BOOK DEDICATION
T.A.S.K. is dedicated to "life time learners and children at heart of all ages", who regardless of their location or position in life continue to focus their values, principles and insights for the betterment of our world.

Purchase Peter Merrick's new book "T.A.S.K. - The Trusted Advisor's Survival Kit"!



PREFACE

STOP! READING THIS BOOK WILL CAUSE YOU TO CHANGE!
Don't read any further if you are not prepared for change. The information contained within these pages has the power to change your career and your life FOREVER!

"The self is not something ready made, but something in continuous formation through choice of action." - John Dewey (1859-1952)

The children's story of the Tortoise and the Hare is not just for children. It is a metaphor for adults of all ages who desire more meaning out of their lives. Its moral is a simple one but equally powerful. The lesson learnt in this fable is when you commit 100% of yourself to achieving your personally defined life goals and you consistently move towards completing these goals, it does not matter how fast you move, you will eventually win your own race. What is important is you enjoy your journey because that is where you will spend your most precious asset, your time.

You have happened upon this book for a reason. It could be that you want to change the way you practice in the realm of financial planning, or you have plateaued at a certain level in your career and you desire to achieve greater and more fulfilling success.

Carl Gustav Jung, the Swiss psychologist who is considered to be one of the 20th century's most influential thinkers, coined the term "synchronicity" in the early 1930s. Jung believed that synchronicity happened when a person experienced two or more events or coincidences at the same time and found them to be meaningfully connected. Jung believed that there was no such thing as an accident "everything had a purpose" and modern physics over the past century has validated his claim. This book has the power to be the catalyst for meaningful change in both your life and career. Now, that you are ready to accept this challenge.

About this Book
"There is nothing more powerful than an idea whose time has come" Victor Hugo (1802-1885)

In the next decade 43% of our work force will be approaching retirement and $1.3 trillion will pass hands by business owners who control most of this wealth in Canada. Canada, the economy and I have undergone change in the last two years since the publication of The Essential Individual Pension Handbook. Of the questions arising from that book and looming ever larger is: Why would someone want to implement the individual pension plan (IPP) option for their future? Because they want to slow down at work or exit entirely in the most financially beneficial way they can ensuring security and safety for their resources with a view to perhaps the most significant change in their lives: enjoying the fruits of their labour rather than the labour itself! Never before have we seen this anticipated transfer of wealth, yet very little has been researched and written on its effective preservation and distribution.

The book you hold in your hands is the result of my own personal journey of discovery; it is my attempt to add to the growing discourse in addressing the core issues of wealth preservation and its distribution. I believe that the name of this book is very fitting and timely "The TASK - The Trusted Advisor's Survival Kit". Yes, this is a survival kit that's sole purpose and promise is to provide the methodology to aid the 21st century's Trusted Advisor through this new reality. By understanding this reality you will be better equipped to help your clients and yourself achieve both theirs and your personalized success we collectively desire to manifest together.

I want to warn you that its methodology will be surprisingly simple, but don't be fooled with its simplicity. Our society loves to complicate our lives. Remember Albert Einstein once said, "Truth by its nature is simple". All we need to do to create the careers and life we want is to commit to the process of change.

The Task is a call to action for Trusted Advisors of all stripes and professions to rise to the challenge and provide leadership to our clients with the very best knowledge, judgment, guidance and wisdom as humanly possible to assist your clients reach their desired financial and life goals. Empowering us to live up to The Task of being the true professionals we know lies within all of us. Weakness occurs when we look for quick fixes to fundamental problems. You would not be reading this book if you did not believe that adversity breeds self reliance to look within for what is right. This is the source that breeds heroism resulting in only a willingness to implement fundamental solutions to problems which benefit the greater good.

In our search for excellence, the only thing holding financial professionals back from capitalizing on this new reality is the lack of credible financial planning knowledge. This book is a must! When considering the income and fee potential generated from the life time of a truly satisfied client, the "return on investment" (ROI) you invest reading its pages with your time will be astronomical and benefit you in ways you can't imagine for yourself now. You have already decided to invest in this book, which is actually an investment in yourself. At the same time I want to share with you that I am only human with no extraordinary powers to predict your future. So only you will know if you are up for the challenge that lies ahead of you. Only you will be the final judge knowing if the words in this book have helped you to see clearer and further. Remember the difference between an ordinary life from living an extraordinary life is the extra effort you make along the way.

