Dean Kendall • January 6, 2020
THIS IS ADVICE YOU WILL NEVER GET FROM YOUR FINANCIAL ADVISOR, INVESTMENT FIRM OR WEALTH MANAGEMENT FIRM, BECAUSE THEY ARE THE ONES HIDING THE FEES FROM YOU!

Major big brand-name financial institutions you have grown to trust are charging HUGE HIDDEN FEES…AND IT’S LEGAL. These fees can add years to the time it takes you to reach your financial goals.

Canadians are allowing themselves to be gouged and losing a great deal of their money in the process – Amanda Lang, CBC News

CARP, the media, and others are lobbying to get those laws changed, but in the meantime, I’ve written a book to alert consumers to this crisis.

You will learn how to protect yourself from these legal shenanigans and the unscrupulous advisors who hope you never look that closely.

I am passionate about helping people make more informed decisions so they can reach their financial goals years earlier, enabling them to live their ideal lives.

This problem will NOT fix itself!


Dean Kendall is a Financial Organizer in Calgary, handling all of the financial affairs for a select group of clients who value unbiased quality advice for one simple flat fee.


His latest book is Stop Paying Hidden Investment Fees! Click here for more information https://ideal-life-experience.ca/deans-book


In addition, Dean is a 3X Canadian National # 1 Amateur, a 5X Canadian National #1 Professional BMX rider, downhill mountain biker and an avid snowboarder. He is an expert at winning. Let him show you how to win the money game. You can reach Dean at dean@ideal-life-experience.ca or Phone 403-543-7226

Copyright 2008 – 2020 by Dean Kendall. All rights reserved.


