Cassandra
I worked in banking for nearly a decade but I'm not like your typical "banker". My last role in banking was as an Investment Consultant and Personal Banker (focusing on investments and mortgages). I'm in the process of completing my Bachelor of Education and have decided to merge the two with the creation of this Website. I have always been an advocate for more education in the financial field so I will be fulfilling (to the best of my ability) what I believe to be a very big NEED for more education in the field of personal finance. My goal in creating this site is to educate as many people as possible on all things personal finance related. If you have any suggestions on how I can better reach my goal please reach out via the contact us page here.
About Me
I first started working in banking straight out of college to earn some extra money before returning to school. I never thought nearly a decade later I would have still been there with a book so full of clients that I was booked a month in advance. Unfortunately, I was no longer able to continue to educate clients within the banking environment so I decided to go back to school. My goal (even when working at the bank) was always to educate my clients even if it meant my clients needing me less so I decided to pursue a Bachelor of Education since it most closely aligned with my goals to educate people on all things personal finance related.
As that program comes to an end I have decided to put my plans for this website into action with the same goal of educating those around me about all things personal finance related. This includes anything from which bank account or credit card to pick, to how credit works, or even more complex things like how to apply for a mortgage or what investments one should explore.
I will be sharing weekly blog posts, answering questions submitted via my contact us page here, and offering one-on-one sessions as demand is expressed. The weekly blog posts will be educational and topical and although I, at times, will share my own opinions that doesn't mean anyone should blindly follow what I have done. I personally would recommend that everyone question, research, and form their own opinions on any topics that are shared with them. For example just because I have invested my money in a certain company that doesn't mean it would be the right decision for others so please do your own due diligence and question everything that is shared with you. If you would like me to answer questions on a specific topic please share them with me via the contact us page located here; I will do my best to answer any and all questions that are brought up. However, the best way and possibly the only way to get a robust and efficient answer to your question(s) would be through our one-on-one training sessions which I will be making available as demand is expressed.
Work Experience
FESA Year two VP of Finance
April 2025 – April 2026
Children’s Aid Society (FCSLLG) PODs Teacher
August 2025 – February 2026
Personal Banker & Investment Consultant
September 2021 – June 2024
Personal Banking Associate
January 2019 - September 2021
Customer Service Representative
September 2014 - January 2019
Carleton University Senior Mentor
June 2017 - December 2017
Committed to ensuring FESA functions as an advocate for the entirety of the student body within the Education Department at the University of Ottawa. Established and managed the budget for the various executive teams within FESA and helped other executives come up with ways they could use their allotted budget.
Specific responsibilities:
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Assist the Y1 VP of outreach with planning and organizing breakfast club
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Managed the merch for the Education department
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Ensured we were able to offer the lowest prices (for events and merch) for the students within the faculty
Assist youth under my care with varying needs while considering background information from their file.
Specific responsibilities:
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Provide any educational support the youth needs including tutoring, reviewing assignments prior to submission, condensing & simplifying assignment expectations, scribing, reviewing key concepts prior to tests/exams, and planning next steps for youth that are nearing graduation
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Counsel with youth as required. For example, career planning, helping them through difficult/emotional life situations, discussing stressful school experiences, and planning on how to approach difficult/stressful situations with teachers/caregivers/friends/family.
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Advocate for youth as required. For example, informing youth and/or caregivers about support available, helping youth enrol in Telus’ Mobility for Good Program, advocate for youth during JPSA REACH meetings, and requesting trained mental health support for the youth as required.
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Review youth files and keep up to date records. Files include school records, medical reports, mental health reports, Individualized Educational Plans, and functional limitation assessments.
Committed to helping my clients meet their objectives by listening to and analyzing their financial needs & goals, observing their personality, and educating them on investment and secured lending options.
Specific responsibilities:
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Trained new hires (including Tellers, Personal Banking Associates, and Personal Bankers)
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Educated clients on various investment vehicles (Registered vs. Non-registered, TFSA, RRSP, FHSA, and/or RESP, Retail Investments vs. Self-Directed vs. TD Wealth Managed) and options (GICs (Market growth and Traditional), Mutual Funds (of varying risk levels))
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Educated clients on the various secured lending vehicles (Mortgage vs. Home Equity Line of Credit), and various terms (fixed vs. variable, High-ratio vs. conventional mortgages)
Committed to helping my clients by listening to and analyzing their needs based on their life stage, observing their personality, and educating them on various options/recommendations.
Specific responsibilities:
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Trained new PBA hires
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Opened new accounts
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Completed credit applications (loans, line of credits, credit cards, car loans)
Helped clients that came in to complete their day-to-day banking while also providing them with advice regarding their basic banking needs.
Specific responsibilities:
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Trained new CSR hires
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Tasked with additional duties such as opening new accounts & credit card applications
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Leader of the “Pulse Committee” which was responsible for branch events and managing the branch budget
Helped five mentees with the adjustment of starting university while also training ten other mentors on how to effectively help their mentees with the adjustment.
Specific responsibilities:
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Dedicated five to ten hours/week to meeting with mentees
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Led bi-weekly team meetings with the ten mentors under my supervision
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First point of contact for the ten mentors on my team if they had any concerns or questions