Testimonials

What are clients are saying

Jeff has been my investment advisor since 1989, and his advice has served me very well. I was able to retire from a busy dental practice in 2014, with the confidence that I would have no financial concerns.    
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Before becoming Jeff's client, I was fully invested in GICs. His guidance and investment philosophy shifted my mentality and ultimately led me to buy quality dividend paying shares instead of GICs. Because of the success I've had, I will always remember his mantra, “Be an owner, not a loaner.”

The real value for me is that Jeff’s advice has been consistent, reliable and accurate over our 30+ year relationship. His proactive communication has kept me calm through market upheavals. Thanks to his guidance, I now know that I do not need to react to every news story that forecasts doom and gloom for the markets. I often reread the daily market comments he sends months later and, true to his guidance, find that the issue of the day has passed. Once again, I feel reassured that I didn’t overreact to it.

As my daughters start their careers, I am grateful they can work with Jeff's team. I am confident in his advice and have referred many family members. I truly appreciate the relationship with Jeff and his team. Bob

 

On recommendation of Eugene’s brother, we invested with RBC and Jeff Bernath when we sold our farm in 2012. Jeff and his team have always been responsible, professional and capable. Besides providing worry-free investment management, they are excellent communicators. Their daily newsletters have a personal touch, always include a little humor and keep us updated on market trends and changes. The commemorative gifts and mementos they send are always appreciated and make us feel like part of the family.   
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During regular review meetings (which they encourage at least once a year) they take a personal interest in our lives and answer any questions we many have. They are always well-prepared before meetings which creates a relaxed atmosphere. We value their commitment and respect their counsel. Because of our trust in their friendly and expert financial advice, we have no problem recommending them to our friends and family. They could benefit from discussing their investment needs with Jeff and Kathy. Eugene and Ruth

 

We have placed our trust in Jeff and his team for over 23 years. His wealth management team runs like a well-oiled machine — strong, smooth and efficient. They work diligently to help us reach our financial goals and provide excellent guidance on how to best preserve our accumulated wealth for our children.   
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From investing to estate planning, their comprehensive service offering covers all our financial needs. Their expertise, guidance and proactive communication keeps us calm and focused during inevitable market down-turns. On the other end of the spectrum, they keep us rational and humble when “running with the bulls”. It has been so rewarding investing with this outstanding team. They have truly helped us maximize our life’s savings. F. & D.

 

Jeff is an excellent advisor with an extremely knowledgeable team. The team has a personal and practical approach – they take the time to explain investment strategies clearly and ensure both of us are equally included in the process. Their support and guidance goes beyond excellent investment advice. They help with estate planning and will bring in additional lawyers or advisors as needed to address our needs.    
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We always feel well informed because of the consistent updates they share. They send weekly emails that explain the status of the market (good or bad) and always include a funny personal story. During our review meetings, they have a great ‘tech’ set-up that shows us graphs and illustrations of our investments and financial plan.

We appreciate their accessible nature – easy to contact and quick to reply. Time after time, they have proven to be trustworthy, loyal and can host a fantastic ladies luncheon. Their personalities are ‘kind, caring and refreshingly ‘real’. Heather & Dave

 

Jeff, his team and RBC in general have been great to work with. All of our banking is with RBC, not just our investments. Personally, I really like the web platform – it allows us to see a snapshot of all our banking, credit and investments on one page. That is just one small benefit, but a valuable one to me.  
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When we were looking to find a new home for our investments, their hands-on, personal approach and ability to make our investment choices easy to understand was what first drew us to them. From the start, they laid out a clear path to our end game – retirement at a relatively early age. We are on or ahead of the path we laid out. We like that they are local to us so we can arrange a meeting and walk down the street to meet.  

