On January 24th, 2023, we were delighted to be back to hosting our Estate Planning Seminar in person at the Fairmont Hotel Vancouver. Joining us were our professional colleagues who were eager for updates on tax changes and hearing practical strategies to consider when planning their clients’ estates.  The afternoon featured a variety of sessions led by a fantastic lineup of dynamic speakers with insightful content.

Here’s what we covered:

Session 1

The seminar kicked off with Emily Griffiths-Hamilton, a Family Enterprise Advisor, Author, and Speaker, who discussed Successful Succession Planning and her unique point of view on Estate Planning –The Family Bank Approach. She provided strategies for building successful wealth transition plans that benefit many generations. She shared her own personal experience about planning her own estate as well as her professional expertise in succession and wealth-transition planning as the author of Build Your Family Bank. She covered the main components of the “Family Bank” and how to collectively build the vision and successfully enable decision-making in an estate plan.

Session 2

Asif Abdulla from Thorsteinssons LLC covered the 2023 Tax Update. He provided an update on the most recent changes in tax law and policy and, most importantly, the “watch-outs” that our attendees needed to understand around the new changes. He also gave us practical actions that attendees could use to navigate the changes to advise and benefit their clients.

Session 3

Farzin Remtulla, an associate at ZLC Financial, discussed the topic of leveraging insurance in estate planning and highlighted how it can be used to maximize the value of an estate and minimize taxes. He walked the audience through an easy-to-understand estate planning strategy that explained how structured insurance financing uses life insurance to address a client’s liquidity needs in the present while using the policy to provide access to funds for investment purposes. This session was followed by a panel discussion with Farzin Remtulla and Garry Zlotnik, CEO of ZLC Financial. Garry provided real-life examples of using structured insurance in an estate plan and addressed any questions attendees had.

Session 4

In the final session, Denika Heaton from Manulife Wealth covered the Segregated Funds. Segregated Funds are an often overlooked option in an estate plan, but one that can deliver flexibility and immediate access to cash upon a client’s passing. She provided an overview of the many benefits of these funds, including their ability to provide a quick death benefit payout, minimize administration fees, and protect beneficiary confidentiality while ensuring that assets are seamlessly transferred to loved ones.

Thank you to our speakers and attendees, and we hope to see you all next year!