Fee-only advice is client-friendly, and it turns advisers into professionals who sell expertise rather than products

Globe and Mail, by Rob Carrick
November 2011

A young man in his early 30s came into the Ottawa firm Ryan Lamontagne recently to buy some financial advice. "He was a nice young guy, very frugal and investing on his own," said Marc Lamontagne, a founding partner at the firm. "He said, I think I'm doing everything okay, but are there some things I could be doing to improve?".

Full text: The elusive search for financial advice

OTTAWA - Your house is worth a fortune - why not tap into that wealth by retiring to a smaller place?

MoneySense.ca, by Julie Cazzin
September 2011

Five years ago, Bill and Karen Fung started planning for one of the most important days of their lives - the day they would both leave their full-time jobs for good and begin enjoying the long unstructured days of a carefree retirement.

Full text: Is it wise to downsize?

OTTAWA - An expert in personal financial planning says that even though the average Canadian continues to add debt, it's never too late to get out from under it and save for retirement.

Ottawa Sun, by Scott Taylor
August 2011

Marc Lamontagne, a partner of Ottawa-based firm Ryan Lamontagne Inc., said success comes down to common sense, hard work and discipline. "You need a budget and a plan. Most people don't keep a budget and don't have a plan to get out of debt. So there is some work involved to figure out where your money goes every month." He said software packages that can be downloaded can help organize and categorize expenses, making it easy to see where the money is going. "Work with a certified financial planner to design a plan to pay off debts and then start working on other goals, such as retirement, children's post-secondary education and perhaps even a cottage.

Full text: How to lose debt weight

Those who heeded the advice of the wealthy barber can look forward to his return.

Ottawainsight (Carleton University), Jillian English
July 2011

"To expect those rates of return is ludicrous so I think you have to be realistic and expect a six, seven, eight per cent rate of return. That’s sort of the best case scenario today", says Marc Lamontagne, a certified financial planner with Ottawa’s Ryan Lamontagne Inc.

Full text: A Haircut That Makes Sense