THE LIFESTEP PROCESS

““Wayne is absolutely wonderful to deal with in general. We really value and trust his opinion and feel that he is trying to provide advice for what’s in our best interests. We don’t feel he’s trying to “sell” to us."”

“It's always a pleasure working with you each year, knowing my insurance renewal will be handled flawlessly.”

“I've worked with you for years on my insurance planning and have always found you highly efficient—easy to reach, clear in your communication, and quick to follow up. You always keep me informed, even when there are delays. Excellent service!”

“Westward are fantastic at simplifying and explaining the entire insurance planning structure.”

“Westward's service has always been great! They were especially helpful when we had some timing issues around cashflow, which was greatly appreciated.”

“Westward can always be relied upon to provide meticulously organized, detailed and complete plan information.”

“I have always appreciated the Westward approach – it's proactive and thorough!”

““I cannot speak highly enough of Westward's professionalism and commitment to customer satisfaction.””

“Thanks for providing me with our October 31 fiscal year end corporate report so quickly. I recognize your service standard is to deliver by December 31 so receiving it on December 5 is really appreciated.”

“This plan review meeting was excellent. I obtained a lot of insights about the operation of the plan and the plan benefits.”

“We give full credit to Westward for the meticulous attention given over the years to documenting the tracing of borrowed money. We are fortunate to have their support for the CRA audit of the loan carrying charges.”

“Working with Westward has been a great experience. Their use of technology, like DocuSign, has really streamlined processes and made everything much easier.”

“The support package we received from Westward to help us reply to CRA audit queries was over the top. It was incredibly thorough and complete, tracking the plan from day 1 to present day with supporting documentation. We really appreciate the investment you make in supporting the plan.”

“Westward’s guidance and support over the years has been much appreciated.”

“Thank you for your AMT calculator. It is quick and easy, and the results are bang on with our own tax software.”

“When we implemented the plan in 2013, I was very skeptical that Westward would follow through with promises to manage the plan years down the road. You have proved me wrong and you have done an excellent job on that front.”

“Thank you so much for your help. We really appreciate the Westward level of service!”

“My experience with Westward has been very positive, they've always given excellent guidance and responded promptly.”

“Nothing but good things to say about Westward. Your team is very helpful in collecting information and documents from clients and providing us with the required insurance policy information. Makes our job a lot easier! Appreciate the communication and partnership.”

“Thank you for your precious help and great communication.”

“I have thoroughly enjoyed dealing with Westward. I am extremely grateful with how organized and prepared you always are. It makes my job much easier, which in turn makes it seamless for our mutual clients. I hope to continue our relationship for years to come.”

“I always receive prompt responses with helpful answers and information. Excellent service!”

“Always a great experience working with Westward. Your prompt responses and knowledge are always appreciated.”

“I have found the services very good at Westward. Everything happens in a timely manner, no confusion when it comes to instructions. If I do have any questions, you are very approachable and reachable. I will always have a reply within 24 hours.”

“Just a quick note to say how much I appreciate your time and your expertise. Your knowledge of the subject matter is second to none and your presentation was excellent. Again, thank you for all your support.”

“I really appreciate your summary emails and follow-up. Your team is great to work with.”

“Thank you for delivering my plan’s annual report for the corporate year-end 3 weeks early. It is appreciated.”

“I admire the level of oversight and dedication Westward demonstrates in managing client loan facilities. The meticulous approach you bring to the table is impressive and greatly contributes to our shared objectives. Few of the advisors I work with have the level of oversight that I see with the Westward team.”

“Thanks very much for the overview. Your quick response is really appreciated.”

“I love the way Westward presents to the client and us. It keeps all parties on the same page.”

“Thank you so much for all your help, you’ve been amazing as always! I really appreciate how clearly you put it all together in the email for our mutual client, so they know exactly how to proceed.”

“Westward’s process each year is straightforward, and you guys proactively let me know about things ahead of time.”

“Timely and professional service. We appreciate working with you and your team.”

“Your firm provides both the client and partners with the sequence of events, what is required of each party and the expected outcomes. The information provided to us is accurate and straight forward. If there needs to be a discussion about different outcomes then an answer is always supplied in a timely manner. You guys make my life easier so I am grateful to be able to continue to work with you and your firm.”

“My experience with Westward has been great. Very responsive and clear instructions with requests”

“I thought the information and presentation you did was very useful, and helped me understand further the insurance plan. You and your team are always very helpful and quick to provide any information we need.”

“Working with the team at Westward is wonderful. Communications and expectations are very clear.”

“I really appreciate you pro-actively advising me of the loan terms available from other banks.”

“Thank you for taking the time to meet with us. It helped us understand the process you are going through each year as well as updating us on the status of the policies. Much appreciated.”

“Excellent summary of my plan and I appreciate the prompt response from Westward. It will be quite helpful in my meetings with RBC next week. Thanks!”

“The material you provide is always very helpful. We appreciate your prompt responses.”

“Your guidance and communication to our common clients explaining the loan management process and benefits is very hands on. There are no surprises or missing information and that makes the annual transactions easy to execute.”

“We speak the same financial language so when I request a certain report or document you know what I want and are always prompt about getting it back to me. Your great record keeping and reporting to support loan disbursements and annual reviews lifts that weight off my back.”

“I give my experience with Westward and The LifeStep Process a five star rating!”

“You have been very helpful in clarifying certain aspects of my policy which were changing and confusing.”

“There is really only one Westward. Nobody does anything close to this anywhere. Impressive work. Thank you for your usual professionalism.”

“Thank you very much for keeping me up to date about the bank loan option. It was very helpful when we met in September. It was also very interesting for my son. I wish you all the best for 2023.”

“Very well laid out. You are exceedingly good at your job. That is for sure.”

