TORONTO, March 27, 2019 /CNW/ - Scotiabank today announced Scotiabank Healthcare+ Physician Banking Program ("the Program"), a robust suite of banking services tailored to Canadian physicians at every stage of their careers. Developed in collaboration with MD Financial Management ("MD"), the only national financial services firm exclusively dedicated to the financial well-being of Canada's physicians and their families, the program will contribute to the well-being of physicians by helping to provide financial peace of mind.

"Scotiabank appreciates the unique financial demands placed on physicians in their personal and professional lives," said Glen Gowland, Executive Vice President and Head of Global Wealth Management at Scotiabank. "We've built the Scotiabank Healthcare+ Physician Banking Program to meet those demands, with tailored financial solutions to help physicians at any stage in their career—whether they've just begun studies or are starting up or winding down their practice—wherever they study or practise in Canada."

The Scotiabank Healthcare+ Physician Banking Program leverages Scotiabank's wide range of products, services and expertise to create solutions that meet the varied financial considerations of students, residents, and practicing and retired physicians. Medical students, for example, will benefit from education financing with flexible, competitive repayment terms and pricing. Practicing physicians will be able to take advantage of a range of exclusive benefits that support them in building and managing their business. Retiring physicians, meanwhile, will be able to access customized investment opportunities to help enable their lifestyle after their career has ended.

The Program is the perfect complement to the comprehensive, physician-centric financial management services already available—and honed over the last five decades—at MD. Physicians who wish to do so can also take advantage of MD's highly talented roster of wealth management advisors and portfolio managers; MD's self-directed services (MD Direct Trade™); and MD's autonomous investor services (MD ExO Direct®). 

"Together, through the Scotiabank Healthcare+ Physician Banking Program, MD clients can truly access all the financial solutions they need through one comprehensive offering and one trusted advisor," said Brian Peters, President and CEO of MD. "Scotiabank and MD's proud history of 237 years of combined experience is the solid foundation to help our clients achieve their goals."

Physicians and physicians in training who are interested in learning more about the Scotiabank Healthcare+ Physician Banking Program can visit www.scotiabankhealthcareplus.com

FURTHER BACKGROUND

Programs Tailored for Medical Students, Residents, and Practicing and Retired Physicians

Scotiabank has created specific plans to provide banking that grows with physicians at every stage of their medical career.

Early Career: For many medical students and residents, debt is a major concern. More than 83 per cent of Canadian medical graduates report debt related to their medical education, with an average debt load of more than $160,000, according to the Association of Faculties of Medicine of Canada.¹

Studies also show that debt among some medical students and graduates is directly related to higher levels of burnout, preventing them from learning and performing at the highest level.²

Scotiabank has developed a plan that offers all early career physicians financial peace of mind and lets them focus on what matters most — their education and profession.

The Scotia Professional® Student Plan includes:

• Education financing with flexible, competitive repayment terms and pricing.
• A comprehensive personal banking package with fee savings and rewards.
• Access to preferred banking solutions with industry-leading pricing, and no annual reviews or re-applications.

Practicing Physicians: For practicing physicians, Scotiabank has created a targeted plan that helps them grow and manage their practice while taking care of themselves and their loved ones.

In addition to the support of a dedicated advisor, physicians have access to a national team of Healthcare & Professional Specialists, who provide advice and access to specialized products and services tailored to physicians.

Support includes:

• A comprehensive personal banking package with access to a team of advisors who understand the unique and specialized needs of medical professionals throughout their career cycle.
• Competitive rates on lending products, with bonus rates on savings and term deposit products.
• Premium credit cards for personal and business needs.

Retired Physicians: For physicians approaching or beginning retirement, the Scotiabank Healthcare+ Physician Banking Program focuses more on Private Banking³ and investment opportunities that make it easier for physicians to enjoy their retirement.

In addition to a comprehensive personal banking package, retired physicians can benefit from:

• Access to the Total Wealth Credit Solution^TM.
• Transactional banking support.
• A leading-edge concierge and travel management service.
• A customized line of credit that lets them take advantage of investment opportunities whenever they arise.

Commitment to the physician community: Scotiabank continues to reinforce its ongoing commitment to the well-being of Canada's physician community, with close to $50 million contributed to the enhancement of health in Canada over the last four years—including the recently announced $1.6 million contribution for Well Doc Alberta in collaboration with MD and the Canadian Medical Association—and, now, with the launch of Scotiabank Healthcare+.

About Scotiabank

Scotiabank is Canada's international bank and a leading financial services provider in the Americas. We are dedicated to helping our more than 25 million customers become better off through a broad range of advice, products and services, including personal and commercial banking, wealth management and private banking, corporate and investment banking, and capital markets. With a team of more than 98,000 employees⁴ and assets of over $1 trillion (as at January 31, 2019), Scotiabank trades on the Toronto Stock Exchange (TSX: BNS) and New York Stock Exchange (NYSE: BNS). For more information, please visit www.scotiabank.com and follow us on Twitter @ScotiabankViews.

About MD Financial Management Inc.

With 50 years of physician-focused experience, MD has one main goal: to help Canada's physicians achieve financial well-being. MD has more than $49 billion in assets under administration and is dedicated to serving Canada's physicians and their families. MD provides financial products and services, the MD Family of Funds and investment counselling services through the MD Group of Companies. For a detailed list of these companies, visit md.ca.

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¹ "Future MD Canada," Association of Faculties of Medicine of Canada, https://afmc.ca/sites/default/files/qa/Q3c.pdf 
² "Medical student debt and major life choices other than specialty," Nov. 11, 2014 https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4229497/ 
³ For clients with a minimum of $1 million in investable assets.
⁴ Employees are reported on a full-time equivalent basis.

SOURCE Scotiabank