News Releases

TORONTO, ONTARIO--(Marketwire - Dec. 19, 2011) - BMO has some of the leading personal finance and retirement planning experts in the country. They are available throughout December, January and February to provide insight and commentary on a wide variety of topics, including:

• Retirement planning and building a solid retirement strategy.

• What's on the minds of investors this RRSP season?

• Insulating your investment portfolio against market volatility.

• How do Canadians feel about the markets this year vs. last.

• Canada's Boomers account for close to one-third of the population and are retiring in increasing numbers. Are they prepared? How might changes to the CPP affect them?

• Seventy per cent of Canadians don't know what they hold in their RRSPs. What's the optimal mix - mutual funds, exchange traded funds, stocks, GICs etc.?

• Investment and tax strategies for all ages and income levels.

• TFSA vs. RRSP- which is right for you?

• Where should Canadians put their money? Making sense of a myriad of options such as: RRSPs, RESPs, RDSPs, TFSAs, etc.

• Strategies for balancing risk, borrowing to contribute to an RRSP and converting RRSPs into RRIFs, within a retirement portfolio.

• How to get a clear picture of how much money is needed for retirement.

Dr. Amy D'Aprix

Life Transition Expert

Consultant to BMO Financial Group

Amy is a gerontologist and social worker who began working with caregivers and seniors more than 30 years ago. She leads BMO's Take Charge of Your Retirement and Women and Money workshops across Canada and works with BMO clients to explore the social aspects of retirement and how they link with the financial implications.

Areas of expertise:

• Finding purpose and meaning in retirement
• Preparing for unexpected life events
• Caring for ageing parents

Caroline Dabu

Vice President, Head of Retirement & Financial Planning

BMO Financial Group

Caroline oversees BMO's Retirement & Financial Planning Group and plays a key role in developing BMO's financial planning strategies and retirement products and solutions. In this role she has also helped keep BMO at the forefront of retirement issues since 2005.

Areas of expertise:

• BMO's approach when it comes to retirement issues and planning
• The importance of retirement income planning
• Consumer needs and attitudes around retirement & financial planning
• The retirement landscape for Canadians and how they can optimize their retirement
• Women and retirement

Tina Di Vito, CA, CFP, TEP, CPCA

Head, BMO Retirement Institute

BMO Financial Group

Tina leads the BMO Retirement Institute and plays a key role in providing thought-provoking insight and developing retirement strategies for individuals who are either planning for retirement or are already in their retirement years. Tina has more than 20 years of experience in wealth planning. She is also the author of a recent book on retirement, 52 Ways to Wreck your Retirement…and How to Rescue It, in which she provides advice and actionable steps for getting a retirement plan back on track.

Areas of expertise:

• Retirement planning and building a retirement strategy
• RRSP vs. TFSA: which is right for you?
• Recent developments in pension plans
• Impact of being single in retirement
• Divergent paths - how men and women approach retirement differently
• Retirement Income/pension strategies
• Personal tax, estate planning, financial planning

Domenic Gallippi

Head of Term Investment Products

BMO Bank of Montreal

Domenic oversees the family of BMO and Advisor's Advantage Trust GICs, specializing in market-linked GICs including investment strategies, product development and performance monitoring.

Areas of expertise:

• Retirement term investment strategies for Canadians
• GIC investing strategies in a low-rate environment
• Strategies for preserving capital while staying invested in the market

Serge Pépin

Head of Investments

BMO Investments Inc.

Serge oversees the family of BMO and BMO Guardian mutual funds, including fund selection, monitoring, performance and risk evaluation and how they fit into an RRSP. Serge is fluently bilingual.

Areas of expertise:

• How to navigate through the ups and downs of the market
• Investment strategies for Canadians this RRSP season
• Mutual funds and the role they play in an RRSP
• Managing risk in your RRSP

Connie Stefankiewicz

President and CEO

BMO InvestorLine

Connie oversees the overall strategy and operations of BMO InvestorLine. In this role, she spearheads the delivery of leading-edge products, tools and services to help self-directed investors.

Areas of expertise:

• How to invest in an RRSP and manage investments online
• Online brokerage industry
• Trends in online investing
• Women and investing
• Service in an online world