We are all aware that we are living with a high level of uncertainty at the moment. Nobody knows how serious the coronavirus outbreak will be in Canada or the United States. However, we do know that it is possible that our daily routines may be disrupted by quarantines, travel restrictions and the inability of our employees to get to our office.  Right now it is business as usual, but we are seeing from the experience of other countries and other cities that this could change quite quickly.

Like all responsible companies, we have given a lot of thought to how we can continue to run our business and take care of your assets in the event of a serious event. I am writing today to tell you what steps Baskin Wealth Management has taken and will be taking to ensure that your portfolios continue to receive our full care and attention. Here is what you should know:

  • Getting in touch with us should not change, even if all of our employees are working from home or from another location. Every employee has remote access to our email system. Any email you send will be read and responded to as it is now. Email addresses for our portfolio managers are available on this page – Our Team
  • We recently changed our office phones to an internet based system. This will allow each of our employees to have direct access to messages, and we can arrange for client phone calls to be automatically transferred to employee cellphones. Even if nobody is physically in the office, we do not expect to miss any phone calls. As usual, you can call us at 416 969-9540.
  • Most of our key systems and data now are hosted on computer servers outside of our office. Even if our office is closed, we should have full access to our portfolio management system (which contains up to date information on all of our clients’ accounts), our trading systems and interface with our prime broker and custodian NBIN Inc., and the Client Relationship Management (CRM) software that allows us to reach our clients and review important personal information. Through use of the internet and online storage, we should be able to view and deal with all the data we would see if we were in the office.

If travel and meeting restrictions are imposed or are advised, we will not alter our scheduled portfolio reviews. We will use a system of video and audio conferencing which all clients who use the internet will be able to use without difficulty. Many of you have likely used services such as “Goto Meeting” or Apple Face Time. These software systems are easy to use and will allow us to hold virtual meetings which are almost as good as the real thing. If for any reason you are uncomfortable about travelling to our office, please let us know, and we will set up a virtual meeting with you.

The health and safety of our clients and employees is our paramount concern right now, but we are also cognizant of our responsibility to manage your accounts prudently, consistently and on a timely basis, regardless of circumstances. We believe we have the tools in place to do that.

David Baskin

President