John Moakler’s passion for working with doctors and dentists is based on an epiphany and is a matter of giving back. It was caring members of those two professions who treated John’s osteosarcoma and saved his life. While undergoing the seemingly endless chemo, surgeries, appointments and recovery, John realized how fortunate he was to have his financial house in order. He could not imagine someone going through what he did while worrying about money, which—because he had prepared properly—he did not have to do.

The Truth is This

At that moment, John decided to devote his financial planning practice to the exclusive care of doctors and dentists. We can all be grateful for the attention and commitment these professionals show to our health. Perhaps they are even too focused on us, because John discovered that the truth is this: far too many of them need to give more attention to their personal finances. And so John’s vision:

That every doctor and dentist in Canada will take as much care of their financial health as they do of their patients’ health.

John’s focus on personal financial preparedness came from another pivotal life experience. A graduate of the University of Waterloo with a Bachelor of Mathematics and Computer Science, John spent almost 20 years in high tech, time that included creation of a software company and then its sale to IBM for $76-million. In the midst of that experience, he found the financial advice he was receiving to be lacking. So, he decided, right there, to become a financial planner.

Inspired to be great in his chosen field, John achieved the Certified Financial Planner (CFP) and Chartered Life Underwriter (CLU) designations, which place him in a zero-conflict position compared with most advisors. Together with his BMath, they amount to a rare and powerful combination that he likens to the many letters that great doctors and dentists have after their names.

Diagnosis and Prescription

There is a particular issue that John sees again and again in his work with doctors and dentists. It is the lack of tailor-made advice they are receiving. And the biggest issue of all is that they often have no written plan. So John made it his mission to assess their financial condition and then prescribe a customized, written Financial Treatment Plan.

John has been a financial planner since 2004. Before creating his own practice, he worked with one of the largest mutual fund companies in Canada, where he won a host of awards, including the Gold Medal—and five wins of the Financial Planner of the Year Award.

John is a resident of the Greater Toronto Area and is very proud of his three grown children. Outside of work, he is passionate about competitive volleyball, and has refereed at the provincial, national and international levels, including at the Invictus Games.

Giving Back

John has been interviewed on the subject of financial planning by many media outlets, including Zoomer magazine, Morningstar and the Globe and Mail. He sits on the board of Advocis—The Financial Advisors’ Association of Canada—in the Peel Halton Region. His bestselling book is Heal Thy Wealth: How Doctors are Misdiagnosing Their Own Financial Health and What They Can Do About It.

As John says to doctors and dentists, “You took care of me. Now I will take care of you.”