Writing & Ideas
Two Substack publications, a monthly column here on the business of wealth management, a Globe & Mail personal finance column, five books, and a podcast—each exploring a different dimension of how we decide, lead, and build well in uncertain times.
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From the practice
Notes on building a wealth business
Every month I write here on the questions I work on with firms—talent, clients, systems, and how to compete as AI and commoditization reshape the industry.
The hard part of retirement isn't saving. It's spending.
EY says Canada's retirement problem is now decumulation, not saving. Against pension reforms in Germany, the Netherlands, France and Austria, that's the real frontier.
The Globe & Mail
10-8-2026
What AI investors can learn from a decades-old cellphone
Big Tech is spending $700B on AI infrastructure but earning less than 10% of that. As Meta rents out surplus compute, this piece explores why exploding usage isn't translating to profit—and what investors should watch.
Full story (subscription): https://www.theglobeandmail.com/investing/article-what-ai-investors-can-learn-from-a-decades-old-cellphone/
12-6-2026
Flashbacks to the dot-com crash show investors are ignoring the math again
With 51% of US market cap now trading above 10x sales and the Shiller CAPE near dot-com peaks, this piece asks what investors were thinking.
Full story (subscription): https://www.theglobeandmail.com/investing/article-dot-com-crash-investors-math-stock-market/
28-5-2026
The gorilla in the AI boom investors may be missing
Using the inattentional blindness "gorilla" experiment as a metaphor, this article warns that investors' tunnel vision on AI hype is causing them to miss obvious warning signs of market overvaluation and cyclical risks.
Full story (subscription): https://www.theglobeandmail.com/investing/article-gorilla-artificial-intelligence-boom-investors-may-be-missing/
24-4-2026
When the exit door slams shut: Is private credit really right for your portfolio
As $5.4 billion in redemption requests hit private credit funds, this article warns that "semi-liquid" is often just marketing for illiquid assets, urging investors to read the fine print and stress-test their portfolios against frozen capital.
Full story (subscription):
The thinking behind the work.
Two Substack publications. Plus a monthly column here on the business of building a wealth firm.
Books
Five books on decision-making, behavioral finance, wealth, and the human side of leadership plus Sam’s debut novel.