When you start the financial life planning process, or if you want to update your approach, your first instinct may be to visit your bank. At your banking institution, you will likely find many eager advisors ready to provide you with helpful advice – and sell you products you may not actually need.
CBC recently put out an article we found interesting about how banks were caught giving their customers financial advice that did not serve them and aggressively selling products that were not necessary. Many of the bank employees reported that they felt extreme pressure to push products and services to their customers, even in the wake of difficult financial times when interest rates are high and inflation is up.
In some of the major banks, hidden cameras were set up that caught employees breaking the law. Some employees were seen pushing expensive credit cards and lines of credit and giving incorrect advice about mutual funds and debt.
In 2017, after CBC’s Go Public team started investigating high-pressure sales tactics in banks and more than 3,000 bank employees spoke out about the pressure to sell, the Financial Consumer Agency of Canda (FCAC) issued a report. This report stated that sales targets were increasing, putting sales ahead of customer interest. These sales targets were generally dropped following the release of this report, but now, these targets have been reinstituted at many larger financial institutions.
Financial life planning, including estate planning, life planning, insurance planning, and even lending solutions, can often be found at smaller institutions that may not have similar sales targets in place. At BlueRock Wealth Management, we offer many similar services to those that larger banks offer, and we are committed to doing what is right for you. We don’t have any quotas to fill, and all advice is based on what is best for you, your family, and your specific goals and circumstances as life evolves and changes.