Today, accountants, lawyers, financial planners, hr professionals, investment advisors and insurance agents have the unique opportunity to prosper from this great challenge that our society and our economy face. By rising to The Task, you will not only survive it but excel through it. The question this book asks of you is: How will you stake out your claim and make your mark in this $1.3 Trillion opportunity in its formative stages before this opportunity is gone forever, from all of us? As the old adage goes "Time waits for no one".

Pierre and Nicolas
As you journey through the pages of this book, be mindful of the tale of Pierre and Nicolas. Once there were two famous lumberjacks, named Pierre and Nicolas. No one knew who was the greatest lumberjack of them all. One day a promoter decided to host a competition between Pierre and Nicolas to see who could cut down the most trees within a six-hour period. At the end the judges would count the cut trees and crown the winner with the title of the world's greatest lumberjack of them all.

The day of the competition was perfect, not a cloud in the sky. The judge officiating the event shot his starter pistol to begin the competition. Pierre and Nicolas started cutting feverishly. Fifty minutes into the event Pierre heard in the distance that Nicolas stopped cutting. Pierre kept cutting. Ten minutes later Pierre heard Nicolas resume. For the next five hours on the hour Pierre heard Nicolas stop cutting for ten minutes an hour.

At the end of six hours the judge again shot off his gun to signal to both lumberjacks that the competition was over. Pierre was sure that he would be declared the victor at the end of the count because he had heard every hour on the hour Nicolas stop cutting for ten minutes before beginning again. He was positive that the extra hour he had been cutting would assure him his crowning as the greatest lumberjack of them all.

The judges counted the cut down trees and recounted several times. Then they announced the winner, Nicolas. Nicolas had been crowned the greatest lumberjack of them all. Pierre was dumbfounded. How could this be possible? Pierre approached Nicolas and said, "It's impossible that you won. It could not be done. Every hour on the hour I heard in the distance that you stopped cutting for ten minutes. I cut for an extra hour than you".

Nicolas simply replied, "I did not stop once during our competition. I was sharpening my blade!".

Notice to Reader
When writing the Preface for this book I was reminded of Plato's famous Allegory of the Cave that I first read two decades ago while I was a student at university. Plato wrote about prisoners in a cave, watching shadows that they accept as real. One prisoner frees himself of his shackles, leaves the cave sees the sun, and returns to the darkness, temporarily blinded by the sun's brilliance to share the truth that he had discovered. His fellow prisoners think he is crazy, yet he knows they live a life of illusion. He is bounded by his innate need to free them from their mental chains. The moral of Plato's allegory of the cave as it has been interpret throughout the millenniums is that we all have the responsibility to speak our truths to ourselves and our communities however uncomfortable the effect of telling these truths might be felt by its messenger. The alternative of lying in silence is even more painful.

This is reminiscent of Han Christian Anderson's story "The Emperor's New Clothes," in which prevailing beliefs blind people to the naked truth and it is only through an innocent child who points out the obvious truth that the king had been swindled by his two new tailors as he parades himself through the streets of his kingdom in nothing more than his birthday suit.

The intention of "The Task - The Trusted Advisor's Survival Kit" is to be controversial and thought provoking. I want to state for the record that I give no apologies for this. There are in my judgment, two main reasons why many in the financial advisory community in Canada today are reluctant to have convictions and a well formed belief system that guide themselves in their personal lives and in their professional practices. 1) To do so requires coming to terms with ones own mortality in both ones career and life. 2) It requires having clear convictions, making judgments and having an opinion of what is right and wrong and believing in something so deeply that they would be even willing to die for it.

This book is strictly intended for education and informational use only. Every attempt has been made by the author and contributors to make the content as accurate as possible. It is not intended to be an academic text; it is to practical to hold that distinction. You will notice different styles and usages of citations throughout this book. This should be expected from the number of contributors involved. What is consistent throughout is the commitment to The Task of sharing universal truths, solutions and enduring wisdom. That being said in no way will the author, contributors and LexisNexis Canada be held liable for any actions that individuals reading this book may take or not take in the future. To be a true leader and deserving of the Trusted Advisor title you need to take total ownership of all the choices you make in your career and life. The act of reading this book is your first step towards believing you have freewill, that you have the power to set the course of your own destiny and affect others and your environment in a positive way.

