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High income can be deceptive. It creates the appearance of abundance, stability, even financial success. But income alone is not wealth, and confusing the two can quietly undermine families for decades. And, create blind spots for the next generation, which…
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Home Bias and Global Investing: Global vs. International Equities Explained
When investors talk about diversification, the terms global equities and international equities are often used carelessly. They are not the same thing. For Canadian and U.S. investors, understanding the distinction can materially improve clarity, discipline, and long-term results. What is…
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Good Intentions Aren’t Enough: Governance in Family Foundations
Most family foundations are created with generosity and good intentions. Over time, however, many discover that their biggest challenges have little to do with investment returns or grant performance. Instead, the friction comes from a more basic question: who actually…
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DAF, Private Foundation, or Both?
Many strategic philanthropists ask a simple question as they progress their charitable journey: Should we use a donor-advised fund or a private foundation? Over time, however, philanthropists with growing complexity often discover that the better question is not which vehicle,…
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Stepping Into Family Wealth Stewardship: Next-Gen Challenges
Stepping into the role of “point person” for your family’s wealth and investments is both an honour and a burden. It can feel exciting and purposeful but also heavy and awkward. Many next-gen investors don’t plan to make this their…
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Three Ways to Get Unbiased Financial Planning Advice Before Selling Your Business
When someone is preparing to sell a business, financial complexity tends to spike all at once. A future liquidity event collides with legacy obligations from a prior divorce, questions about lifestyle and cash flow, the need to update an estate…
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Growing Up Wealthy: Learning to Spend with Intention
Growing up around wealth profoundly shapes how spending feels. For many heirs and wealthy adult inheritors, spending what others earn in a year during a single month doesn’t register as reckless or indulgent, it simply feels normal. When high spending…
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Most Investors Don’t Want to Practice Wealth Management
I read a lot of commentary from wealth management pundits telling investors everything they should be doing. This is especially true when the conversation turns to family offices. In theory, doing these things makes sense. In practice, it often misses…
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The Case for Investment Transparency in Philanthropy
Investments often represent the majority of a foundation’s assets, yet they remain one of the least visible parts of how philanthropic capital is governed. While grant making is typically well documented and publicly shared. Investment decisions, such as who makes…
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Why Donors Give: The Motivations of Canadian Philanthropists
Why people give is often more complex than tax receipts or headlines might suggest. Philanthropy is often shaped by a mix of personal values, social context, family history, and a quiet sense of responsibility that sits alongside the role of…