By Dean Kendall January 27, 2020
Are you living YOUR values? Your values are the individualized beliefs that shape who you are. Without them, you as an individual cease to exist. People don’t often discuss values these days. In our media dominated culture there’s a general assumption that almost all of us share the same basic values or should. That simply is not realistic. We are greatly different from one another and when we fail to act on these differences in our lives, we diminish the source of all personal power. Personal power is personal and comes from you alone. Anybody who encroaches on your individuality diminishes your power. For example, I love to be adventurous, I love to heli-board and downhill mountain bike but there are a lot of people who consider some of the things I do to be just frivolous thrill seeking
By Dean Kendall December 3, 2019
What are your top 3 goals? What do you want to achieve in your life? What goals do you have that require money to accomplish? What goals do you have that don’t require money? If you’re serious you should be writing them down emptying your brain right now of every goal in your life. How many do you have? What others are there? Write, write, write! Don’t filter them. Just empty your brain right now. Next, choose your most important goal. What is the one goal that's jumps out at you? What is the most important goal you wrote down on your list? What is the goal you are most passionate about? What is the one that will change your life? What is the one that you look at and say, that's the one that I most want to accomplish! Now ask yourself these questions: How committed are you to accomplishing it? How much energy and time are you willing to commit to achieving this goal each week? How truly committed are you on a scale from 1-10 with 10 being totally committed and 1 being “I don't think so.” If you are not a 9 or a 10…quit now. You’ll never make it. Find a goal you are willing to completely commit to. How much pain are you willing to endure to accomplish your goal? Where is your true commitment? Find the goal you are willing to commit to. Do NOT move on to the next step until you have complete clarity about your goals. Choose the one goal that you are willing to commit completely to accomplishing. Let me share my story and how it applies to you setting and achieving your most important financial goals.
By Dean Kendall October 25, 2019
So here is the process to “Become the Champion of Your Dreams”. You are going to set a goal. You are going to make a plan. You are going to get to work. You are going to stick to your plan because your goal is important to you and you know exactly what to do to get there on time. And you are going to rapidly reach your goal! That’s the basic process. I want to share my system for setting and achieving goals because if you can set and achieve one goal, you can set and achieve any goal. The process is EXACTLY the same no matter what the goal. There is no difference between setting and achieving a goal to be a thousandaire and setting and achieving a goal to be a millionaire. The process is exactly the same. Once you learn it, you can achieve any goal you set! In fact, it becomes easier over time. Your dreams come first! Your goals come first! But it only works if you are crystal clear about your goals. You must know what winning looks like for you.
By Dean Kendall October 23, 2019
Why do we go into business? So we can live our best life, as I like to call it our ideal life. In order to live our ideal life we need a crystal clear vision in our head of what that looks like. That vision starts with gaining exceptional clarity around your most deeply held values, identifying and breaking down your most important goals and then ensuring your finances are aligned so you can accelerate the accomplishment of those goals. You start with what you want to accomplish in your personal life. Why? Because your business is the tool, the engine that both fuels and supports your personal life and all your experiences that make up your ideal life vision. Now you can start creating a financial road map for your business. This is your port in the storm, it keeps you focused on what you are trying to achieve. It’s a compass to guide you to where you want to go with your business. It gives you clear direction of how to get from point A to point B without getting lost. A good business strategy helps you to execute efficiently and not waste time with trial and error. Start with the end in mind. Write down your goals for the next year, three years, and 10 years. Really challenge yourself – Dream BIG! If you think small, you’ll play small. Know how to set and achieve goals. Know where you are now. Financially, systematically and operationally. Analyze the gaps. Find out where you need to invest more time/effort/resources. Clarify your target market. Understand your market and competitors, and build your marketing plan. Build your service offerings. Structure them in such a way that addresses your clients' biggest pain points. Identify systems. Pinpoint the processes and your team that will support you and your business. Have back up plans. You need to be prepared to make detours so that the roadblocks don’t derail your journey to success. Celebrate the milestones as you reach them. Remember, your financial road map is not a one-time thing. Your strategy is a living, breathing document that should be revisited at least annually (quarterly is better). Take time to stop and reflect regularly to see where you are in achieving your goals, and to adjust your course as necessary to get back on track if you’ve been derailed. Dean Kendall is a Financial Organizer in Calgary, handling all of the financial affairs for a select group of clients who value unbiased quality advice for one simple flat fee. His latest book is Stop Paying Hidden Investment Fees! Click here for more information https://ideal-life-experience.ca/deans-book In addition, Dean is a 3X Canadian National # 1 Amateur, a 5X Canadian National #1 Professional BMX rider, downhill mountain biker and an avid snowboarder. He is an expert at winning. Let him show you how to win the money game. You can reach Dean at dean@ideal-life-experience.ca or Phone 403-543-7226 Ideal Life Experience Ltd. Copyright 2008 – 2019 by Dean Kendall. All rights reserved.