Most importantly, we are very busy people – we like that they keep a close eye on our portfolio and make recommendations on what to buy and what to keep. I would consider myself a moderately informed investor, but simply do not have the time to actively manage our portfolio. The quarterly reports provided are excellent, I review those in detail. We also meet face to face a couple times each year and appreciate the focused placed on how we are tracking towards our goals. One of their best differentiators is their personal touch – they acknowledge special milestones like birthdays and promotions. They truly get to know their clients. I don’t know of any of my colleagues that get the kind of service we receive.   

The rate of return is within expected targets for a conservative portfolio and it’s how we planned it together. In the 8+ years we’ve been clients, there has not been one disappointment with the service. Jeff and Kathy are always responsive. We also appreciate the one-stop shop (legal, insurance, etc.) nature of the group.   

Overall, we have been very happy with the service level, advice and management style of Jeff’s team. Like all industries there are always other options. We’ve never felt the slightest urge to move our investments elsewhere. We like consistency and get that here. They are extremely attentive to detail and have top-notch client engagement. I have and would continue to recommend them to others. Andrew

 

We became clients shortly after we retired and have benefited from the advice and service Jeff and his team have provided for nearly 12 years. As seniors, the preparation of a financial plan, wealth creation, and tax and estate planning are crucial.   
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Jeff has the ability to explain complex issues in an ever-changing economic environment. We have told our family and friends how lucky we are to have a team we trust. Dale & Holly

 

Our involvement with Jeff and his team was prompted by the positive experience and recommendation of another family member. In the beginning, we had a portion of our portfolio with RBC and the rest at another financial institution. Having two advisors for a couple of years gave us a unique opportunity to compare the service and experience. In the end, we chose RBC to handle all our financial planning and investments because of their more comprehensive approach.    
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In addition to investment expertise, we have benefitted from having access to competent specialists who advised us on retirement planning, life insurance and estate planning. Their analysis of our situation and subsequent advice really helped us in our decision to retire feeling confident and well informed. Their detailed and thorough approach has assured us that our overall financial position is getting the attention it should. The ongoing reporting and face-to-face meetings are tailored to our needs and delivered by a great team of individuals who are a pleasure to work with. D. & S.

 

I am most appreciative of the supportive service and expert advice that is readily provided on a timely basis! The added access to an RBC lawyer for expert advice has been extremely helpful. I also value the regular emails that are informative, timely and have a good dose of humour!    
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The guidance and assistance Jeff provided for our portfolio was essential. It would have been impossible to navigate on our own. Additionally, his team puts on great luncheons that are fun, informative and make us feel appreciated. I would absolutely recommend his team to others. E.

 

With the help of our company, we had developed a reasonably good investment portfolio. It was intended to serve as our retirement fund and as a supplement to our families’ retirement funds. About twenty years ago, we turned our portfolio over to RBC because we were not satisfied we were getting serviced adequately. The extent of services included advice on stock investments, life insurance and components of our Wills.    
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Now, with Jeff, his team and the strength of RBC, we are satisfied with the expert advice and service we receive. It is very diversified and readily available at our request. We appreciate that our advisory team is always available, practically on a moment’s notice, for consultations on stock investments. We find the team very cordial and knowledgeable in their field. When we request access to additional specialists for advice on life insurance and will and estate planning, they make it happen. With RBC, we experience the full array of expertise when it comes to planning for our long-term future and would happily recommend the team to others. Dewell

 

We were first introduced to Jeff when he was at the beginning of building his career. Now, after 27 years as clients, we’re happy to say that this relationship has been profitable and pleasant throughout. He has provided us with excellent advice and guidance on investments, insurance, legal matters and retirement planning. We regularly meet to discuss our priorities which commonly include estate planning and how we are tracking towards our financial goals.    
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We value the versatility provided by Jeff and his team at RBC. It is one of the reasons we chose them over other competitors. This team comes highly recommended by our family. Karen

 

Since we started investing with Jeff Bernath and his team at RBC Dominion Securities, we have been very pleased with the overall experience. Our portfolio has been well managed, and every facet well explained. Questions have been answered promptly and thoroughly. It was very comforting to have our complete financial portfolio reviewed and have their expert input as to what we needed for our retirement and estate planning. The team at RBC DS is exemplary in all areas.   
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We also appreciated the value-added services provided, including life insurance review, and will & estate planning. Overall, we feel much more secure knowing that our ‘complete picture’ has been reviewed and is in good hands. L. & L.

