VELA Blog

Curated thoughts, relevant ideas, and significant news

04.25.24

The Rise of Alternative Investments: Navigating New Opportunities for Diversification

By Kevin Parton, Partner, Senior Advisor   In the ever-evolving landscape of investing, a significant trend has emerged that captures the attention of both individual and institutional investors alike: the shift towards alternative investments. This movement is not just a fad but a strategic pivot to diversify investment portfolios beyond the traditional confines of stocks, […]

View Post

02.5.24

A Candid Conversation with Kevin England

The interview is hosted by Jason Boudreau and published in Iconic Concierge, Winter 2023/2024   Kevin England The England Group |Director and Founder of New Hope Recovery Foundation |Chair of BC New Hope Recovery Society |Co-Chair of Classic & Contemporary Car Invitational   Greetings and welcome to the winter edition of Creating Impact! I’d like to start […]

View Post

12.15.23

Navigating Life’s Purpose: A Journey of Entrepreneurship, Reflection, and Philanthropy with Som Seif

In the ever-evolving landscape of finance and entrepreneurship, Som Seif’s narrative unfolds as a compelling journey marked by resilience, purpose, and a commitment to positive change. Som’s story begins with his family’s immigration from Iran to Canada during the Iranian Revolution when he was just three years old. This move not only altered the geographical […]

View Post

08.4.23

A Candid Conversation with Amar Doman, the President & CEO of The Futura Corporation

The interview is hosted by Jason Boudreau and published in Iconic Concierge, Summer 2023   Welcome to the summer edition of Creating Impact, it’s great to be back and I hope this finds you and yours doing well and excited for the season we wait all year for! In preparation for this edition, I had […]

View Post

04.20.23

The Earth Group: Changing Lives and Minds through a Unique Business Model

Kori Chilibeck and Matt Moreau, the co-founders of The Earth Group, share their journey in creating a socially responsible business that aims to help people in need. They talk about the challenges they faced during the pandemic, building new relationships with well-known brands, and their successful stories in making a positive impact on the world. […]

View Post

02.10.23

A Candid Conversation with Som Seif, Founder & CEO of Purpose Unlimited

The interview is hosted by Jason Boudreau and published in Iconic Concierge, Winter 2022/23   I had the pleasure of sitting down for a deep conversation with Som Seif, Founder & CEO of Purpose Unlimited. I’ve known Som for many years through the industry, with VELA being a partner company of Purpose. Over the years, […]

View Post

07.25.22

Candid conversation with Jayesh Parmar featured in Iconic Concierge

CEO/Co-Founder of Picatic.com which was acquired by Eventbrite in 2018, now Jayesh Parmar is an active investor and has jumped back into being a Co-CEO /Co-founder of Gunkii, the world’s sexiest tongue scraper. Read the interview hosted by Jason Boudreau for the Iconic Concierge Summer 2022 issue.   Read the full article in the Iconic Concierge Magazine.

View Post

08.12.20

A Candid Conversation with Ian Telfer, former Chairman and CEO, Goldcorp Inc.

Published in Iconic Concierge, Summer Issue 2020 Welcome back to another edition of Creating Impact, Candid Conversations with Leaders in Life, Business and Philanthropy. Before we dive in, I first want to take a moment to extend my very best wishes and hope this finds you and yours safe and healthy. We, as humanity, are […]

View Post

02.13.20

Creating Impact: A Candid Conversation with Lotte Davis

Published in Iconic Concierge Welcome to this next edition of “Creating Impact, Candid Conversations with Leaders in Life, Business and Philanthropy”. For those of you reading this editorial for the first time, I will “reset” the context for you with the opening words from our first edition in the Fall 2019 issue. When you hear […]

View Post

12.6.19

Economic & Market Outlook for 2020

Authored by Keith Allan, Harness Investment Management As 2019 comes to an end and we move forward to 2020, investors reflect on a few dominant themes that have captured the news in recent weeks.  Four words that can’t seem to elude consumers are ‘World Economic Slow Down’. Ostensibly, we hear that, and we are overwhelmed […]

View Post

11.28.19

The Case for a Corporate Executor

Authored by Steve Ivacko, CV TrustCo One of the most important things you can do in your life is to have a will – it represents what is likely the largest transfer of assets one will ever carry out.  While thinking about and discussing one’s demise is not a pleasant exercise, it is an essential […]

View Post

10.21.19

Creating Impact, Candid Conversations with Leaders in Life, Business and Philanthropy

A conversation with Dr. Peter Legge, O.B.C., O.St.J., K.C.S.J., F.C.G.A., O.St.S., M.A., B.B.A., C.S.P., C.P.A.E., HoF, LL.D (Hon), D.Tech When you hear the word philanthropy, what comes to mind? Writing a large cheque to a charity? Donating a piece of art for a fundraiser? Gifting appreciated shares of a company you’ve invested in to a foundation? […]