By Dean Kendall October 11, 2019
It was great fun facilitating my workshop - Stop Paying Hidden Investment Fees! for CARP Calgary this week. The participants had many AHA moments and great questions regarding all the hidden investment fees in their investment accounts. The outcome was a better understanding of the fees they pay, the massive impact on the achievement of their goals and the options to course correct their current situation. A few AHA moments… -This was advice they have never received from their bank, wealth management firm or financial advisor. They are the ones hiding the fees from their clients! -Financial advisors are held to a “suitability” standard that DOES NOT require them to act in the best interests of their clients. A fiduciary duty is defined as a legal duty to act solely in another party’s best interests. Look for an advisor who is a fiduciary, there are very few in Canada. -BUYER BEWARE “Higher commissions can influence representatives to recommend one investment over another. Ask about other funds and investments that may be suitable for you at a lower cost”. -Anyone can hold themselves out as a financial planner. Participants became enlightened to discover: How to find out what fees they are paying and how to keep those fees low How to ensure that the fees they do pay are tax advantaged Why it is critical in all market conditions to only use passive investing Why it is critical to proactively manage the other areas of their financial life The massive impact these strategies will have on achieving their goals decades sooner. Canadians are being massively overcharged every day with hidden investment fees in virtually every investment account by virtually every bank and investment firm in Canada. All the Major big brand-name financial institutions you have grown to trust. And these hidden fees are LEGAL! This problem will NOT fix itself! Dean Kendall is a Financial Organizer in Calgary, handling all of the financial affairs for a select group of clients who value unbiased quality advice for one simple flat fee. His latest book is Stop Paying Hidden Investment Fees! Click here for more information https://ideal-life-experience.ca/deans-book In addition, Dean is a 3X Canadian National # 1 Amateur, a 5X Canadian National #1 Professional BMX rider, downhill mountain biker and an avid snowboarder. He is an expert at winning. Let him show you how to win the money game. You can reach Dean at dean@ideal-life-experience.ca or Phone 403-543-7226 Copyright 2008 – 2019 by Dean Kendall. All rights reserved.
By Dean Kendall October 8, 2019
Here is a quote directly from the organization that develops, promotes and enforces professional standards in financial planning, The Financial Planning Standards Council: Financial planning is not regulated in most Canadian provinces. This means that anyone can call themselves a "financial planner". However, not everyone who refers to themselves as a planner is indeed qualified; many so-called financial planners are licensed to sell products but have no financial planning training or expertise. In the absence of government regulation, consumers must ensure their planner is indeed trained, certified, and held accountable in providing professional financial planning. Allowing anyone to hold themselves out as a financial planner leaves Canadians confused and at risk. Half of Canadians believe financial planners are regulated. They are not. The need for unbiased financial advice has never been more urgent. While many financial planners voluntarily seek out rigorous education and certifications, some people who call themselves financial planners don’t have the skills or qualifications to provide financial planning and are not accountable to any oversight body or subject to government regulations. This is a pretty scary reality, especially when you consider the importance of finances in one’s life and that money and financial issues are one of the single biggest sources of stress for most people. Yet, few consumers ever question what sort of education or experience their advisors possess, or the professional standards their advisors are held to. Most people just assume that their financial advisors have their best interests at heart and that it is generally NOT the case. Can anyone call themselves a surgeon, accountant or dentist? No. Why then, is an industry so critical to your survival so lightly regulated? Canada’s regulators must require a fiduciary standard. They currently do not. A fiduciary duty is defined as a legal duty to act solely in another party’s best interests. Fiduciaries have a duty to avoid conflicts of interest between themselves and their principals, and may not profit from their relationship with a principal without their express consent. The concept of a fiduciary duty has been in society for centuries, and is central to the English common law system, as well as modern securities regulation. Currently, financial advisors in Canada are held to a “suitability” standard that does not require them to act in the best interests of their clients, instead, they must simply ensure that any investment recommendations are suitable given a client’s risk tolerance and return objectives. The implementation of a fiduciary standard would have widespread implications for the financial industry, as advisors would be required to ensure that all recommendations were in the best interest of their clients, including the minimization of all fees and expenses, which is typically at odds with the advisor’s goal of maximizing revenue from a client account. This would involve a shift towards the client’s goals and objectives ahead of the