HOW TO READ THIS BOOK
This book has been broken down into distinct sections. Each section or chapter can be read individually or you may read the volume chronologically as a whole depending on your own preferences. You may choose to read it in a week, a month, over the year or the course of your career. You may have placed this book on the corner of your desk for times when a client asks you a question and you seek a quick reference to provide valuable insights or you may turn to The TASK when you have come to a fork in your life and seek guidance. How you fit The TASK into your life and career is fully up to you.

In closing it is important to note that the financial and other solutions presented throughout this book require specialties in areas such as accounting, cross boarder, legal, actuary evaluation, investment management, pension legislation, insurance, employment law and employee benefit plan construction. Many financial professionals will need to seek educational and consulting services to aid them in the set-up, maintenance and wind-up stages of these solutions. Therefore, it is well worth the time and money to hire your own Trusted Advisors to assist in the design, execution and maintenance of these solutions. It is the sign of a powerful person who admits he or she needs help and it is the act of wisdom when one seeks out this much needed help.

All the best in your pursuits!

Peter J. Merrick

March 17, 2009

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Peter J. Merrick, B.A., FMA, CFP, TEP, FCSI is the President of MerrickWealth.com. Since the early 1990s, Peter has had an active career in the financial planning, investment, risk management, estate, and business succession planning, cross boarder planning and executive benefit and pension fields. He has been retained for his expertise by some of North America's largest financial institutions, accounting and legal firms, to provide executive benefit consulting, succession and estate planning solutions to owner/managed businesses.

Peter is a Certified Financial Planner (CFP) registered with the Financial Planners Standards Council of Canada as well as a Financial Management Advisor (FMA). In the year 2000, Peter was awarded the prestigious Fellowship of the Canadian Securities Institute (FCSI), which is recognized as Canada's highest honour in the financial services industry. In 2008 for his continued contribution in the field of trust and estate planning in Canada, Peter was invited as a full member into the Society of Trust and Estate Practitioners and awarded the TEP designation.

Peter has appeared as a regular television guest and has been seen on CBC's The National, CBC's NewsWorld, BNN and CP24 in Canada. During the past two decades, Peter has presented over 700 classes, seminars and workshops to such organizations as the Canadian Institute of Chartered Accountants (CICA), the Human Resources Professionals Association of Ontario (HRPAO), The Canadian Securities Institute's and the Financial Planners Standards Council of Canada (FPSC). He is a professional public speaker who has achieved the Distinguished Toastmaster's (DTM) designation, the highest level from Toastmasters International in the areas of public speaking and leadership. As well, Peter has taught at several post-secondary institutions in programs that lead to the Certified Financial Planning, Certified General Accountant, Certified Human Re-sources Professional and Certified Employee Benefits Specialist designations.

Peter is a professional financial writer, with over 306 published articles to his credit. His articles have appeared in such magazines and periodicals as McLeans, CA Magazine, the Journal of Financial Planning, Ontario Dental Magazine, Professionalreferrals.com, Accounting World, Benefit and Pension Monitor, Canadian MoneySaver, HR World, CSI Infocus, American Funeral Director Magazine, Canadian Funeral Director Magazine, Canadian Auto Dealers, AdvisorWorld.com, Dental Practice Management, Oral Health, Lawyers Weekly, The Bottom Line, MD Canada, The Bay Street Times, Canadian Business Franchise, HR Professional, Computer World, IT Ontario, Silicon Valley North, Advocis' Forum, The Canadian Dental Association, Canadian HR Reporter and numerous publications for LexisNexis Canada Inc., Thomson Reuters and CCH Canadian Ltd.

Peter is the author of the Canadian Securities Institute's course on Individual Pension Plans and Lexisnexis Canada's The Essential Individual Pension Plan Handbook. "The TASK - The Trusted Advisor's Survival Kit" is his second published book.

Read about the important trusted advisors who contributed to Peter Merrick's new book.