Mr. Damon Murchison reports

IG WEALTH MANAGEMENT AND CLEARESTATE PARTNER TO PROVIDE CANADIANS WITH A MODERN ESTATE PLANNING EXPERIENCE

IGM Financial Inc.'s IG Wealth Management has entered a new strategic partnership with ClearEstate, a leading Canadian fintech company that offers comprehensive and modern estate planning and settlement services tailored to each client's individual needs. Further, IGM Financial, IG's parent company, has made an equity investment in ClearEstate, further strengthening the relationship.

Half of Canadians do not have a will, and, of those who do, approximately one-third need to have their estate plans and wills updated. Furthermore, the experience of settling an estate is very complicated and difficult to be an expert at, given that most Canadians may only be an executor once or twice in their lifetime -- all during a very deeply emotional time in their life. ClearEstate's key market differentiator is the ability to guide the executor and settle a client's estate through an affordable and digitized platform, in addition to their offering of estate planning and on-line will capabilities. Through the partnership, IG advisers can provide clients with access to ClearEstate's intuitive, state-of-the-art platform and teams of specialized professionals who deliver an enhanced and personalized estate planning and settlement experience.

This is just the latest example of IG's continuing strategy to partner with industry leaders to deliver leading-edge solutions to clients.

"Over the next 25 years, we'll be going through the largest intergenerational wealth transfer in history, and many Canadians will be facing the prospect of having to settle the estates of loved ones," said Damon Murchison, president and chief executive officer, IG Wealth Management. "Through this partnership, we're well positioned to support our clients with their resulting estate planning needs. It also reinforces our ongoing commitment to providing industry-leading, integrated and comprehensive wealth management solutions."

IG advisers will work with the ClearEstate team to provide a cost-effective, personalized estate planning offering to clients. This can range from generating and executing wills* and power of attorney documents, to providing specialized guidance for optimizing estate plans and facilitating the appointment of a professional executor.

The partnership will enable advisers to forge deeper, multigenerational client relationships by initiating legacy planning and end-of-life conversations and helping families in need of support after the death of a loved one. When the time comes to settle an estate, ClearEstate can help tackle the administrative burden. IG advisers will support clients throughout the entire process, ensuring an integrated, simplified and seamless experience.

"At ClearEstate, we believe that estate planning is not just about preparing for the end of life, but about protecting your legacy. This partnership will help enhance the financial well-being of our mutual clients throughout their life," said Davide Pisanu, chief executive officer at ClearEstate. "IG Wealth Management's approach to holistic financial planning is a perfect fit towards ensuring that clients' legacies are protected and managed with care."

IG parent company makes equity investment in ClearEstate

In conjunction with this announcement, IGM has made an equity investment in ClearEstate to support the company's continuing expansion. ClearEstate is the only end-to-end fintech estate service provider in Canada, and through this investment, IG will be better positioned to provide its clients with comprehensive, easy-to-use estate planning tools and on-line will capabilities to ensure their beneficiaries receive their intended wealth.

"We're excited to be expanding our relationship with ClearEstate," said Mr. Murchison. "It provides Canadians with an affordable and digitized estate planning solution. We see this as a game-changer in our country -- providing support and help to those when they need it most. Further, both our organizations share a focus on helping enhance the financial well-being of our clients."

About IG Wealth Management

Founded in 1926, IG Wealth Management is a Canadian leader in delivering financial planning with $133.9-billion in assets under management as of Aug. 31, 2024. For more than 95 years, IG has been focused on improving the financial well-being of Canadians so they can confidently embrace all of life's possibilities. Through a network of advisers located across the country, IG provides more than one million clients with personalized advice, comprehensive financial planning, insurance and mortgage services, and professionally managed investment solutions. IG is a member of IGM Financial, part of the Power Corp. group of companies and one of Canada's leading diversified wealth and asset management organizations with approximately $260-billion in total assets under management and advisement as of Aug. 31, 2024.

About ClearEstate

ClearEstate's mission is to provide compassionate guidance in life's most important moments. Whether preparing for the future or settling a loved one's estate, Canadians can trust in its intuitive Web-based solution for a transparent and efficient approach to estate planning, settlement and executor services. ClearEstate guides Canadians every step of the way. Its suite of estate services encompasses everything from generating and executing wills and power of attorney documents to trusts and professional estate administration services.

Founded in 2020 and backed by prominent investors such as Diagram Ventures, Omers Ventures and NAventures, ClearEstate has helped thousands of families across North America.

* On-line will offering is currently not available in Quebec and only available in English in other provinces across Canada.