by: Jeffery A. Keill, CFP, CIM, FMA, FCSI, CEA Portfolio Manager and Senior Wealth Advisor Have you ever heard of the parable of the Old Blacksmith? In truth, I am not actually sure if that is what it is actually called but I heard this idea again just recently. Here is the basic premise- a piece of iron lies between a hammer and an anvil. The hammer strikes the iron again and again—loud, jarring, relentless. Almost rhythmic. The iron protests the blows as best as it can but

by: Jeffery A. Keill, CFP, CIM, FMA, FCSI, CEA Portfolio Manager and Senior Wealth Advisor In recent years and especially after Covid, the modern economy is no longer a single rising tide lifting all the boats in the harbour. It’s a fork—one path rising for some and one falling for others. This has led to the K-Shaped economy. Some advance more easily it seems, while many feel left behind and ready to capitulate before adulthood gets going. For young people, this split can fe

by: Jeffery A. Keill, CFP, CIM, FMA, FCSI, CEA Portfolio Manager and Senior Wealth Advisor “Good as Gold” is a phrase we have all heard. The cliché is as old as a cliché can be. It generally means to be in a good state or well mannered. The phrase comes from the intrinsic value of gold over history and it’s ability to maintain integrity as an element and its value as an asset. With that said, we should never view gold as an investment asset (because it is NOT) but more as a

by: Jeffery A. Keill, CFP, CIM, FMA, FCSI, CEA Portfolio Manager and Senior Wealth Advisor Rerouting! How many people have heard their GPS or Google Maps say this? As many know I am on the road quite often going to uncharted places and along new unfamiliar routes. My journey generally starts with a destination in mind but along the way I frequently get lost or turned around due to detours or other miscues. I am also that stereotypical dude that never asks for directions and m

by: Jeffery A. Keill, CFP, CIM, FMA, FCSI, CEA Portfolio Manager and Senior Wealth Advisor Canada has joined a club- well sort of. This club includes the likes of Norway, Abu Dhabi, and Australia. All these countries have sovereign wealth funds (SWFs) that invest for the long term. I say sort of because these countries generally have excess funds and are not a bleeding victim of financial overspending and mismanagement. Ottawa’s newly announced Canada Strong Fund is positione

by: Jeffery A. Keill, CFP, CIM, FMA, FCSI, CEA Portfolio Manager and Senior Wealth Advisor Oh we know the look all to well. Start talking about life insurance and clients can start to squirm. It is not the topic of insurance that makes them squirm, it is the choice between the ‘Swiss-Army knife’: approach of various types of permanent Insurance vs the simplicity and less expensive term Insurance. Picking the right one is tough as they both have features and benefits that can

by: Jeffery A. Keill, CFP, CIM, FMA, FCSI, CEA Portfolio Manager and Senior Wealth Advisor Do you remember watching Elmer Fudd as a child as he hunted the wascally wabbit Bugs Bunny? The 1940 Warners Brothers production “ A Wild Hare” opens with Fudd walking slowly through the forest dressed in hunting attire. He stops and looks straight at you and whispers, “be vewy, vewy quiet.... I am hunting wabbits!” With notorious lines like, “What’s up. Doc?” like so many Lonnie Tune

by: Jeffery A. Keill, CFP, CIM, FMA, FCSI, CEA Portfolio Manager and Senior Wealth Advisor The famed baseball catcher Yogi Berra once said:” It’s déjà vu......all over again!” In my thirty plus years working to help clients build real wealth, I once again see ourselves walking through a period of conflict in the Middle East. This often triggers headlines, market volatility, and therefore raises investor anxiety. This is a time when we, as investors, need to zoom out from the

by: Jeffery A. Keill, CFP, CIM, FMA, FCSI, CEA Portfolio Manager and Senior Wealth Advisor Every spring, when the days start to warm but the nights stay cold, sap begins to flow in the maples at the Big Rack. A little-known secret- Big Rack is the name of my camp, and it is where I spend time in March creating the much-needed sweetness of life: peace. The best part of syrup season at Big Rack is the ability to slow down the speed of joy. You have no choice as you cannot rush

by: Jeffery A. Keill, CFP, CIM, FMA, FCSI, CEA Portfolio Manager and Senior Wealth Advisor Okay folks, I want to share an observation I have so often witnessed in the past several decades working with clients. Retirement is often seen as a single event, but it unfolds across a few distinct stages. Each phase brings its own joys and challenges. If we can learn to appreciate and engage this concept, I believe you can better your plan for the “golden years”. Let’s explore the jo

