Alynn Godfroy says that despite uncertainties and challenges for some clients, a commitment to save and invest remains in Windsor, On.
Windsor, Ontario is arguably the most tariff-impacted community in Canada. Windsor’s economy is anchored by a Stellantis automotive plant, building the Chrysler Pacifica minivan and the Dodge Charger. The city of roughly 220,000 is built around its economic connection to neighbouring Detroit Michigan and since the onset of US tariffs targeting the automotive industry, the city has been in a state of limbo.
The Financial Accountability Office of Ontario (FAO) projects that US tariffs will cause an additional 1.6 per cent rise in unemployment in Windsor. Production at the Stellantis plant was briefly paused in 2025 and roughly 3,200 workers were furloughed. While production has resumed, the uncertainty has had knock-on effects in Windsor’s real estate market. Real estate sales in Windsor had fallen by 15 per cent between early 2025 and early 2026. A recent report from Rentals.CA and Urbanation put Windsor on the list of the most tariff-impacted rental markets in the country. It is, on the surface, a community facing some existential challenges.
“It’s what everyone's talking about, all day, every day. I had a gentleman in this morning. He works at Chrysler. And Stellantis is in the news. So he's, he's waiting. He is of retirement age,” says Alynn Godfroy, founder and CEO of Godfroy Financial. “I have a couple dozen clients that are in this wait-and-see pattern. They're in limbo right now. Hopefully they'll have some answers soon.”
Guiding retirement plans amid uncertainty
Godfroy’s practice is focused on retirees and people approaching retirement. She says that of her client base, it’s the auto workers and families of auto workers who are in the most difficult position. Clients late in their careers, especially those approaching the 30-year point where they would get their full pension as Stellantis workers, are facing some hard questions and decisions. Others, she says, are dealing with the fact that their children who recently started working at feeder plants on a probationary basis have been laid off.
Even among those clients who don’t work at the plant, Godfroy says there is a general mood of apprehension and concern. She says her clients are watching the news more and making consumption decisions informed by the current state of tariff uncertainty. She says, for example, that among clients who can travel, the vast majority are now avoiding trips to the United States. Some clients are delaying projects like home renovations, or vehicle purchases.
While the whole community is feeling some of the impacts of tariffs, Godfroy says she’s paying particular attention to her autoworker clients and those who work at the feeder plants making parts for Stellantis. She notes that the tool and die industry has a tendency to be ‘feast or famine’ and that clients in that space may be facing some weakness now.
Advisors’ mistakes, best practices
Godfroy says that because of the typically older base of clients she serves, the current uncertainty has not caused much of an issue with savings. Most of her clients are already mortgage-free and live well within their means. She finds with retired clients she often still has to encourage them to spend rather than just save. That said, the wider climate of uncertainty has prompted some of Godfroy’s clients to revise their risk tolerances.
For advisors with clients in tariff-hit communities, Godfroy’s message is to stay in touch. Clients may be making decisions based off incorrect information, driven more by headlines than their own financial realities. Godfroy’s message is that without regular contact, an advisor can never know what’s going on in a client’s life and what they might be worried about.
Despite the ongoing threat of tariffs to her community, Godfroy says that she’s confident in her business continuing to grow. She attests to her own popularity with clients and hard work keeping in touch with people, as well as diversification in her client base across auto workers, health care practitioners, business owners, and others. She’s so confident that she just hired a new employee.
While the financial services industry might see a city like Windsor and its macroeconomic struggles as a reason to look at other markets for growth, Godfroy insists that there is still opportunity to be had there, especially for advisors who want to serve retirees.
“People are selling their houses for over $1 million in the GTA and moving here because it’s affordable and they can have some money left over to invest and live on. There’s still tons of opportunity,” Godfroy says. “I’m not going anywhere. There are still lots of thriving, booming businesses and hopefully they can get things sorted out.”
