What is important in my work and an investment advisor is to create the atmosphere of trust and confidence that engenders deep conversations about what is important to you and what is the meaning of wealth to you.

The question is deliberately phrased with two parts. In countless conversations with professionals from all works of life, entrepreneurs, corporate executives and everyone in-between, the first consideration is what’s important to an individual and what wealth represents to them.

Oftentimes, the conversation begins with covering some of the basics. That includes questions regarding how you have planned should something unforeseen happen. It’s a topic that can cause a shudder from the thought of not being part of the next moment in the continuum of time – followed by an admission that in fact, no updated plan is current in place. Your business, the family and kids, your outstanding liabilities and most precious possessions – what happens to them? It cannot be understated that leaving this question unanswered is the biggest risk you will take with your wealth.

Creating that atmosphere for my clients also comes with the experience of losing my firstborn and seeing the fragility of a life that never really got started. While deeply personal, that experience is precious because the loss never goes away, and now as a father of two healthy and rambunctious boys, building out my own plan for them gave me the peace of mind I never knew I needed.

I come to the question of the inevitable having personally come as close as possible to not being here for that ‘next moment’. Rock climbing throughout most of my 20s, the exhilaration of being on the sharp end of a climb into the unknown came with the roped ascents of sheer cliffs I undertook. Always cognizant of the importance of risk management in the real world context (gravity) , with real world consequences (death), climbing always brought with it the challenges that magnified to the task at hand, to plan out your next move and the humility to appreciate that to be there was a privilege.

It was over ten years ago now that it almost came to an abrupt end for me, and but for the sheer chance of a final piece of load bearing equipment holding fast on my partner and I somewhere on the rock walls of Upstate NY, I can type these words to you.

And so, when we consider our own mortality, it is often dismissed and not engaged in. It becomes a subject tinged with superstition, or the illogical argument that it 'won't happen to me'. The reasons may vary, but discussing how you envision the world continuing on without you is important. Not only for those you leave behind, but for the protection you afford your estate. The only thing worse than leaving your loved ones guessing at your intentions during an emotionally charged and difficult time would be not to get advice on how to structure those intentions. Investing in your plan and taking the time to implement it makes all the difference in delivering peace of mind. You owe yourself the duty of making the conscious decision to engage professional advice on this subject immediately, because not being part of the ‘next moment’ is quite literally, past the point of no return.

Each conversation I have when I first meet my clients gets there. We discuss what is important to you. Building out your investment and life insurance needs from that point become steps in implementing the strategy developed specifically for you as the going concern, covering off tax optimization, philanthropy, the orderly flow of capital to the next generation, and the positive impact you believe in. We discuss family dynamics, how you define risk, and what wealth means to you. Throughout I am happy to answer your questions on capital markets, the history of market cycles, how responsible investments figure in and the outlook on various asset classes.

Incorporating the recommended portfolio strategies from day one means embarking on a process that takes you through to your later years and what you would like that to look like. We can consolidate your financial life, bring in trusted partners both internal and external to the RBC Financial Group designed to save you time; the one element that we all have less of with each passing moment. What value does that hold for you?