Kellett Financial & Insurance Services was formed in 1997 by Jack Kellett and Scott Kellett in Port Lambton, Ontario. Our history extends much further than that, with the first consultation occurring some 40 years earlier. In 1957, already a successful farmer in Mt. Brydges, located in the shadows of London, Jack was approached by a representative with Crown Life to consider serving the agricultural market and the challenges they encounter with succession planning. The idea intrigued Jack to the extent he completed his training and licensing and a career in the insurance industry was born. Jack served with Crown Life for two years before he found his true calling in the estate market with Canada Life. Canada Life was the first incorporated insurance company in Canada and the idea of serving a company with roots embedded in Canada appealed to Jack. The partnership with Canada Life allowed Jack to grow his practice in servicing the agricultural community.
Jack was also the Estate Planning Consultant for Southwestern Ontario on Canada Life’s prestigious Estate Servicing Division Group. This expertise garnered him a consultants role in London’s Estate Planning Council as well as a sought out speaker on estate and succession matters.
In 1996, with retirement looming on the horizon, Jack was contemplating how to continue serving the clients that had become friends without severing the relationships to a larger company. He approached his youngest son Scott to entertain the idea of entering the industry that he had passionately served for 39 years. At the time, Scott was employed with a tier II automotive supplier to General Motors managing the purchasing and traffic departments. Scott had been around the financial services industry for many years, but the notion of joining his father and ultimately succeeding Jack’s legacy seemed a little daunting. That opinion change dramatically when on Christmas morning 1996, Scott’s oldest brother John, at 49 years of age passed away from cancer. Scott, with another relative, was his appointed executor and with that came the responsibility of finalizing his brothers affairs. What changed for Scott was how efficient his brothers affairs were arranged by Jack’s estate planning. This allowed the family to move on to the more important step of focusing on our healing. The complexity of dealing with a death was simplified with the ways that Jack had set up his sons investments, insurance, income needs and family security. This very personal tragedy was the turning point in Scott’s perception of what professional advice and proper planning can do to ease the difficulty of working through some of life’s most difficult moments. Realizing that Financial Planning can and does provide greater financial independence and protection from life’s uncertainties and the realization of goals and dreams, was the motivation for Scott to embark on a career with his Father.
We moved the office to Sarnia to better serve our clients from a more central location, which made commuting more convenient to servicing our expanding base and locations . Serving Southwestern Ontario is an easy journey from Sarnia to Ottawa, Toronto, London, Windsor or anywhere in between.
As you now have the history of our company and our journey to our destination, we hope to share in your journey and be an instrumental part in helping you achieve your destination.