advisors. Buyer Beware!! Generic Advice Too many of these so called “advisors” sell investment products without truly understanding your values, goals or objectives. They have no idea of the larger landscape of your situation. Without understanding the entire picture, how could they possibly give you proper advice? In these circumstances the advisor’s value promise is generally very product centered with a focus on sales tactics such as risk avoidance, supposedly superior past performance, rates of return, and hope. Product Focus We need to clarify what we mean by a financial product vs. a financial service because products are generally speaking “the root of all evil.” A financial “product” is a pre-packaged investment, insurance policy or other financial instrument. The reason products are suspect is that they generally are packed with hidden fees. They are sold at a given “price” or “rate” or “charge,” but there are many hidden fees not easily discovered without some real due diligence on your part. These products are often the perfect vehicle for hidden fees and they often hide conflicts of interest for the advisors who sell them. A financial “service,” on the other hand, might include drafting a will or estate plan or creating a financial plan. Generally these are billed on an hourly basis or are charged at a flat fee for a given outcome or deliverable. These can be easily comparison shopped and the fees are generally transparent to the investor. Help from a Friend Can Get You in Trouble Sadly, when people are scared or confused, they turn to their well-meaning friends, family and colleagues for advice, even though none of these people are licensed or qualified as investment advisors. Even if they have had success investing, your situation and needs may be very different. The World is Changing. Canada is Lagging. Canada is definitely lagging in regards to disclosure, transparency and high fees. The marketplace is changing. You do not have to settle for poor transparency and high hidden fees. You can become better informed, discover new opportunities and make much better choices. It’s up to you to consider these new possibilities and move forward. The fact that you are reading this article is an excellent first step. It is easy to learn how not to get ripped off. You just have to know where to look and what questions to ask. Advice matters In today’s world, managing personal finance is complicated and shouldn’t be done alone. Yet a study by the Financial Planning Standards Council found that 6 in 10 Canadians have never reached out to a professional for advice. There are many reasons for this, including misperceptions about who can use an advisor. Dean Kendall is a Financial Organizer in Calgary, handling all of the financial affairs for a select group of clients who value unbiased quality advice for one simple flat fee. His latest book is Stop Paying Hidden Investment Fees! Click here for more information https://ideal-life-experience.ca/deans-book In addition, Dean is a 3X Canadian National # 1 Amateur, a 5X Canadian National #1 Professional BMX rider, downhill mountain biker and an avid snowboarder. He is an expert at winning. Let him show you how to win the money game. You can reach Dean at dean@ideal-life-experience.ca or Phone 403-543 -7226 Copyright 2008 – 2019 by Dean Kendall. All rights reserved. 403 543 7226 dean@ideal-life-experience.ca
By Dean Kendall October 5, 2019
What is the meaning of wolf in sheep's clothing? A wolf in sheep's clothing . A dangerous person who is pretending to be harmless; an enemy who is disguised as a friend. This idiom is a warning that you cannot necessarily trust someone simply because they appear to be kind and friendly. Many people have blind trust and a false sense of security working with the big brand-name financial institutions. The industry is dramatically overcharging and under delivering. There are too many product-pushing salespeople who put their interests ahead of their clients. Consumers BEWARE! Titles held by advice givers like “Wealth Manager,” “Financial Advisor,” or "Trusted Advisor” have no real meaning and are not sanctioned by any legal body. Financial Planning is not regulated in much of Canada and anyone can call themselves a Financial Planner. Misdirection Like great magicians, the industry is masterful at generating distracting misdirection, counterproductive noise and information that focuses your attention on anything but full transparency and full disclosure of the exceptionally high fees they are charging you. Canadians are being massively overcharged every day with hidden investment fees in nearly every investment account by virtually every bank and investment firm in Canada. You need to protect yourself from these legal shenanigans from the unscrupulous advisors who hope you never look that closely. No Standards This is compounded by the fact that virtually anyone can call themselves a financial planner. With the bar set very low, there are many unqualified advisors in the marketplace creating confusion and irreversible damage. Many unsuspecting investors engage salespeople and / or “financial advisors” who are only paid when they sell a product. Salespeople on commission (regardless of their title) rarely have your best interests at heart and the investments they sell are often less than stellar investments precisely because of the percentage of your investment that goes directly to commissions. How can you get a great return on your investment if a huge chunk of your money is paid out as a commission? The short answer is that you can’t. The sad reality in Canada is that anyone can call themselves a financial planner and even the “legitimate” advisors are not mandated to provide any kind of standardized services and or deliverables to a client. Further, advisors are NOT held to a fiduciary standard, meaning that legally, they are not required to put your interests ahead of their own! There are over 18,000 individuals formally qualified