By Jagdeesh Mann
Mata Press Service 
 
About 10 minutes into our interview, Kirpal Mann leans forward across the table and says, “Now, do you really want to see something interesting?”
He grabs a pen and begins doodling a series of graphs and geometric shapes. Sliding the napkin back across the table, he explains the “Golden Rule” -- long-term investors will make money and short-term ‘return-chasers’ end up chasing themselves out of the market.
He then explains the mysterious “Rule of 72” -- divide 72 by your compound-interest rate and that is the number of years it will take to double your money.
A former math teacher from Malaysia with a penchant for numbers, Mann is the Pythagoras of the financial world. A full-time investment representative and insurance specialist, Mann uses geometry and a variety of charts to help his 200-plus clients navigate the complex world of mutual funds, insurance plans and RRSPs as they plan for their retirements.
These visual aids also come in handy when having to assuage the inevitable panic in a client’s voice as the latest tumble in the TSX or Dow index hits the six o’clock news.
“In 2008, the market fell, but by 2009 it had recovered almost everything all over again,” says Mann, who works with two companies, Quadrus Investment and Global Pacific, one specializing in investment and the other in insurance packages.
“Investment requires a long-term strategy and a willingness to stick to the plan. I work with clients who want to plan for retirement and who want to grow their assets over the long term.”
For Mann, no client is too big or too small. He knows each and every one personally and often sees them on a regular basis, regardless of whether they are investing as little as $50 a month or have nest eggs into the millions of dollars.
Aside from a long-term approach to investing, he also advises risk diversification. For this reason Mann does not deal in individual securities but rather champions mutual funds. “There are just too many unknowns with individual stocks and a great deal of research is required to know whether a particular company is using the right strategy for its industry,” explains Mann. “In any given fund, there are on average 50 unique securities, so that helps contain risk.”
Defining a vision, investing for the long term, defining your risk grade and even explaining the importance of having a will are all part of Mann’s day to day dealings with his clients, the majority of whom have come through referrals.
His work is less about financial number crunching than it is about preparing for the future.
“Most people don’t plan to fail, they fail to plan,” explains Mann, who has worked in the financial industry for 19 years. “You must ask yourself questions like when do you want to stop working, what do you want to leave behind for your loved ones and what do you want to do when you retire.”
For Mann, his proactive approach to planning has helped him always be one step ahead. For example, by investing in RESPs while his children were still young, Mann was able to maximize his government grant for each child -- something that has helped a great deal with all three in university now.
It also has helped him forecast his retirement in 10 years time, which he plans to use to travel.
“My wife has always wanted to go to New Zealand, that’s the first place I am going to take her” he smiles.
Not surprisingly, he’s had that trip planned out in his mind for years.

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Companies: Quadrus Investment Global Pacific
CONTACT: KSMANN@SHAW.CA
TEL: 604-761-5756
SELF-EMPLOYED: KIRPAL MANN
YEARS IN BUSINESS: 19
PHILOSOPHY: “I HELP CHANGE PEOPLE’S LIVES FOR THE BETTER.”