Case Studies

Mr. E held both Canadian and American-dollar denominated accounts at his bank. In March 2, he received a $26,000 USD wire transfer from a relative living abroad, made through Mr. E's bank's foreign subsidiary.

Health issues made movement challenging for Mr. A so he gave his eldest son his debit card and personal identification number (PIN) to make purchases on his behalf. Mr. A completed a joint power of attorney (POA) naming his two sons as his attorneys. Soon after, Mr. A's personal bank account was converted into a joint account with his eldest son.

Mr. Y was approached about an investment opportunity by an advisor at his investment firm who was not the person he usually received advice from.

A small business owner, Mr. D, kept his business chequebook in a locked cabinet behind a counter at his office. He was the only person who had access to the cabinet.

In early 2007, Ms. F was referred to a new investment advisor by a friend. At the time, she was 63 years old and retired. Between February and May, 2007, she invested a total of $470,000 in growth-oriented mutual funds.

In 2005, Mr. and Mrs. N were 57 and 77 years old respectively, retired, and had combined household annual income of about $20,661. They were experiencing financial difficulty and having trouble paying their expenses. Their son introduced them to his advisor by telephone, hoping he could provide advice on how his parents could manage their finances.

In February 1999, Mr. C opened an RRSP account. Five years later, he closed the account when he sold all of his investments to purchase a new home. Mr. C had no further contact with his former advisor until early 2008, when they ran into each other at a local store.

In early 2009, Ms. B was set to receive $59,000 as part of a severance package. On the advice of bank staff Ms. B opened a Registered Retirement Savings Plan (RRSP) account, into which she deposited the severance payment.

In January 2007 Ms. P was 52 years old. Her ex-husband had recently passed away leaving her about $300,000 in an RRSP at a large bankowned investment firm. She contacted the advisors on the RRSP account to discuss estate transfer matters.

Mr. A's parents had signed a Power of Attorney (POA), prepared by their lawyer, giving their son wide-ranging control over their financial affairs. For almost a decade, Mr. A managed his parents' finances without incident.