Investment solutions

DARWIN Discretionary Management Program

DARWIN is an investment program that gives you access to top investment experts for the management of your assets. It is designed for investors who want to delegate the management of their portfolios to professionals they can trust.

The principal advantages of the DARWIN program are its reliability, its versatility, and the complementary skills and knowledge of the various experts who work together in the program: Desjardins Securities’ qualified Investment Advisors and Discretionary Management division, and a team of highly respected external investment managers, including Jarislowsky Fraser and McLean Budden³.

1. Offered through Desjardins Securities Financial Services.
2. Offered through Desjardins Securities Private Counsel Group.
3. Jarislowsky Fraser and McLean Budden are related to Desjardins Securities solely through the DARWIN Program.

Wealth Management for Business Families

Take a long-term approach to wealth creation with Desjardins Securities’ Private Counsel Group

As a builder of businesses, you care deeply about the success of your company, in the short term and, especially, over the long term.  This success is measured not only in terms of financial parameters but also in terms of satisfaction of your customers and development of your business’s human capital. You have great confidence in your management team, whose multiple talents and experience help you in your decision-making.

However, with the growing complexity of today’s investment vehicles, you wonder whether the substantial family fortune you have built through your business success is being managed effectively.  The challenge of managing a family fortune of more than $5 million is not just a matter of financial returns; it goes far beyond percentages!

Successful management of your wealth, like the management of your companies, depends largely on the actions of your organization and those of your family.  So time and expertise are required. Desjardins Securities’ Private Counsel Group is a team of expert professionals dedicated to organizing and integrating the management of your family’s wealth. They are your management team.  They are there to help you with the allocation and intergenerational transfer of your wealth, so you can have peace of mind.

The MFO Approach

Based on the Multi-Family Office (MFO) model and inspired by the tradition of great American and European entrepreneurial families, Desjardins Securities Private Counsel Group takes charge of all aspects of managing your wealth.

Guided by the principles of risk management, diversification, conservatism and transparency, our Private Counsel Group assists you in the following areas:

• Developing and implementing a comprehensive investment policy
• Investment management
• Investment monitoring (external)
• Integrated financial communications management
• Tax and estate planning*
• Monetizing your business in your FINCO**
• Cash and budget management
• Insurance management and follow-up*
• Philanthropic management
• Family governance
• Intergenerational education: financial literacy

We take care of everything

To carry out the chosen financial strategies, we coordinate the multidisciplinary team of professionals whom you are already dealing with or whom we have identified as best qualified to respond to your needs. Our forte is creating the necessary dynamic, with the right mix of financial and organizational services, to help you achieve your goals.

To enjoy the benefits of this unique service offered by Desjardins Securities, don’t hesitate to contact Desjardins Securities’ Private Counsel Group or a Desjardins Securities Investment Advisor.

* Services provided through Desjardins Securities Financial Services.

** Private holding company or trust.

Desjardins Securities Elite Accounts

Desjardins Securities Elite Accounts are fee-based brokerage accounts where the commissions usually paid to the Investment Advisor are replaced by fees based on the value of your assets.  With this fee structure, you’ll know beforehand what your Investment Advisor’s services will cost you, so you can focus all your attention on your investment decisions.

To pay even lower fees ⁶, you can combine your assets with those of your spouse or family members.  You can also combine your assets with those of your business, if you are the sole proprietor. What’s more, with Desjardins Securities Elite Accounts, some of the fees paid are tax deductible, and you won’t be charged any plan fees for registered accounts.

6. Certain conditions apply.