Segregated Funds are insurance based, professionally managed investment products, similar to that of a mutual fund, but with extra important guarantees.  These guarantees protect your initial investment, while allowing the experienced portfolio managers to go to work making you a healthy return.  Because of recent pressures on fund companies to keep fees reasonable, these guarantees can now be offered for a fraction of the price and in certain cases, at the very same price as their mutual fund equivalent.  Segregated Funds offer additional benefits to policy holders such as:

• Bypassing probate fees (Nova Scotia has the highest probate fees for mid to high net worth individuals in the country)

• Protection from creditors

• Privacy - Details are not included in the will and therefore do not become part of the publicly accessible record

• Potentially reduced legal, accounting and executor fees, as these are commonly based on a percentage of the estate assets