Woodgate Financial Inc. (Woodgate) is a financial planning firm dedicated to providing our clients with comprehensive wealth management to help you make the most of your financial life.
Our clients include individuals, corporate executives and business owners. While each client is different, they all have one key factor in common: they are busy people whose financial affairs have reached a level of complexity that could benefit from professional assistance and coordination.
That’s where Woodgate comes in. Our team of highly accomplished financial industry experts will create and coordinate a cohesive strategy for all your financial interests – from investments* to tax planning – to help you achieve your goals. Think of us as your personal Chief Financial Officer.
I challenge successful Canadian families to take action on what’s important to drive exceptional outcomes. In order to facilitate trusting relationships, I encourage frank discussions about lifestyle, current situations, and future financial goals.
Backed by my group’s knowledge and expertise, we work closely with you to tailor a comprehensive plan that incorporates your wealth and life management needs, interests, and aspirations.
As your needs evolve, I will identify opportunities and recommend solutions so that you remain on track to achieve your goals.
I help my clients realize their retirement goals through socially conscious investing and financial planning.
We believe in the ownership of profitable businesses. We help clients achieve financial independence by investing in these businesses. We screen for socially responsible companies and help clients invest in these companies.
We work with clients in developing personal financial plans, with a specific focus on minimizing taxes, planning for your children’s education, saving for retirement and organizing the succession of your estate.
Our goal is to help you identify and quantify your financial goals, develop and implement strategies to reach your goals, monitor and adjust your investments to keep you on track.
Our team focuses primarily on the needs of pre-retirees and retirees, business owners and entrepreneurs, agriculture and farming families, and executives. We work with clients who have enjoyed success and built substantial wealth. We help define near and longer-term strategies to maximize financial well-being, minimize taxes and ensure our clients are able to take care of the things that matter most to them.
I bring my clients peace of mind by taking them through the financial planning process to establish the lifestyle they want to have in retirement. I work with the client to implement a strategy that will allow them to reach their financial goals.
Responsibility. Sustainability. Good governance. These are not just words but the backbone of my practice. With 35 years of experience, I have been building portfolios that have focused on responsible investing practices for most of my career.
Whether you are just starting your career or in full swing of retirement, Kristel feels that it is very important for everyone to have access to financial advice and expertise. With over 15 years of financial industry experience and over five years of Financial Planning experience, she has extensive knowledge of all aspects of a client’s financial well-being. She focuses a great deal of energy on effective financial planning and is also fully licensed to endorse mutual funds and provide need-based Life and Health Insurance solutions. She specializes in socially responsible investment products. She continues to strive to provide all of her clients with every facet of financial planning to help them obtain their individual financial freedom.
My career began over 30 years ago on the bond desk of a major dealer, and over time, I eventually made my way to pension services at another firm. Almost 20 years ago, I joined TD Asset Management and eventually led a team of Investment Specialists. In 2003 and 2004, TD gave me leave to serve with the Canadian Army in Afghanistan (I was a Major in the active Army Reserve, and finished with 42 years of service in Canada and many parts of the world). After service in Afghanistan, I came back to TD and made my way back to the role of Investment Advisor, which I thoroughly enjoy!
In addition to my various financial designations, I hold a degree in Latin American Studies with a concentration in Developmental Economics (B.A.) from University of Toronto, and a Master of Laws (LL.M.) in Commercial Law – litigation, which I earned in England. I have also graduated from U of T with programmes in Business, Human Resources Management, and Alternate Dispute Resolution, and from the United Nations OCHA programme conducted in Buenos Aires by the UN. My ongoing involvement in the University of Toronto has included serving on Governing Council, where I was the Vice-Chair of the University Affairs Board, and Chaired the Boundless Campaign for Woodsworth College. I also served for many years in the role of Board Member and Treasurer for Academics Without Borders, St. John Ambulance Council For Ontario and have been involved in the governance of many other organizations.