Meet Carol Trickett
Carol Trickett, Financial Advisor and owner of Trickett Financial, believes every Canadian has the right to be financially independent, providing the opportunity to feel secure and be generous to others. Although Carol works with clients from a broad walk of life, as an Insurance Broker, Certified Executor Advisor, and Registered Retirement Consultant, she finds much joy in serving families with illness and disability and women who are independent business owners as she understands the impact of an uncertain financial future first hand.
Growing up in Nova Scotia with five brothers taught Carol many valuable life lessons. The biggest was to quickly think on her feet, as she never knew what would happen next.
At 18, Carol moved to Ontario, joining Bell Canada after college where she honed her customer service skills for 15 years. When the London office closed, she turned her stained glass hobby into a full-time business. As an international award winning stained glass artist, she designed and created detailed custom stained glass windows, did restoration work on century leaded windows, and taught classes for the next decade.
During this time, a friend asked Carol if she would like to do her own investing. He showed her how to set up a self-directed investment account and how to buy and sell. He taught her to monitor the investments and she became part of a small group of friends who reported their wins and losses weekly. She understood that not everyone could or wanted to do their own investing and this was an area in which she could help others.
In 2008, after sixteen years of marriage, Carol’s husband was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s. He required long term care, which brought additional expenses and the income from the glass business was not sufficient. For the first time, money was tight. Carol quickly realized how important it is for women to be able to support themselves financially.
In 2013, Carol transitioned into the financial services field full time. Carol loves being independent from the influence of any particular mutual fund company, insurance company or bank because of the choice available to help meet her clients’ needs.
Caregiving followed by loss and grief has taught Carol compassion and understanding. She is grateful to have been the one supporting her husband and helping him to live to his fullest. The education she has gained has been valuable in helping other families living with physical and mental challenges and even loss.
Carol is also a host mom for international students, housing students from Brazil, Colombia, Japan, Taiwan, Korea, China, Spain, and Mexico, Saudi Arabia, Burkina Faso, Azerbaijan, and Russia. She is gaining tremendous knowledge about other cultures and enjoys the laughter and life the students bring to her home. Never having a sister, it is a real change to have a house full of females.
At a time in her life when Carol most needed to be surrounded by joy and peace and love, the students were there for her. This experience which originally was meant to help out financially through a transition has actually been life changing for Carol. Her experience with international students has led her to include newcomers to Canada in her financial business. Teaching newcomers about personal finance in Canada is a way to help them feel more integrated with life in their new community and more at ease providing for and protecting their family.
Carol feels truly blessed to be exactly where she is in her life right now.
