Dona Eull- Schultz of Leon Frazer & Associates is part of Wealth Professional Canada's Portfolio Management Powerhouses 2017
President
LEON FRAZER & ASSOCIATES
Years in the industry: 35
Years as a PM: 29
Typical clients: Clients across Canada with $1 million or more in investable assets
Established in 1939, Leon Frazer & Associates’ history runs parallel to that of the wealth management industry in Canada. Today the firm has more than $1 billion in assets under management and has developed a reputation as a leader in dividend investing. Dona Eull- Schultz, the firm’s president, has been a portfolio manager for 29 years. In that time, she has noticed the demands of her clients change markedly, echoing Canada’s demographic shift.
“The banks now have ads posing the question: ‘Have you planned for a 30-year retirement?’” Eull-Schultz says. “That’s not an unusual number to be looking at. People are concerned about whether they have saved enough and if their portfolios are generating enough income to be able to support them through a long retirement.”
Since Leon Frazer & Associates was founded some 78 years ago, many of its competitors have come and gone. In Eull-Schultz’s view, the firm’s longevity comes down to the high standards it set right from the beginning – standards that have not wavered over the decades. “The focus here has always been on doing your due diligence, understanding who your client is, the purpose of their money and investing it accordingly,” she says. “That never changes.”
What does change is the outside world and the investment climate that PMs operate in – the performance of Canadian equities in 2015 versus last year is a testament to that. Regardless, Eull-Schultz is stringent on how she applies her investment strategy, with one key goal as its backbone. “We do the same thing year in, year out – our focus is on beating inflation, because at the end of the day, inflation is the enemy of the investor,” she says. “Our nominal target is 3% above the rate of inflation; if we do that without too much risk, our clients will always be able to afford their lifestyle.”
Eull-Schultz and her firm believe stocks are undoubtedly the best way to achieve that goal. Canadian equities have certainly garnered plenty of returns over the past year, which has proven fruitful for an equity-based manager like Leon Frazer & Associates. “It is our belief that equities are the best way to combat inflation, so we buy good companies that maintain and increase their dividend income,” Eull-Schultz says. “They have long-term sustainable business models and income streams – utilities, banks, telecoms and pipelines.”
LEON FRAZER & ASSOCIATES
Years in the industry: 35
Years as a PM: 29
Typical clients: Clients across Canada with $1 million or more in investable assets
Established in 1939, Leon Frazer & Associates’ history runs parallel to that of the wealth management industry in Canada. Today the firm has more than $1 billion in assets under management and has developed a reputation as a leader in dividend investing. Dona Eull- Schultz, the firm’s president, has been a portfolio manager for 29 years. In that time, she has noticed the demands of her clients change markedly, echoing Canada’s demographic shift.
“The banks now have ads posing the question: ‘Have you planned for a 30-year retirement?’” Eull-Schultz says. “That’s not an unusual number to be looking at. People are concerned about whether they have saved enough and if their portfolios are generating enough income to be able to support them through a long retirement.”
Since Leon Frazer & Associates was founded some 78 years ago, many of its competitors have come and gone. In Eull-Schultz’s view, the firm’s longevity comes down to the high standards it set right from the beginning – standards that have not wavered over the decades. “The focus here has always been on doing your due diligence, understanding who your client is, the purpose of their money and investing it accordingly,” she says. “That never changes.”
What does change is the outside world and the investment climate that PMs operate in – the performance of Canadian equities in 2015 versus last year is a testament to that. Regardless, Eull-Schultz is stringent on how she applies her investment strategy, with one key goal as its backbone. “We do the same thing year in, year out – our focus is on beating inflation, because at the end of the day, inflation is the enemy of the investor,” she says. “Our nominal target is 3% above the rate of inflation; if we do that without too much risk, our clients will always be able to afford their lifestyle.”
Eull-Schultz and her firm believe stocks are undoubtedly the best way to achieve that goal. Canadian equities have certainly garnered plenty of returns over the past year, which has proven fruitful for an equity-based manager like Leon Frazer & Associates. “It is our belief that equities are the best way to combat inflation, so we buy good companies that maintain and increase their dividend income,” Eull-Schultz says. “They have long-term sustainable business models and income streams – utilities, banks, telecoms and pipelines.”