to call themselves financial planners and tens of thousands more calling themselves financial advisors, financial consultants, investment advisors or wealth managers. Today in Canada, outside of Quebec, anyone can call themselves a financial planner. There is no regulation that restricts the use of that title. Just like any other profession, there are some great people who work as advisors and some not-so-great people. Here is a quote directly from the organization that develops, promotes and enforces professional standards in financial planning, The Financial Planning Standards Council: Financial planning is not regulated in most Canadian provinces. This means that anyone can call themselves a "financial planner". However, not everyone who refers to themselves as a planner is indeed qualified; many so-called financial planners are licensed to sell products but have no financial planning training or expertise. In the absence of government regulation, consumers must ensure their planner is indeed trained, certified, and held accountable in providing professional financial planning. Allowing anyone to hold themselves out as a financial planner leaves Canadians confused and at risk. Half of Canadians believe financial planners are regulated. They are not. The need for unbiased financial advice has never been more urgent. While many financial planners voluntarily seek out rigorous education and certifications, some people who call themselves financial planners don’t have the skills or qualifications to provide financial planning and are not accountable to any oversight body or subject to government regulations. This is a pretty scary reality, especially when you consider the importance of finances in one’s life and that money and financial issues are one of the single biggest sources of stress for most people. Yet, few consumers ever question what sort of education or experience their advisors possess, or the professional standards their advisors are held to. Most people just assume that their financial advisors have their best interests at heart and I believe that it is generally NOT the case. Can anyone call themselves a surgeon, accountant or dentist? No. Why then, is an industry so critical to your survival so lightly regulated? Canada’s regulators must require a fiduciary standard. They currently do not. A fiduciary duty is defined as a legal duty to act solely in another party’s best interests. Fiduciaries have a duty to avoid conflicts of interest between themselves and their principals, and may not profit from their relationship with a principal without their express consent. The concept of a fiduciary duty has been in society for centuries, and is central to the English common law system, as well as modern securities regulation. Currently, financial advisors in Canada are held to a “suitability” standard that does not require them to act in the best interests of their clients, instead, they must simply ensure that any investment recommendations are suitable given a client’s risk tolerance and return objectives. The implementation of a fiduciary standard would have widespread implications for the financial industry, as advisors would be required to ensure that all recommendations were in the best interest of their clients, including the minimization of all fees and expenses, which is typically at odds with the advisor’s goal of maximizing revenue from a client account. This would involve a shift towards the client’s goals and objectives ahead of the advisors . Buyer Beware!! It really makes you wonder who has YOUR back! Dean Kendall is a Financial Organizer in Calgary, handling all of the financial affairs for a select group of clients who value unbiased quality advice for one simple flat fee. His latest book is Stop Paying Hidden Investment Fees! Click here for more information https://ideal-life-experience.ca/deans-book In addition, Dean is a 3X Canadian National # 1 Amateur, a 5X Canadian National #1 Professional BMX rider, downhill mountain biker and an avid snowboarder. He is an expert at winning. Let him show you how to win the money game. You can reach Dean at dean@ideal-life-experience.ca or Phone 403-543 -7226 Copyright 2008 – 2019 by Dean Kendall. All rights reserved. 403 543 7226 dean@ideal-life-experience.ca
By Dean Kendall October 4, 2019
I’m going to let you in on a very important secret that very few people know or understand about how to win with money. The secret is this, if you want to have lots of money…money is the last thing you should be thinking about! What you should be asking yourself is, what are my goals? In other words what will I DO with the money once I get it? Once you are clear on your goals, then you have to create a plan to deliver exceptional value to others in exchange for the money you need. In other words… Money Comes LAST! Money is the outcome of the efforts you put forth to create value for others. If you can stop focusing on your money issues and start putting your focus on being extraordinary at what you do to create money, you’ll have all the money you need and it all starts with your dreams. If you want to become the champion of your dreams, you must start with your dreams. What do you want from your life that you do not have right now? What is it that you really WANT? Because that is the MOST important thing! When you have a clear picture in your mind’s eye of exactly what you want, you will quickly be able to create a plan to get it. But if you don’t have a clear picture of exactly what you want you will never get it.
By Dean Kendall October 1, 2019
