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Sean Ross June 16, 2016 Caisse Populaire Desjardins
I am very upset with the ill-advised financial plan that you have prepared for me. Considering that you work in the Wealth Management division of Caisse Populaire, your job is to ensure the financial protection of your clients and to ensure that they are not overly exposed to risk which could affect their financial portfolios. I had been holding $25,000 of shares with you in the Franklin Bissett Canadian High Dividend Fund for almost two years. On December 16, 2014 you convinced me to purchase another $25,000 worth of shares in this mutual fund. You informed me that this fund had been holding steady for many years and it was ready to "Pop"; as you put it. I accepted your advice and purchased more shares. About two-weeks later the fund had dropped in price a little and I called you and asked you to sell it. You informed me that there was blood in the waters and that this was not the time to sell. You provided me with an anecdote about being a shark and savoring the blood while those around me fled. You also told me that you had invested your children's RESPs in this fund and that you wouldn't do such a thing if you were not sure about this fund. You convinced me to hold on and wait it out. On October 1, 2015 I went to see you in your office and the value of my fund had dropped from my initial investment of $50,000 to just $32,000. You once again convinced me not to sell, reiterating that you had invested your own children's RESPs in this fund and you were convinced that it was going to come back. You also stated that it would be ill-advised to sell and take a loss knowing the price would rebound. Due to the terrible performance of this fund, which you advised me to purchase, Franklin Bissett merged Franklin Bissett Canadian High Dividend Fund into Franklin Bissett Canadian Dividend Fund on April 22, 2016. During a telephone conversation that we had in March 2016 you still advised me to hold on, constantly advising me that the price would come back. This is obviously impossible, now that this fund no longer exists. You are aware that my portfolio exceeds the risk level that my account allows, and you are aware that I am using funds from my Caisse Populaire line of credit with which to fund this purchase which leaves me in a leveraged position. Although you have a fiduciary duty to your bank, you also have a fiduciary duty towards your clients. You have abused your powers within your position by instilling a false sense of trust and security in me, your client. You have provided me with irresponsible, ill-advised financial advice. You are responsible for your actions and I am asking for compensation of $17,000 to make up for the losses of this fund. I will give you until July 11, 2016 to provide this restitution. Unsatisfactorily Yours, Sean Ross |
