SBA: Andrew, thank you for agreeing to chat with us. We are excited to feature this interview with you as the second in our series of conversations with Stittsville Business Association members. To kick us off, can you start by telling us about yourself and how you got your start in wealth management?
AT: After I graduated from Carleton University in 2015, I had a keen interest in becoming an entrepreneur. I decided to first seek different finance related roles that could develop me with the necessary skills and working experience before deciding what I wanted to do. My first job was working at a bank as a front end advisor and customer service representative. This was a client facing role which I enjoyed, as it revolved around servicing and catering to client needs. As I was progressing my skills at the bank, I landed a role working in the public sector, at the Financial Consumer Agency of Canada (FCAC). Working at the FCAC in their financial literacy division allowed me to assist Canadians to help develop their financial literacy by providing content that people around the country would have access to and working directly with the financial literacy leader. I realized there was a big need for Canadians to rely on advisors to provide financial knowledge which got me back into a client facing role as an independent financial advisor. I started working as a self employed financial security advisor with London Life in their Freedom 55 Financial division. I became a sole proprietor in 2021 affiliated with Canada Life and working independently, Canada Life helps me run my business with the resources they provide me.
SBA: Thank you for sharing your diverse experiences in the financial services industry. Can you tell us more about your business?
AT: I am an independent financial planner and wealth management advisor affiliated under Canada Life. My educational background is financial economics and I hold the Certified Financial Planner (CFP) designation. On top of this, I am in the process of obtaining my Chartered Investment Manager (CIM) designation in the near future. The motive behind my role is to help professionals, families, and business owners achieve their desired goals and dreams by establishing and maintaining a fulfilling long-term relationship built on trust. My vision is creating a financial foundation to maintain a quality of life you hope to achieve. I enjoy working with clients in the areas of investing and cash flow management, income planning for retirement, tax and estate planning, insurance for individuals and business owners. As a broker I have access to a range of different investment or insurance options that will best accommodate your unique circumstances to your financial plan. I strive to deliver a high level of service and continuous work with my clients which ensures you will always be guided the most appropriate way to achieve your goals.
SBA: What types of products and services do you offer as part of the financial planning process?
AT: I provide many services under the scope of financial planning, which entail retirement planning, portfolio managing, tax and estate planning, succession planning for business owners, corporate planning for business owners and insurance. There are different ways I engage with clients, such as fee for service based on assets under management fee or financial planning fee based.
SBA: Thinking about your beginnings in the industry, what was it that sparked your interest in becoming an entrepreneur? Why did you start your own business?
AT: I enjoy the flexibility you can have from owning your own business which entailed me to building my own unique brand and customer service model, as well as developing strong interpersonal relationship with clients. I also found that working on your own and having certain flexibilities has not only strengthened my skill sets but allowed me to acquire a breadth of knowledge that can take years to accumulate from experience.
SBA: Looking back on when you first got started, how did you market your business?
AT: I started learning from the get-go. I was very interested in investing and how I can help shape someone’s future so I found mentors who can provide me with different tools that I can use to differentiate myself and implement the right recipes for success. I feel like I had a unique set of knowledge for someone my age at the time so I started marketing myself as “not your typical advisor” but someone who is truly above and beyond, and holding myself accountable to that. Clients aren’t just considered as clients but instead friends and people I care a lot about as their success is my success. To this day I take financial planning in a different approach in terms of “how to fund a good life”. It’s not about dissecting investment returns or naming all your designations, it’s about seeing someone’s life from a different lens and how you can act on change for them right away and ultimately make them a better person for themselves, their families and their life in the future.
SBA: How do you set yourself and your business apart from others in your industry?
AT: I come with a different mindset, as mentioned above. I do what can be considered tough for others to do, but I hold myself accountable in many ways and more importantly, I listen and act. Success is proven over time but making a commitment to a client that you are always going to be there for them and helping them to be consistent is important. My job is more like being a coach and making sure clients have the right tools for success, I don’t disappear during tough times. My process is built on “how to fund a good life” as truly that is what we are doing.
SBA: Thinking ahead to the future, what are your priorities and plans?
AT: My priorities are in (1) developing a niche clientele, (2) scaling myself to grow a unique brand, and (3) honing and developing my skillsets so that I am always considered the right person for the job. As far as longer-term goals, I plan to grow my practice and offer my abilities to many more clients by either partnering with like-minded advisors or a firm to help scale and grow. I also want to growing my presence in my community and being a positive influence for others.
SBA: The Stittsville Business Association is a great place to grow your presence in our community! We are fortunate to have you serve on our Executive board as our Treasurer. How has your involvement helped you and your business thrive? And what would you say to someone considering joining our the Stittsville Business Association?
AT: I have been lucky enough to take on an executive role as treasurer and seeing first hand how different business’ operate has given me some great ideas on what I can be doing better to achieve success. It is worth it to come out to an event and see what we are all about! There are a lot of great people in this organization and you never know what could happen once you join.
SBA: Andrew, thanks for sharing your insights with us. We appreciate your time.
Andrew Tricomi, B.A. Econ, CFP®, partners with various leading and globally recognized financial institutions, insurance companies and investment management firms to help provide the right solutions and outcomes. He supplies uniquely tailored advice and consulting that fully benefits his clients.
The motive behind his role is to help professionals, families and business owners achieve their desired goals and dreams. His process consists of first understanding your financial and personal needs and then delivering a sophisticated, result driven financial plan, that will lead you to success. He strives to deliver a high level of service and continuous work with his clients which ensures they will always be guided the most appropriate way to achieve their goals.
On top of the strong relationships and ongoing commitments he makes to his clients, he provides expert knowledge and advice from specialists who work alongside himself, his clients and their working team of professionals. The specialists and experts he consults with are in regard to tax accountants and estate planners, private wealth counselling, insurance specialists, banking/mortgages and more.
Learn more about Andrew by checking out his LinkedIn profile or checking out his website.
*If you are a Stittsville Business Association member and would like to be interviewed for in our blog, please contact our Vice President, Abbie Sizer McIntosh for an opportunity to be featured.
**Not a member, but interested in joining? Sign up here!
