Financial Planner

At Meridian, our aspiration is to integrate our purpose into everything we do for people, the planet, and communities. We believe that our greatest opportunity is to create opportunity and meet people where they are.

At Meridian Wealth, we believe that investing is personal and our mission is to help our Members on their financial journey regardless of where they are on this journey. We are a group of passionate wealth professionals that are approachable, empathetic, and don’t take ourselves too seriously.

You will be a part of the Wealth team, and take a proactive approach to help our Members achieve their personal financial goals. With a deep understanding of each Member’s financial situation, life goals, and tolerance for risk, our Financial Planners and Investment Specialists are skilled in recommending customized strategies pertaining to: investments, education, retirement & estate planning, risk management, and basic tax issues.

In managing a portfolio of Member accounts through the provision of relevant, effective advice, our Financial Planner will earn trust and build relationships with our Members with the goal of becoming a Trusted Advisor. By leveraging relationships with internal partners including Retail Branch employees, Senior Wealth Advisors, Small Business Specialists, Commercial Account Managers, Insurance Representatives, and Estate and Trust specialists, the Financial Planner will ensure our Members’ financial peace of mind, through the crafting of holistic strategies that will help them accumulate assets today and preserve wealth for the future.

The Financial Planner (FP) will contribute to the Wealth growth objectives established for their partner branches and Meridian as a whole by building new Member relationships within your local market community while also building upon the relationships created with existing Meridian Members.

What you will do:

Business Impact

• Through effective discovery meetings supporting well-informed recommendations, the FP ensures the financial peace of mind of Members by providing an action plan to achieve their financial goals.
• Works collaboratively with the Regional Wealth Sales Manager, Senior Wealth Advisor, and other licensed professionals as a member of a high-performing team to establish a business plan to achieve sales growth and profitability targets, initiating course correction as necessary to increase the probability of achieving success.
• Responsible to grow wealth penetration rates within partner branches through internal and external new Member business development activities in coordination with Retail, Small Business, Wealth, and Commercial partners.
• Through use of a thorough discovery process, the FP anticipates Member needs and provides a relevant plan to achieve their personal financial goals. When required, the Investment Specialist will look to refer opportunities to relevant Meridian partners.
• With the Member’s goals and best interests in mind, regularly reviews Member’s objectives and plans to determine whether life changes, economic changes, or relevant planning metrics indicate a need for plan reassessment.
• Educates Members on relevant investment options and investment costs and provides trusted financial advice and service, clearly articulating the rationale for recommendations complemented by a clear understanding of the risks involved.
• Through a holistic view of the Members' finances, the FP helps Members balance the acquisition of assets against the need for liquidity to meet day-to-day expenses.
• With the confidence that Meridian knows our Members best and can therefore best serve our Members, the Investment Specialist strives to bring our Members a full financial services portfolio to Meridian thereby increasing Meridian’s share of wallet.
• Possesses current knowledge of all key wealth and retail banking products and services, understanding the benefits and constraints associated with each and utilizes this knowledge to meet Member’s needs and gain a competitive advantage.
• Prepares and interprets information for Members such as investment performance reports, financial document summaries, and income projections establishing credibility and building trusting relationships through the provision of transparent, reliable, and authentic advice that always reflects the best interest of the Member.
• Takes ownership of problems, decisions, and actions, arriving at solutions that balance both the best interests of Meridian and our Members.
• Working with your branch partners, leverage internal resources to proactively identify internal and external business development opportunities in order to garner new prospects.

Leadership

• Provides consultation and expert advice to Branch Management and employees on technical, process, or product-related subject matter with the objective of educating others and generating awareness of Meridian’s wealth offering and elevating the profile of wealth with our Membership.
• Shares expertise through the coaching and mentoring, as appropriate, of other Meridian Advisors building the capability and knowledge of the less experienced team members.
• Guides discussion and provides assistance in resolving complex problems and finding creative wealth management solutions for Members.
• Promotes Meridian Credit Union within the community, modeling Meridian values while acting as an ambassador of the organization.
• Champions the delivery of seminars and workshops focused on retirement planning, estate planning, and other timely financial planning topics with the objective of increasing Member awareness and attracting new Members and business to Meridian.
• Fosters an environment where Member Focus and Wealth is a priority.

How you will succeed:

• Minimum of 3 years of financial services experience with a focus on broad-based advising in the financial industry.
• MFDA licensing is required for the Financial Planner role.
• Attainment of or progress towards PFP, CFP, CIM, TEP, or other relevant designations would be considered an asset.
• Fulfillment of regulatory requirements to maintain all necessary securities registrations.
• Strong business builder with the ability to source new business through internal and external sources.
• Have current in-depth knowledge of:

• the investment and wealth management industry
• related wealth product solutions,
• risk management strategies,
• tax effectiveness strategies
• Estate & Trust Planning considerations
• Retirement, cash-flow, and income planning concepts

Excellent ability to confidently articulate your value proposition as a Meridian advisor and hold conversational discoveries with Members in order to build strong Member relationships.Well-developed business development techniques and the ability to identify opportunities, plan, and develop business to achieve business plans and goals.Strong time management skills exemplified through the establishment of solid practice management processes and the ability to manage multiple competing priorities in a fast and dynamic working environment.Demonstrated proficiency in utilizing basic software tools for contact management, investments, education, and retirement planning.Ability to travel inter-branch within the designated region and flexibility with schedules.

Join us The successful individual must be willing to travel within the GTA East region, surrounding Markham & Scarborough to visit & work from various branches.

Meridian has a remote work policy that allows flexibility for employees to work remotely but also requires regular time in the office for purposeful meetings to collaborate, innovate and build effective relationships with your team, your colleagues, your leader, and your Members which is very important to us.

What's in it for you?

We have an inclusive and collaborative working environment that encourages creativity, curiosity, and celebrates success.

We provide you with the tools and technology needed to delight your candidates and clients.

You'll get to work with and learn from diverse industry leaders, who have hailed from top organizations around the world.

Hybrid work arrangements with in-person office time to collaborate, innovate and form relationships with your colleagues.

This isn't your typical "corporate" job. We work hard and we have fun.

Our story:

Meridian is Ontario’s largest credit union, and second largest in Canada, helping to grow the lives of our more than 360,000 Members. Meridian has more than 75 years of banking history and is 100% owned by its members. With 89 retail branches and 15 Business Banking Centers across Ontario and $30B in assets under management, Meridian offers a full range of financial products and services to its retail, business banking, and wealth members. With over 2000 employees and corporate offices located in Toronto and St. Catharines, Meridian has a track record of creating and delivering innovative new offerings and is committed to investing in the communities that we serve. Our plan is to build on our momentum as we deliver on our purpose - helping our members achieve their best life.

Experience the Difference

Meridian is committed to promoting an inclusive, accessible environment, where all employees and customers feel valued, respected, and supported. We are dedicated to employing a workforce that reflects the diversity of our communities and Members in which we live and serve.

Qualified applicants will receive consideration without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, or disability.

Please note that due to the volume of applications, only those under consideration will be contacted for an interview.

Thank you for your interest in Meridian Credit Union.

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