THIS IS SOME ADVICE THAT YOU WILL NEVER GET FROM YOUR FINANCIAL ADVISOR, INVESTMENT FIRM OR WEALTH MANAGEMENT FIRM, BECAUSE THEY ARE THE ONES HIDING THE FEES FROM YOU! Consumers BEWARE! Titles held by advice givers like “Wealth Manager,” “Financial Advisor,” or "Trusted Advisor” have no real meaning and are not sanctioned by any legal body. Financial Planning is not regulated in much of Canada and anyone can call themselves a Financial Planner. Many, if not most, of these advice givers are just sales people. Most are on commission of one kind or another and many charge high HIDDEN FEES. Canadians are allowing themselves to be gouged, and losing a great deal of their own money in the process . - Amanda Lang, CBC News A Marketplace report looked at Canada's five biggest banks — CIBC, Royal Bank, Toronto-Dominion Bank, Bank of Montreal and Scotiabank — and found most offer little clarity on how the fees work and how much they cost. - Marketplace Consumer Advocacy Group If you are like most Canadians you aren’t even aware of ALL the HIDDEN FEES buried within your investment holdings…BECAUSE they are LEGALLY HIDDEN. This problem will NOT fix itself! Take the first step today https://lnkd.in/d6gjhka By reading this Special Guidebook, by Dean Kendall, you’ll discover: How to find out what fees you are paying and how to keep those fees low How to ensure that the fees you do pay are tax advantaged Why it is critical in all market conditions to only use passive investing Why it is critical that you proactively manage the other areas of your financial life The massive impact these strategies will have on achieving your goals decades sooner Who will benefit? Successful Business Owners, Entrepreneurs & Professionals who appreciate a higher fiduciary standard and a culture of full disclosure. Dean Kendall is a Financial Organizer in Calgary, handling all of the financial affairs for a select group of clients who value unbiased quality advice for one simple flat fee. His latest book is Stop Paying Hidden Investment Fees! Click here for more information https://ideal-life-experience.ca/deans-book In addition, Dean is a 3X Canadian National # 1 Amateur, a 5X Canadian National #1 Professional BMX rider, downhill mountain biker and an avid snowboarder. He is an expert at winning. Let him show you how to win the money game. You can reach Dean at dean@ideal-life-experience.ca or Phone 403-543-7226 Copyright 2008 – 2019 by Dean Kendall. All rights reserved.
By Dean Kendall September 9, 2019
I was in San Diego doing some video production. Yikes, easier said than done! It was a humbling awesome learning experience. Was I comfortable, absolutely not? Did I stretch myself, yes? Remember when you are learning you are winning. Do you view DISCOMFORT as your friend or foe? You may have resistance when something presents itself that will be a challenge or take you out of your comfort zone. Instantly your mind starts working and voices will be telling you a few stories. How do you react in that moment? Do you start thinking of an awesome excuse as to why you cannot do it or should not do it? Alternatively, do you move forward with a knot in your stomach knowing you will be better for it? Understand that the knot in your stomach is your signal that growth and opportunity lay ahead. The reality is if you move forward and tell the voice of resistance to take a hike you will become much more successful in life. I am convinced that you must push yourself outside your comfort zone to make any advances in your life. Think about it. Your comfort zone is where everything feels safe and familiar. How can you reach your most important goals and live your ideal life if you are not stretching yourself and growing on a regular basis? “Nobody ever died of discomfort, yet living in the name of comfort has killed more ideas, more opportunities, more actions, and more growth than everything else combined. Comfort kills!”- T. Harv Eker, Author of Secrets of the Millionaire Mind. Consider a new possibility. How your life could be if you ventured into the discomfort zone. Would you feel better about yourself? Would you be more respected in your community? Would you have more self-confidence? Would you be more successful? Would you accomplish your dreams and goals? If you want to live a truly glorious life…Money comes last…your values, dreams and goals come first. John Lee Dumas is the host of a top 10 podcast called “entrepreneur on fire.” John Lee interviewed over 1,500 successful entrepreneurs and he found one common denominator among all the successful entrepreneurs. They know how to set and achieve goals. You see, here is where most people go wrong. They set a goal, but when the going gets tough, they either abandon their goal…or move the date. But the goal achievers do something different. They change their behavior. They don’t drop the goal or move the date. Instead, they do whatever they have to do to achieve the goal. They change their behaviors and actions to ensure that they get there on time. They add ideas, hours and effort but they never give up and they never move the date. It's just that simple. The winners have learned a process to set and achieve goals…and you can too. If you can set and achieve one small goal and reach it then you can set and achieve a bigger goal. Then you can set a medium-sized goal and reach it. And pretty soon your dreams and your discipline will drive you to achieve every one of your major lifetime goals. That’s exactly what the 1,500 entrepreneurs John Lee Dumas interviewed have done. Experience a new level of success and goal achievement by embracing and entering the discomfort zone! Dean Kendall is a Financial Organizer in Calgary, handling all of the financial affairs for a select group of clients who value unbiased quality advice for one simple flat fee. His latest book is Stop Paying Hidden Investment Fees! Click here for more information https://ideal-life-experience.ca/deans-book In addition, Dean is a 3X Canadian National # 1 Amateur, a 5X Canadian National #1 Professional BMX rider, downhill mountain biker and an avid snowboarder. He is an expert at winning. Let him show you how to win the money game. You can reach Dean at dean@ideal-life-experience.ca or Phone 403-543 -7226 Copyright 2008 – 2019 by Dean Kendall. All rights reserved. 403 543 7226 dean@ideal-life-experience.ca
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