 

Our experience working with Jeff and his team has been a success story. Sharon and I came to him over 25 years ago as a young couple with the idea of retiring. Our dream was to have our bills paid and owe nothing to anyone.    
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Kathy is more than Jeff’s right hand; she is professionalism personified. I always look forward to having a chat with her before we get into business because she cares. She talks, she asks and she listens. When it comes to business, she handles everything quickly, efficiently and without mistake. I may have tried to catch her in a mistake once or twice… only to find that I was in error.

Over the years, I have brought a few different investing ideas to Jeff and he has always heard me out. He reinforces the strategy of buying solid companies and holding onto them. There was a time I was contemplating penny stocks, he listened, and then respectfully shared that we wouldn’t be able to work together anymore as the concept did not fit with his investment strategy. I chose to trust his vision and stayed. It paid off – he indicated to me that I could retire this year.

Recently our meetings have been very focused on the future for Sharon and I. Jeff and Kathy have been instrumental in helping us get ready for retirement, life and what happens after. They share suggestions and guidance without making us feel any pressure. It is an easy meeting to go into.

It’s been awhile since we have worked with another investment advisory team. We continue to work with Jeff and his team because we are treated very well. Professionally, they have integrity, they are honest and have always been fair in their assumptions of risk. But more than that, we are treated like friends. They remember birthdays, take Sharon out for lunch and have always been very generous with gifts when celebrating special occasions. Also, I want to mention how much we appreciate the designated parking spot.

Thank you both so very much - we look forward to continuing to work with you! Nyall & Sharon

 

We moved our investments to Jeff’s team 5 years ago and entrusted them with our overall financial affairs. We are very impressed with the strong relationship they’ve built with us and how their investment philosophy has positively contributed to the performance of our portfolio.    
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Jeff, Kathy and the team have wowed us with excellent client service. Time, and time again, they have proven their support, demonstrated their care and proactively attended to our needs. We appreciate their commitment and dedication to us. They always make themselves available to us; they provide excellent advice and follow through with timely execution. We value the regularly scheduled in-person portfolio performance review meetings and their accessibility for additional touchpoints whenever needs arise.

Their team offers an abundance of extra services. We’ve taken advantage of their robust retirement planning, life insurance investment strategies and will and estate planning services. I highly recommend Jeff and his team! Rob

 

We’ve been clients since 2010 and have found Jeff and his team to be very professional, friendly and always helpful. We are treated with respect and enjoy the personalized service. All our questions and information requests are handled immediately and accurately. We feel like we are as important to them as anyone, even though our portfolio is moderate in size and we are conservative investors.    
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We meet with Jeff and Kathy twice a year for reviews (or more if we request). Our portfolio is handled in the conservative manner that we requested. If we have any questions in between our meetings, we feel comfortable contacting anyone from the team and know they will help us promptly. We also appreciate the daily email that provides regular market information and how they have initiated a Will and Estate review and Financial Planning review for us.

Our priorities as investors are:
• Working with a team we have absolute trust in
• Open communication and personalization
• Ensuring our portfolio is handled as requested

We feel comfortable with Jeff and his team as they personify the above. We would recommend their team to anyone with these priorities. We’ve had experience working with other firms and advisory teams. They provided great service, but it was different. The determining factor when choosing to move to Jeff’s team was fit. We ‘clicked’ more with his team. Additionally, they host meaningful events and send gifts to acknowledge special moments. We appreciate the added touches – it makes us feel like they value having us as clients. Willis and Arlaine