David Wright’s business card may list him as a senior wealth advisor and portfolio manager, but at any given time, he could be doubling as a psychologist, life coach, crisis manager or master puzzle solver.
That’s because Wright isn’t simply a numbers guy. With Wright Wealth Management of BMO Nesbitt Burns, clients get a holistic picture of their finances from the time their careers and families begin, right through to the Golden Years of retirement.
“Within the first five or 10 minutes of meeting a new client, I want to establish my honesty, integrity and being someone you can trust,” Wright explains. “Those are things that are very important to me. I don't make promises that I can't deliver on.”
Wright’s career stretches over close to two decades, during which time he’s earned his master of business administration, chartered financial analyst and certified financial planner designations.
But Wright’s strength lies in his ability to stay the course, given that his professional life has seen him navigate the 2008 financial crisis, the uncertainty of the COVID-19 pandemic and the current market chaos caused by the political rancour south of the border.
It’s because of those experiences that Wright is able to explain heady concepts to clients who may be wary of numbers, lacking a plan, or others who view long-term planning as an abstract concept. He does so by employing an everyman approach that’s focused on analogies, metaphors and everyday language.
A case in point in how Wright employs metaphors is found in the epic Greek tale of Odysseus and the Sirens – where the protagonist lashes himself the mast of a ship while putting wax in the ears of his sailors to avoid distraction from the Sirens’ calls and temptations.
“Think of the financial news, headlines or market fluctuations as the Sirens – there's always something going on to try to lure our clients away from their plan,” Wright explains. “My job is to keep clients lashed to that mast – or in this case, to their plan – because there are always going to be things that are going to try to steer them off course.”
And while Wright’s clients run the gamut of ages and backgrounds, he’s seeing an uptick in two particular demographics: young professionals between the ages of 35 and 45 and recently retired former professionals.
In the case of the former, many lack a plan to begin with. It’s here that Wright establishes the roadmap, builds practical habits and encourages long-term planning for any number of goals: mortgages, home purchases, savings plans, education goals for the kids and more.
“They'll have puzzle pieces, but they'll be in the wrong spot or they don’t even know what the puzzle should look like, so I help them put those pieces together,” Wright says.
For the retired or those contemplating that step, future proofing and recalibration is the order of the day. Anxiety can set in once a steady paycheck of 40 years dries up and it’s here that Wright helps steady the ship by going over executors, legal needs, tax implications and cash flow.
“I've had a number of scenarios where clients of all ages look like they don't know what to do – I love figuring out where everything fits,” Wright says. “So, if a client isn’t necessarily a numbers person, don't worry, I got it. I'll do it for you.”
With decades of experience and a people-first mindset, Wright ensures his clients stay focused, informed and ready for whatever comes next. Take the first step towards financial clarity today, visit nesbittburns.bmo.com/davidl.wright or call David Wright at 778-785-2584 for more information.