“I have always had very positive experiences with you and all the crew at Westward. You provide the answers I need in a timely manner and I appreciate the interactions you have not only with me but with my accountant and lawyers as well. The plan that Westward developed for us is working well and meeting both our long and short term goals. I have no complaints and we greatly appreciate all your crew has done for us.”

“Thank you so much. I really appreciate you for providing the projected annual interest expense so quickly.”

“Thanks for taking care of us and our contingent owner designations because it’s a hassle if it goes through the estate.”

“My Account Manager at Westward is very patient, diligent, and polite. I’m not sure if I’d have the same tolerance for clients like me. Top marks for customer service!”

“Thanks to Westward and the RBC private banking team, another policy anniversary made simple!”

“It has been a great experience dealing with Westward. Your Team is very organized, knowledgeable, professional and does a great job keeping clients on track and helping us complete our Annual Reviews on time. I wish all our clients dealt with you.”

“Thank you for taking the time to go through my insurance structure again. I appreciate you including my son in the meeting. It was great to see you again.”

“Fantastic presentation, as always. This plan is a huge benefit to us and our estate. The family meeting was very beneficial and I really appreciate your input and support. We retreated after the meeting to the club and had a really productive family session that moved us ahead nicely and proved to me we are all on the same page. Thanks again.”

“Westward laid out the steps involved in switching to a bank loan very well and in basic terms, which is what I needed.”

“I pay Westward to manage my loan and the fee is well worth it. One thing I like is that they are bank agnostic, on top of what many lenders are offering, making sure that my loan is with the best lender.”

“I have really enjoyed working with Westward. Everyone at Westward I have dealt with has been professional, friendly and detailed oriented. Looking forward to our continued work together.”

“Thank you for your patience dealing with older clients like me!”

“As per usual, everything happened without a hitch. I appreciate your help with the process.”

“We very much appreciate your excellent presentations of our plan. Every question we have is magically followed by the explanation on the next slide. Very easy to follow and understand.”

“All is good to date with the leveraged life insurance plan you launched for me in 2012. Thank you!”

“Thank you for Westward’s prompt response and assistance to coordinate with our mutual clients.”

“The information Westward provide is great, I have never seen that before. The tracking of all the transactions was great to see.”

“Thank you for your timely, careful and diligent handling of your client's claim. It has been a pleasure working with you.”

“You have a very efficient, client oriented team. Your process is very streamlined. Great job!”

“We very much appreciate all the support you provide, and your prompt response and assistance when required!”

“I just want to express my sincere thanks again for your help. I didn’t realize I would be dependant on so many people as I got older and I really appreciate you taking the time to help.”

“The annual process on my side has become so routine, that it’s relatively easy to do. A few signatures, a few cheques and the courier comes and gets it. The financial summary, especially the net cash effect is very helpful.”

“Very positive experience with Westward. Very pro-active and follow up frequently with respect to deadlines. Communication and explanations are always very clear. Thanks for your support!”

“Thank you very much for all of your help and being so on top of all of the details!”

“Thank you very much for all your assistance, everything worked out really well. Death catches you off guard and I was very appreciative of all your help.”

“I appreciate how you always respond quickly. Your explanations and direction are always excellent. I appreciate your patience with my questions about the plan. You have done very well again this year.”

“Everything to process our death benefit claim was done in a fast and efficient manner. I rate excellent.”

“Westward has been amazing over the years, always showing lots of patience with me, especially with my repetitive questions. Thank you!.”

“Thank you for following up and ensuring the transaction follows our plan.”

“Wonderful! I appreciate the information you provide as it helps us plan dividends from the holding company. Thanks again.”

“Thank you for the very informative presentation. It is extremely comforting to know the family has advisors that know the insurance plans as well as your team has demonstrated.”

“I’ve found your firm to be very organized and efficient to work with, and the communication from your team to be excellent. We welcome the opportunity to work more closely.”

“Thank you for the excellent plan review. It is performing much better than we originally expected when we first set it up.”

“Westward is outstanding!  Your presentations are extremely helpful and you have an amazing ability to make something so complex understandable. You help us every step of the way when we have to execute annually and make it straight forward for us. Thanks so much again and we look forward to the continued partnership.”

“Thanks for the September 30 policy statements. You are a miracle worker – it is only October 1!”

“You guys are great! You always provide clear directions and make sense of all the small details and I really appreciate it.”

“We have been completing our plan anniversary transactions for many years now. The process is very efficient.”

““The processes are very well laid out and understandable.  The loan renewal package has clear instructions. The final year end package is easy to follow from a personal and corporate perspective regarding the inputs needed for the T1 and the company’s accounting records.””

““Your team is great to deal with. Everyone is always quick to respond and you all do a great job of communicating expectations.””

““We very much appreciate your annual policy management services. You do such a good job and take away all the stress.””

““Your services are always good, giving us clear instructions well ahead of the due date so that we have plenty of time to prepare it; also providing prompt responses to our financial/tax related requests.””

“I found the presentation informative and easy to follow.”

“Everything about the management of my account is perfect!”

“Experience has been very good.  No issues on this end.  The team has always been available to answer questions and assist with analysis we need to make longer term decisions.”

“Doing fine, plan is in place and functioning as it should. Its cash flow positive overall”

“Your firm has a fantastic process for managing client loans. Your systems are really impressive. It’s a pleasure working with you.”

“Thank you for the very clear presentation. The plan changes you propose are attractive and it looks like everything is moving in the right direction.”

““Just wanted to thank you for a job well done on the call with the bank. We felt that you did an excellent job and that the bankers really got a confident vibe from you and for the plan. Thanks again much appreciated.””

“Thanks for the detail. Really appreciate the quick response and great service.”