by Jeffery A. Keill, CFP, CIM, FMA, FCSI, CEA Keill & Associate- Senior Wealth Advisor/ Portfolio Manager For decades, the broad financial industry has sold Canadian’s linear story: follow the plan hit the milestones, stay “on track”, and everything will unfold exactly as projected. It’s tidy, predictable, and comforting-but from my view point and experience as a Wealth Advisor- it’s not how real life works. At Keill & Associates, we’ve learned something different by walking

by: Jeffery A. Keill, CFP, CIM, FMA, FCSI, CEA Portfolio Manager and Senior Wealth Advisor As a child growing up in Cornwall, I had the benefit of reading Aesop’s Fables. Granted, in my youth these stories were frequently boring; however, they grew in value as I grew in age and understanding. To this day I can strangely draw on some of these time-tested lessons of life. They apply to today as much as they did 2,500 years ago. In the timeless fables of Aseop, wisdom often arri

Jeffery A. Keill, CFP, CIM, FMA, FCSI, CEA, Portfolio Manager, Senior Wealth Advisor, Keill & Associates The irony of living is that life gets in the way. Where we stand today is anything but static. We are moving forward into the future- all the time. This forward movement leads to changes and change means we frequently transition to something new. This is the “Yet”. Events that have yet to happen in our lives; often while we see it coming. This is the transformative Power

by Jeffery A. Keill, CFP, CIM, FMA, FCSI, CEA A few years ago, I was sitting with a client who was just shy of 60. He leaned back in his chair and sighed. “If only I’d started investing earlier,“ he said, swirling the last sip of coffee in his mug. I realized his words hung in the air, heavy with the weight of regret and hindsight. A powerful admission that has stuck with me over the years. It wasn’t the first time I’d heard that consideration, nor will it be the last. In fac

by Jeffery A. Keill, CFP, CIM, FMA, FCSI, CEA How Shifting Your Mindset Can Transform Your Reality.... and therefore your Life! Ever notice that our lives are bombarded with messages about what we lack? Money, happiness, resources.... It’s easy to find ourselves stuck in a cycle of scarcity fear. I would argue this mindset is deep-seated from our youth and nurtured over time to reassure us of one self-confirming ‘truth’: there’s never enough to go around. This view of the wor

by Jeffery A. Keill, CFP, CIM, FMA, FCSI, CEA If you want to avoid mismanagement of your money, have a purpose for every dollar and every dollar has a purpose. Money that lacks purpose is like a life that lacks direction. You wander aimlessly without thought, where time gets wasted and dreams- if there are any at all- get dashed. You and your money will arrive somewhere, surely, but most likely it will be where you wanted to go the least. There is an old method of financial

by Jeffery A. Keill, CFP, CIM, FMA, FCSI, CEA October is known for pumpkins, Thanksgiving and of course; volatility. This volatility is better known as the October Effect. In Mark Twain’s book, The Tragedy of Pudd’nhead Wilson , there is a line about investing that summarizes the October Effect concept: ” October. This is one of the peculiarly dangerous months to speculate in stocks. The others are July, January, September, April, November, May, March, June, December, August

by Jeffery A. Keill, CFP, CIM, FMA, FCSI, CEA With the Blue Jays now in the hunt for not only the American League Championship, they are also looking to become the World Series Champions. Once again this got me thinking about investors and investing. Can stepping onto the baseball diamond teach us anything about making decisions in the investment arena? Well having spent most of my childhood and adult life playing horribly and watching intently I believe there are some insigh

by Jeffery A. Keill, CFP, CIM, FMA, FCSI, CEA During the golden stretch periods of market growth, stock will rise and portfolios will swell. This is generally on the back of some economic headlines brimming with optimism- or at least reduced pessimism. These robust times of growth can be exhilarating and deceptive for both new and seasoned investors. Following these run-ups, Investors can feel a sense of validation and confidence in their choices. Rightly so, but it can lead

by Jeffery A. Keill, CFP, CIM, FMA, FCSI, CEA Sitting around the fire with family not so long ago, we discussed the importance of living in the “Awe” of life. Letting go, even for a second, all which is tangible or economically advancing. Becoming once again the child that we all undoubtedly are but hubris keeps from us. Although it seemed we all agreed of the value of living in the Awe, we seemed to battle the societal proposition of exacting from it possibly more than requ