View Post

08.12.19

Win Big by Being the Best Teammate

Guest post by Dr. Jeff Spencer    In any business, it takes a culture of winning to make success the norm. You create that culture by cultivating a team-first atmosphere, where individuals subsume their egos to achieve common goals. A committed, supportive, selfless team coalesces into a single unit that plays at a level exponentially […]

View Post

05.6.19

No ‘one-size-fits-all’ when switching a financial advisory practice to fees: Special to The Globe and Mail

More financial advisors are moving to a practice focused on fees not only because of the erosion of commissions on financial products that’s squeezing profit margins, but by an increasing demand from investors seeking advice on increasingly complex portfolios and do-it-yourselfers who want a second opinion. A recent study from Boston-based asset and distribution analytics […]

View Post

05.2.19

Legacy Is Yours to Lead

Traditional attitudes towards estate planning often leave individuals and families grappling with secrecy and procrastination – important but not urgent items to deal with. Afterall, who wants to dwell on their own demise or ill health? We believe leaving legacy is positive both for those giving, and those receiving, if planned for in advance, well-communicated […]

View Post

02.15.19

The 5 C’s of Family Wealth

As we approach Family Day, we often become nostalgic about our familial ties. Some relish time with loved ones, some think of those who have left them, others still about the tenuous bonds that they wish to mend. Family Day acts as a simple reminder that a sound family-focused wealth plan must extend beyond yourself. […]

View Post

10.25.18

What Does The Next 1-5 Years Look Like? And How Does That Influence Decision Making Now?

If we had had that dialogue two to three years ago, there was arguably, little to be concerned about. We enjoyed ultra-low interest rates, a favorable taxation environment, most asset prices still looked set to rise, political interference at the federal, provincial and even international levels seemed minimal and pro-business and finally, confidence was high. […]

View Post

07.17.18

New Passive Income Rules

The 2018 federal budget clarified rules around passive income for Canadian Controlled Private Corporations. The threshold for passive income starting $50,000 has now made holding life insurance within the corporation even more important. Advisor.ca has created this article outlining several options for life insurance policies such as holding until death or withdrawing upon retirement. If […]

View Post

03.7.18

The Importance of Sharing

More often than not, when you choose an organization to volunteer with or support, there is a personal story behind that motivation. This personal connection resonated no differently for me. A little over 4 years ago, I encountered a situation that I could never have imagined. One that continues to have a profound effect on my life, including how […]

View Post

01.3.18

The Intersection of Wealth & Health

Everything in your personal ecosystem is interconnected. This may seem obvious, however, have you ever taken a moment to truly reflect and let that sink in? Every single aspect of your life is related and your choices create outcomes for your life. What would your ecosystem look like if you drew it on a white board? Challenge yourself to […]

View Post

09.7.17

Recognizing Strategies that Work for Business Owners

With the Liberal Government’s present focus on making life harder for business owners, it may seem like the benefits of owning and running a small business are diminished.  With this in mind, we felt it important to re-visit some of the positive strategies that being self-employed and/or incorporated can bring which are not currently in […]

View Post

07.10.17

Living Your Life By Design

We all have a vision for our ideal life. The version of our best life that we hope to attain. The difference between achieving that life and dreaming about it comes from whether we are living our life by design, or by default.

View Post

05.8.17

Entrepreneurial Families: Your Personal Board of Directors

As seen in the Spring 2017 issue of Iconic Concierge Magazine. Embracing the entrepreneurial spirit, we subscribe to the idea that the path of life is not a straight line, it is unique series of detours. As such, it is important that your financial plan services your unique set of circumstances and delivers the solutions […]

View Post

03.28.17

What No One Tells You About Business Succession

VELA Wealth is pleased to work with a network of established experts who help deliver outstanding outcomes for clients. This month, we’ve partnered with Lorraine McGregor of Spirit West Management to talk about the realities of business succession planning.

View Post

08.25.16

The Journey to Success is Full of Four Letter Words

The Journey to Success is Full of Four Letter Words The question is which ones will you choose? Our principal and founder, Jason Boudreau recently gave this talk to colleagues are the Advocis Vancouver Strategies for Success Conference. Are you developing a career in wealth management? Here is a highlight of some 4-letter words he […]

View Post

07.25.16

The Value of Financial Advice

The value or ‘alpha’ a financial planner provides to their clients is a challenging metric to measure and goes far beyond investment returns .  Financial advice should be unique to every client’s personal situation and goals and the timing, nature and outcomes of advice may be monetary or non-monetary.  Given these quantitative and qualitative aspects […]

View Post

03.15.16

Charitable Giving and the Business Owner: Phase Two

We previously introduced you to the Anderson’s, a successful business family with aspirations to create a meaningful legacy. As part of their tax and estate planning, we incorporated charitable giving and life insurance to both achieve these aspirations and help offset the taxes they would owe in their estate.

View Post

02.15.16

Charitable Giving and the Business Owner

Most of us become entrepreneurs to bring a vision and a passion to life. This allows for many things such as freedom, flexibility, enjoyment and success. Unfortunately, one of the costs of success is that little three-letter word that we are all too familiar with, TAX. I was recently having a conversation with John Anderson, […]

View Post