Smart Investments has become a Certified Living Wage Employer!

They have committed to pay their staff and contracted workers a living wage by certifying as a Living Wage Employer. We're so excited to have them join our mission! Find out more about Smart Investments here.

At Smart Investments, they provide financial consulting that will help you gain control of your finances and your future. Their mission is to eliminate barriers to accessing financial advice by creating an inclusive and safe space where everyone can thrive. Every aspect of Smart Investment is to embrace social justice, equity, and inclusion. Whether you’re hoping to start, rebuild, or amplify your financial plan—or if you're struggling financially—they can help you.

“We’re delighted that Smart Investments has become a Living Wage Employer. Their commitment to accelerating positive social change is core to the success and impact of the living wage campaign. We hope it encourages other employers to join the Living Wage movement. Paying a living wage is good for workers, employers and the local community” said Anastasia French, Living Wage for Families BC.

Smart Investments recognize individuals' intersectionality and aim to welcome folks wholly. They put clients at ease in a more relaxed environment. They make financial advice accessible so that people—ALL people who wish to work with them—can feel safe, welcome, informed and financially secure now and into their future. Smart Investments puts details and jargon into "plain language", in terms that help their clients understand what to do with their money, minimize the stress that is often associated with finance, and feel good about the organization with whom they're placing their business.

We are committed to seeking, hiring, and empowering diverse team members, and offering fair and generous compensation. We believe that if a job is worth doing, then a living wage should be the bare minimum. If an employer is able to provide a thriving wage, that’s even better. We are aiming for thriving compensation and an anti-oppressive work environment. - Kelsey Smart, Smart Investments

By joining the Living Wage for Families BC Campaign, Smart Investments has committed to providing their employees, workers, and contractors a living wage of $24.08 in Metro-Vancouver. The living wage is the hourly amount a family needs to cover basic expenses. The calculation is based off of a two-parent household with two children – the most common family unit in BC – with each parent working full-time. With that being said, the living wage is not exclusive to a family of four. We recognize the difference in costs that a single parent household, a single individual household, and a part-time worker has. We hope to expand our calculations and research soon to be able to bring forth these factors that comprise the BC population.

As a racialized woman, who is the daughter of immigrants, financial stability means a great deal: ease, opportunity, peace of mind. I'm so proud to be part of an organization that pays not just a living wage, but a thriving one.” – Roanne G, Smart Investments

Over the past two years, the number of Living Wage Employers in BC has more than doubled – there are now nearly 400 Living Wage Employers in BC.

Employers have found paying a living wage to be a key tool in their post-Covid economic recovery. 97% of Living Wage Employers in BC have found some benefit to being part of the program.

Certifying as a Living Wage Employer is a voluntary commitment employers make to invest in their communities and local economies.