’re different from other firms in the asset management Toronto industry because we prioritize investing in businesses that are sustainable over the long term and protecting your capital.

As a boutique investment firm, each team member at Evans Investment Counsel makes themselves available to every client. From our CEO to your Relationship Manager and Portfolio Manager and our Chief Compliance Officer, no employee is off limits. This is not something many wealth management firms Toronto can say.

No needless bureaucracy, no computerized black box investment strategies. Clients receive total transparency and visibility when it comes to how we grow client wealth together.

The majority (over 98%) of our clients are private investors. They include individuals, families, business executives, entrepreneurs, accountants, lawyers, doctors, and investors of all stripes who want a quality advisor in the investment management Toronto industry to help preserve their capital and generate sustainable long-term growth. Together, the investment management team has over 90 years of combined asset management experience that has weathered multiple economic cycles, from troughs to peaks, and booms to downturns.

At Evans Investment Counsel, we take the time to get to know you, your investment goals, your investment objectives, your risk tolerance and your spending requirements. This allows us to tailor your portfolio to meet your needs and complement your lifestyle.

Your sustained wealth is important to us. Don’t settle for a less dedicated firm in the wealth management Toronto industry.

$1.5 billion 350+ client relationships 35+ years 90+ years
Assets under management Families, business executives, entrepreneurs, high net worth individuals Of experience helping investors reach their goals and grow their wealth Combined industry experience

When clients choose to invest with Evans Investment Counsel, we begin a comprehensive onboarding process. This includes setting up and administering a detailed questionnaire that provides us with the insight we need to craft the best investment strategy for you, and better help us get all of the other new account opening paperwork together.

Our Questionnaire and Know Your Client documents examine:

  • Your risk tolerance: Do you prefer volatile, high-yield investments that offer the opportunity for short-term gains? Or do you prefer a more conservative approach that prioritizes protecting wealth and long-term, sustained growth? Your willingness and ability to tolerate risk is evaluated and assigned a range of asset mixes. The more conservative mix in the range is chosen.
  • Your income needs: Are you looking to receive monthly, quarterly, or annual income from your investment? Now? In the future? Maybe there are multiple income needs for multiple purchases? We’ll help you meet those goals and needs.
  • Your time horizon: What is the time horizon on your investment? Do you have multiple time horizons? Do you have large purchases (education, property, etc.) that will require a large sum of money and dates attached to them?

Your wealth is too critical to you and your family to entrust it blindly to just any investment advisor. Many firms in the wealth management Toronto industry create a barrier between themselves and the client.

As one of the leading investment firms in Toronto, we aim always to provide complete and total visibility into your investments and your account performance. All employees are available to you at all times, from your relationship manager, to your portfolio manager, or our support staff. You can even call our Chief Compliance Officer, who will be more than happy to help.

Take advantage of our extensive and transparent quarterly GIPS®-compliant quarterly reporting. We will even send it monthly, if you like. Our comprehensive quarterly reporting package includes:

  • A detailed summary of your accounts, coupled with graphs detailing your portfolio’s performance against your net cash flows;
  • Your portfolio’s attributes, such as your current asset mix, your equity sector allocation, and your investments’ geographical allocation;
  • A change in market value report, which shows how the value of your portfolio has changed in the year, taking into account contributions, withdrawals, expenses, dividends & interest, management fees, and change in security value;
  • A detailed month-by-month performance report that shows account performance against a blended benchmark and its underlying indices;
  • Detailed portfolio appraisals with cost base information, current market value, accrued income and yields; and
  • A detailed summary of all transactions for the period.

We also provide a very thorough year-end tax package whiTax Reporting Made Simplech should simplify your tax return preparation, while also providing you with as much detail as possible. The package includes:

  • Detailed portfolio appraisal;
  • Capital gain/loss report;
  • Dividend & interest report;
  • Summary of all fees paid out of the account;
  • Summary of all management fees paid for the year; and
  • Any charitable donations, if applicable.

This exhaustive list of reports is just one example of our dedication to client empowerment and total transparency. Whatever information you may need, we will be able to provide it. With Evans Investment Counsel as your wealth management Toronto partner, you’ll have peace of mind knowing that your wealth is safe, growing, and easy to track.

Our asset management Toronto services and clientele include:

  • Individuals with cash and margin accounts, RRSPs, RRIFs, TFSAs, RESPs, and RDSPs;
  • Families building wealth for future generations through tax-sheltered plans, trusts, and other estate planning tools;
  • Professionals – accountants, lawyers, medical professionals, etc.;
  • Executives of private and public companies; and
  • Business owners and entrepreneurs.

No matter who the client is, we deliver wealth management services with unrivalled dedication and commitment.

We’re in the business of not just preserving but also growing our clients’ wealth, and our track record shows our dedication and ability to do so. Our strategy is tried, tested, and true.

Our entire investment management team is also invested alongside our clients. When we buy a stock for clients, we buy it for ourselves too. We feel your gains, but we also feel your pains. Every member of our investment team is invested in the same equities, preferred shares, and fixed income assets as our clients. Most hold units of the Evans Value Fund as well.

Our financial advisor Toronto team believes in our strategy, and we believe that it can help you, the client, achieve your investment goals.

Composite Portfolios Asset Mix
Equity 60-100% equity, 0-40% cash or cash equivalent
Balanced Growth 65-85% equity, 15-35% fixed income
Conservative Balanced 40-60% equity, 40-60% fixed income
Balanced Income 15-35% equity, 65-85% fixed income
Fixed Income 70-100% fixed income, 0-30% cash or cash equivalent
Non-Registered Registered (Non-Locked-In) Registered (Locked-In) Beneficiary Plan
Cash
Margin
Margin Short
In Trust (Minor)
RRSP
Spousal RSP
TFSA
RIF
Spousal RIF
LIRA
LRSP
RLSP
LIF
LRIF
RLIF
PRIF
RESP
RDSP

Your financial goals are too important to entrust to less experienced investment management firms in Toronto.

Evans Investment Counsel’s wealth management team has over 90 years’ worth of combined experience building portfolios that encourage long-term, sustained growth. Our market insights and experience enables our clients to achieve their financial goals. With Evans, we make it our mission to protect your financial future and grow your wealth.

Reach out so we can get to know you, your financial goals and objectives, and how to work together to achieve them. Our wealth management Toronto team is here to provide all the financial guidance you’ll need to get the most out of your investments.

Call us, your asset management Toronto firm, today – and start building your wealth.