The financial planning industry was built largely by men, for men — and despite progress, women still often receive advice that doesn't fully account for the financial realities they face. The wage gap means lower lifetime earnings to save from. Career breaks for caregiving reduce CPP contributions and compress the retirement savings window. Women live longer on average — which means your money has to last longer too. And women are significantly more likely to face widowhood or divorce, often suddenly.
These aren't minor footnotes. They are structural realities that require a financial plan built specifically around them. Yet most financial plans treat women the same as their male counterparts — using the same assumptions, the same retirement age projections, and the same generic investment recommendations. That's not good enough.
Joanne David CFP® FCSI built her practice with professional women in mind. She works with women across British Columbia, Alberta, and Saskatchewan — professionals, business owners, women navigating divorce or widowhood, women returning to work after a career break, and women who simply want to understand their finances clearly and take control of their future. As a woman and a fee-only advisor, she speaks plainly, respects your intelligence, and is genuinely in your corner.
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✓ Knowing What You Own and Why
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We help you understand every account, investment and insurance policy you hold — what it is, what it costs, and the reason it is there. No more statements you file away unread. When you know what you own and why, you can tell what is working for you and what is not.
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✓ Strategies to Help Grow Your Wealth
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Practical, tax-smart strategies to help your money grow toward the life you want — choosing between your RRSP, TFSA and non-registered accounts, using the contribution room you have, and keeping more of what you earn. Growth that fits your timeline and comfort level, not someone else's sales target.
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✓ Protecting Your Interests and Your Family's
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Making sure your own financial interests are protected, as well as those of the people you love. We look at insurance, beneficiaries, powers of attorney and how your assets are held, so that a death, illness, separation or job loss does not undo everything you have worked for.
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✓ Evaluating "What If" Scenarios
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What if you retire early, lose a partner, help a child buy a home, or change careers? We run the numbers on the scenarios that matter to you, side by side, so you can see the real impact on your future before you decide — rather than finding out afterward.
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✓ Connecting Your Goals to Your Real Life
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A plan on paper only matters if it changes how you live. We connect your financial goals to their actual impact on your life — what you can spend each month, when you can stop working, and how much freedom you have — so the numbers mean something real to you.
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✓ Real, Actionable Steps Forward
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Every plan ends with clear, practical next steps you can act on — what to do, in what order, and by when. Not a thick report that sits on a shelf, but a short list that moves you forward, with someone checking in to help you follow through.
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✓ A Mentor in Your Corner
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Someone to hold as your backbencher mentor whenever you have a question about money. Before you sign a mortgage, take a severance, help a family member or make a big purchase, you have a trusted, independent person to call — someone who knows your whole picture and has no product to sell you.
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✓ Helping You Make Informed Decisions
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We start by evaluating where you are today — your income, savings, debts, pensions and benefits — so you have a clear, honest picture. From there you can make informed decisions about where to go next, with the trade-offs laid out plainly, instead of guessing.
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✓ Moving Forward Without the Overwhelm
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Money can feel overwhelming, especially when everything seems urgent at once. We break things down into small, manageable pieces and take them one at a time, at a pace that works for you — so you always know what comes next, and nothing feels too big to handle.
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✓ Catching Up After Career Breaks
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Time away from work for caregiving, family, or health reduces RRSP room and CPP contributions. We build a catch-up strategy for your peak earning years — including the CPP child-rearing dropout provision many women don't know they're entitled to.
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✓ Longevity Planning
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Women live longer — often significantly longer than their male partners. Your retirement income plan needs to be built to last 30+ years, not just 20. We make sure your money outlives you, not the other way around.
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✓ Divorce Financial Planning
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Divorce is one of the most financially complex events a woman can face. Understanding the true value of pension assets, RRSP splits, the matrimonial home, and your future income needs requires expert guidance. We help you navigate this with clarity — working alongside your lawyer.
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✓ Widowhood & Sudden Financial Transition
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Losing a spouse is devastating — and the financial decisions required in the aftermath are enormous. We provide compassionate, clear guidance through survivor benefits, estate settlement, income restructuring, and rebuilding a financial plan for your new reality.
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✓ Building Financial Confidence & Independence
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Many women tell us they've always left financial decisions to a partner or an advisor they didn't fully understand. We change that — explaining everything clearly, involving you in every decision, and building the financial literacy that lasts a lifetime.
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✓ CPP & OAS Optimization for Interrupted Careers
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Career gaps affect your CPP entitlement — but there are provisions specifically designed to protect women who took time away for caregiving. We make sure you're claiming everything you're entitled to, and timing your benefits optimally.
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✓ Investing with Clarity & Confidence
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Research consistently shows women are excellent investors — patient, disciplined, and focused on long-term goals. We build an investment strategy that matches your values, your timeline, and your risk tolerance — without unnecessary complexity or products you don't need.
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✓ Estate Planning to Protect What You've Built
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Wills, powers of attorney, beneficiary designations, and trusts — making sure your assets go where you want them to, your wishes are protected, and the people you love are provided for.
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✓ Retirement Planning on Your Terms
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Whether you want to retire early, work part-time, travel the world, or simply have options — we build a retirement income strategy that gives you the freedom to choose, not just the income to survive.
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