Growing up with a disability wasn’t easy. Thanks to the work ethic that was instilled in me by my mother and the upbringing that I had, I was convinced that I would achieve what I wanted if I worked hard and believed in myself.
When I was 18, in 1992, I was placed on Family Benefits, now known as the Ontario Disability Support Program (ODSP), I made a goal for myself. This goal was simply to establish a career so I wouldn’t have to rely on social assistance for financial support.
It would have been easy to accept the destiny that was planned out for me and live a life of mediocrity. Instead, I set my sights on bigger and better things. A career would ensure that I would be able to do what I wanted and go where I wanted.
Hard work and believing in yourself does pay off!!!! I started in the financial services industry as a Life Insurance Broker in 2012 because I wanted to assist individuals gain financial security. It is only after I started in the industry that I discovered that I could help people with disabilities save money for their future. Being disabled myself, I know the challenges that have to be overcome by those with disabilities.
In 2021, I joined Monarch Wealth Corporation, a mutual funds dealer. Not only am I licensed to assist individuals with their life insurance, I am also a registered mutual funds Financial Advisor and can assist individuals with disabilities open and manage Registered Disability Saving Plans (RDSP).
Should an individual receive support from ODSP and inherit money without a written plan in place, they could lose their ODSP Benefits either temporally or permanently. This is why it is critical to work with a licensed Financial Advisor who is familiar with the Ontario Disability Support Program (ODSP).