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Banner for independent advisor associated with Canada Life

About

We’ll help you build a personalized financial security plan. Financial security planning is about more than just retirement planning – it’s about building a financial strategy that considers your immediate needs and your long-term goals and dreams.

About us

Belks Financial Strategies Inc.

Belks Corporate Strategies Inc. was established by Mark Kobelka, CFP®. The vision was to put together a team of advisors and provide proper service to Winnipeg and Brandon, as well as all the other surrounding rural areas, such as Portage La Prairie, The Pas and everywhere in between. Travis Foster, CFP® and CJ Grambo appreciate the vision and joined the team as associate advisors. We have other advisors that we work with as well when needed and we are always looking for new people to join our team who align with our vision. Clients move and want to stay with us, so we also have clients in many different provinces that we take care of. Our team consists of educated Financial Security Advisors available in multiple office locations to ensure our clients receive the service they deserve in a timely manner. The Certified Financial Planner® is the most desired designation in the financial industry, both Mark Kobelka and Travis Foster have this designation.

Our head office for Belks Corporate Strategies Inc. is in Brandon, Manitoba. We have an office in Portage La Prairie as well as in The Pas. Our main regional Canada Life office is in Winnipeg and houses the specialists we have available to us. Whether we are dealing with insurance, investments or group planning, we have that specific specialist available to work with us. With technology these days we can just about connect from anywhere. This is handy especially with our clients outside Manitoba, however, we still prefer to meet in person whenever possible.

At Belks Corporate Strategies Inc. we feel all clients deserve to have a financial plan design that is unique to their goals and dreams. There are many reasons for a plan to get sidetracked or take a different direction. We want to help our clients design this plan to succeed with a common goal that no matter what happens along the way, your family will be OK.

financial goals. We will meet for introductions, understand your current situation, complete an analysis with all the facts, provide recommendations, implement the plan and then review periodically as we may need to adjust along the journey.

Philosophy

Financial security planning is about more than just retirement planning; it’s about building a financial strategy that considers your immediate needs and your long-term goals and dreams.

Using the Canada Life security planning process, we’ll:

  • Help you define what financial freedom means to you
  • Help analyze your current situation, goals and dreams
  • Help identify any roadblocks to achieving your goals
  • Work with you to build a financial security plan that considers your short and long-term goals
  • Regularly review your financial security plan, ensuring it evolves with your changing needs

Four cornerstones of financial security planning

Whether your goals are long-term (such as retirement) or more immediate (such as starting a business or saving for a child’s education), we can help you build a financial strategy tailored to your needs and those of your family. In developing your financial security plan, we’ll consider the four cornerstones of financial security planning:

  1. Financial security at death
    • When you die, how can you help safeguard your estate for your family?
    • How much income will your family need?
    • How will inflation affect this income?
  2. Retirement
    • Would you like to retire early or reduce the time you spend working?
    • When you retire, what type of lifestyle do you envision?
    • How much income will you need to retire comfortably?
    • How will inflation affect this income?
  3. Liquidity
    • Do you have access to cash or liquid assets (i.e. assets that can be easily converted to cash)?
  4. Disability and critical illness
    • How would a critical illness or disability affect your income?
    • Would a reduced income affect your retirement savings and would this reduction affect your lifestyle?
    • How much disability or critical illness insurance coverage is enough?
    • If you become critically ill or disabled and take time off work, how will inflation affect your income?
    • If you become critically ill or disabled, will provisions in your group plan allow you to continue saving for your retirement?

Life stages

We want to understand your needs, recognizing they may change as you proceed through life’s stages.

Early Career

As you start your career, you may want to:

  • Purchase life and disability insurance to cover your income or protect your ability to earn an income
  • Purchase term life insurance or critical illness insurance as a cost-effective way to cover an outstanding mortgage or debt
  • Purchase health and dental insurance coverage if your employer does not offer a group benefits plan

Family

Having children changes your life and your needs. Now is a good time to:

  • Review your financial security plan
  • Plan for your children’s education with options such as registered education saving plans (RESPs)

Business Owner

If you own your own business, you may want to:

  • Consider business continuation, buy/sell agreement funding and key person insurance as part of your business planning
  • Buy insurance to help cover outstanding business loans or mortgages if you die or suffer from critical illness
  • Purchase a health and dental insurance plan
  • Consider group insurance options for your employees

Retirement

If you are retired or plan to retire soon:

  • Insurance can help supplement your income and can help you leave a legacy
  • Health and dental insurance coverage can take over if your benefits through your employer end upon retirement