Succession begins long before ownership changes hands.
Protect What You Built. Preserve the Choices Ahead.
Insurance Planning in Canada
Protect the People, Liquidity and Continuity Behind Your Wealth.
Match each policy to a clear family, business, or estate need.
Insurance can provide money when death, illness, or disability stops income or creates a new cost. It can also support a business transfer or help an estate pay tax and debt.
We begin with the amount, timing, and purpose of the need. We then help you compare the type of coverage, how long it may be required, and how it fits the wider plan.
Peter J. Merrick, TEP, leads every plan. He sees how the family, business, and estate fit together. We bring in independent experts when needed.
Who We Help
Canadian families that want to protect income, children, debt, or future care needs.
Business owners who need money for a partner buyout, key person loss, debt, or transition.
Families with a business, farm, property, or other asset that may be hard to sell quickly.
People with older policies or those looking at life, disability, critical illness, or care insurance.
What We Help You Work Through
Define the event the policy is meant to cover and the money that would be required.
Compare term and permanent insurance by purpose, cost, time, and flexibility.
Review needs caused by disability, critical illness, or long-term care.
Connect business coverage with owner agreements, debt, and family needs.
Review the policy owner and beneficiary with the legal and tax advisers.
Give Every Policy One Clear Job
A policy may replace income, pay debt, fund a business buyout, cover estate costs, support a charity, or help treat family members fairly. Each need has a different time frame and amount.
We write down the job before comparing products. This makes it easier to judge whether the policy is useful and affordable.
Term and Permanent Insurance Do Different Work
Term insurance covers a set period and usually starts at a lower cost. Permanent insurance is designed to last longer and may build cash value under the contract.
Neither type is automatically better. The choice depends on how long the need lasts, the cost, access to money, and the strength of the full plan.
Protection Can Be Needed During Life
Disability insurance may replace part of a person’s income when illness or injury prevents work. Critical illness insurance may pay a lump sum after a covered diagnosis and the required waiting period.
Definitions, limits, waiting periods, exclusions, and benefit periods differ. The contract must be read before a decision is made.
Company-Owned Insurance Needs Extra Care
A company may own insurance for a valid business or estate need. Ownership can affect cash flow, tax, creditor questions, and how money reaches the intended person or estate.
The insurance, legal, accounting, and estate documents should be reviewed together. No tax or protection result should be assumed without advice based on the client’s facts.
What a Stronger Position Looks Like
Each policy has one clear job. The cost fits the plan. The owner, beneficiary, amount, and use of the money have all been reviewed.
What Happens Next
Start with a confidential conversation. Tell us what you own, what is changing, and where you need greater clarity.
Organize the whole picture. We identify the key facts, gaps, risks, and decisions that need attention.
Set the next steps. We put the work in the right order. We bring in legal, tax, insurance, and investment experts when needed.
When this decision needs a broader Asset Security review, Peter can introduce you to Adrian C. Spitters at PFC Wealth Solutions™.
Each practice is responsible for its own services, agreements and applicable disclosures. Any referral arrangement and compensation are disclosed where applicable. View relationship disclosures
Continue the Research
These resources provide more background for readers who want to go deeper.
Articles and Video Briefings
Aligning Insurance With Enterprise Liquidity Exposure - connects policy sizing with actual enterprise obligations
Whole Life Insurance in Enterprise Capital Architecture - separates tax features from the larger continuity mandate
One Policy, Zero Estate Taxes, Full Legacy - explores insurance within estate and legacy planning
You Still Own the Land. But Can Your Estate Keep It? - shows how asset value can coexist with an estate liquidity shortfall
Frameworks and Planning Tools
The Liquidity Gap™ - measures the difference between estate obligations and usable capital
The Five Pillars of Succession Security™ - connects liquidity, financing, ownership, reserves and transfer readiness
Explore the complete Reset Report library: Research | Frameworks | White Papers
Related Peter J. Merrick services
Why Work With Us
We connect the insurance need with the family, business, estate, and investment plan. Peter leads the review and brings in licensed insurance, legal, tax, and investment specialists when needed.
Frequently Asked Questions
Question 1: How much insurance do we need?
Start with the loss the policy must cover. Then look at cash already on hand, how long the need may last, and what the family or business can carry on its own.
Question 2: Is permanent insurance always better than term insurance?
No. Term and permanent insurance solve different problems. The right choice depends on the purpose, time, cost, flexibility, and the rest of the plan.
Question 3: Can a company own the policy?
It may be possible, but ownership can affect tax, access to money, and the estate. A lawyer and accountant should review the structure before it is put in place.
Question 4: Can an older policy still be useful?
Yes. An older policy may still fit the need and may have features that are difficult to replace. Review the contract, cost, owner, beneficiary, and purpose before changing or cancelling it.
Take the Next Step
You may be looking at a new policy or have old coverage that no longer fits. We can start with the need the policy must meet.
If you want to keep learning, subscribe to the weekly Reset Report. It covers ownership, cash, succession, insurance, cross-border plans, and family wealth. Each subscriber also receives a free digital copy of The King of Main Street.
Peter J. Merrick
Cross-Border, Estate and Insurance Planning
Peter J. Merrick provides estate, succession, cross-border and insurance planning only in the applicable disclosed capacity and jurisdiction.
Insurance Advice
Insurance Processing
Insurance business is submitted and processed through MAX Financial Ltd. and applicable insurers.
Investment & Portfolio Relationships
Securities Advice
Peter J. Merrick’s role in any Axcess Capital Advisors Inc. relationship is referral-only. He is not an Axcess Dealing Representative and does not provide registration-dependent securities advice. Any securities or portfolio-management services are provided by the responsible registered person or independent portfolio manager under separate agreements.
Relationship Disclosure Information
Referral Relationship
Precious Metals Referrals
Direct precious-metals introductions may be made through Peter J. Merrick to New World Precious Metals under a separately disclosed referral arrangement.
Legal, Privacy & Disclosures
Independent Professional Relationships
PFC Wealth Solutions™ and Peter J. Merrick are separate professional practices. Each is responsible for its own services, agreements and applicable disclosures.
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