Founded in 1987, Financial Forum bets on broker collaboration and national-scale support
After nearly four decades of building one of Ontario's most trusted independent mortgage practices, Lou Salvino and The Financial Forum Ltd. have joined the Independent Mortgage Network (IMN), marking a significant addition to the growing OIM Group ecosystem and reinforcing the industry shift toward collaboration, scale, and broker empowerment.
Founded in 1987, The Financial Forum has spent nearly four decades earning a reputation that most brokerages can only aspire to, a practice grown almost entirely through referrals from clients, accountants, lawyers, realtors, and financial planners who valued experience and relationships over volume and speed. The decision to join IMN reflects a deliberate choice to position the business for its next chapter, without compromising the values that built it.
A practice built on trust and referrals
For IMN President Gordon Ross, the partnership represents exactly the kind of addition the platform was built to attract. The Financial Forum is a brokerage that “has stood the test of time.”
“Lou has built something rare in this industry: a practice founded entirely on trust, where the business has grown because clients keep coming back and sending the people they care about,” Ross said. “That kind of reputation doesn't happen by accident. It’s the result of nearly forty years of doing things the right way, and it's exactly the kind of brokerage we want within IMN.”
As part of the broader OIM platform, IMN continues to draw forward-thinking brokerages seeking access to enhanced infrastructure, national-scale resources, strategic partnerships, underwriting support, and operational efficiencies, all while preserving the entrepreneurial independence that defines them.
This partnership reflects exactly what the OIM Group wants to see across its ecosystem, said Teddy Kyres, CEO of The OIM Group: independent brokerages coming together to grow stronger while maintaining the identity and culture that made them successful in the first place.
“IMN was created for broker owners who want more support, more opportunity, more infrastructure, and ultimately more growth,” Kyres said. “Lou is one of the most respected figures in the Ontario mortgage market, and The Financial Forum represents everything we admire in an independent brokerage. Integrity, expertise, and a client-first approach that has never wavered.”
Why Salvino made the move
For Salvino, the decision to join IMN came down to one thing: being able to focus on what he does best and delivering that at the highest level. After nearly four decades in the mortgage industry, witnessing it change along with client expectations, “I know exactly where my time creates the most value,” he noted.
“I want to spend more time advising clients, and less time on everything else; the leadership, the people, the systems, and the support allow me to focus on relationships while knowing the operational side is in good hands,” Salvino said.
“I wanted a partner that would help me continue delivering exceptional service while positioning my business for the future. IMN was the right fit.”
The Financial Forum's practice has long been defined by its ability to navigate complexity. Salvino himself specializes in self-employed clients, debt restructuring, private and alternative lending, and families navigating major life transitions, situations where experience and judgment matter more than rate sheets. It is a practice built on the belief that a mortgage should support your life, not control it.
That depth of expertise, combined with access to IMN’s broader platform, creates a compelling proposition for Ontario clients seeking sophisticated mortgage guidance backed by national-scale resources.
The broker channel is choosing collaboration
Ross sees partnerships like this one as a signal of where the broker channel is heading.
“There’s a growing recognition across the industry that independent brokerages are stronger together,” he said. “The brokerages joining our platform are not looking to give up their identity, they’re looking to enhance it. They want better support systems, stronger collaboration, and access to opportunities that are difficult to create alone. That’s exactly what we are building.”
For The Financial Forum, joining IMN is not a reinvention, it’s an evolution. The foundation of trust, relationships, and unbiased advice that Salvino built over nearly forty years remains unchanged. What changes is the infrastructure behind it: national underwriting support, operational resources, strategic partnerships, and a network of like-minded brokerages committed to raising the standard of the broker channel.
As IMN and the broader OIM platform continue to expand, the addition of The Financial Forum reinforces a clear message: the most respected names in independent mortgage brokering are choosing collaboration; and they are choosing IMN to help write their next chapter.
This article was provided by OIM Group
