Our very own, Senior Wealth Advisor and Portfolio Manager Maili Wong has contributed to a new piece in The Globe and Mail, talking about how advisors are often better positioned to notice subtle changes in client behavior that may indicate cognitive decline.

Read the whole article here. Here’s what Maili had to say:

Maili Wong, senior wealth advisor and senior portfolio manager with The Wong Group at Wellington-Altus Private Wealth Inc. in Vancouver, says advisors are better positioned than technology to notice subtle changes in client behaviour that may indicate cognitive decline.

“There is a place for technology, [although] we have not come across a particular program or app that we use to rely on for this purpose,” she says. Instead, her approach is based on relationships and understanding the client’s behaviour with their finances.

She shares an example of a client situation she was able to intervene before her client took a regrettable step because she observed out-of-character behaviour and then asked probing questions. She watches for situations in which a client asks about something already discussed, forgets a request they made, or poses an out-of-context question. That prompts a conversation to find out whether the client has noticed recent forgetfulness and, when appropriate, she reaches out to the client’s trusted contact person or power of attorney.

“If we can be proactive, it can help prevent bigger problems.”

 

If you have any questions about how this relates to you or your investment portfolio and financial plan, please give us a call at 778 655 2410 or email us at thewonggroup@wellington-altus.ca

Sincerely,
Maili Wong, CFA, CFP, FEA
Senior Portfolio Manager & Senior Wealth Advisor

Wellington-Altus Private Wealth Inc.

Board Director

Wellington-Altus Financial Inc.

Maili Wong is a senior portfolio manager and senior wealth advisor at The Wong Group at Wellington-Altus Private Wealth and the Amazon best-selling author of ‘Smart Risk.’ She has over two decades of experience in the finance industry and was named a Top Wealth Advisor and one of the Best in Province in the 2022 rankings produced by The Globe and Mail and SHOOK Research.