Insights from the team, for your prosperity.
We are a team with creative ideas, veteran industry wisdom and, most of all, a desire to connect with you in your journey.
On this page you will find our podcast and our regular written publications. To receive these insights into your inbox as they come out, click below to subscribe to our mailing list.
From Generation to Generation
A candid dad-daughter podcast where all generations weigh in to discuss how wealth is actually a three-sided prism - character, intellect and finance. Aspira co-founder Chris sits down with his daughter Brittany (Boomer and Gen Z) and guests to ask the questions you can't Google about family and wealth. Wisdom is traded, perspectives are challenged and honest thoughts confessed.
QUARTERLY COMPASS: Q1 2025
April 2025 // Markets & Investing
Alex Vozian, CFA | Co-Founder, Portfolio Manager
- The Big 6 Takeaways (+ 1 bonus from my wife's hairdresser)
- Investment Performance: Aspira Wealth In-House Strategies Q1 2025
- Broad Market Observations: Canadian & U.S. stock markets/exchange rates, copper, semiconductors stocks, crude oil, U.S. natural gas
- Worry Journal: Top worries of market participants and business leaders in 2025
- Sector Positioning: sector biases for our core in-house investment strategy, The Dividend Value Discipline™
SPECIAL MARKET DISPATCH: KEEP CALM & CARRY ON
April 2025 // Markets & Investing
Chris Raper, CIM®, CFP® | Co-Founder, Senior Wealth Advisor, Cross-Border Specialist
"The silver lining in President Trump's belligerent attitude towards Canada is that we as a nation are starting to get our mojo back."
SPECIAL MARKET DISPATCH: THE CHAOS CONTINUES
March 2025 // Markets & Investing
Chris Raper, CIM®, CFP® | Co-Founder, Senior Wealth Advisor, Cross-Border Specialist
“My observation over the decades of being in this business is that the circumstances change, but the way humans behave, en masse, never does. We tend to sell far too cheap when we are worried, and we tend to pay far too much when we are optimistic. Our job is to help people counter that kind of behaviour…”
Quarterly Compass Q4 2024 • January 2025
Alex Vozian, CFA, Co-Founder, Associate Portfolio Manager
- The Big 5 Takeaways
- Investment Performance - Q4 2024.
- Broad Market Observations
- Worry Journal - top worries of market participants and business leaders in 2025
- Sector Positioning for The Dividend Value Discipline TM
SPECIAL MARKET DISPATCH
January 2025 // Markets & Investing
Chris Raper, CIM, CFP® | Co-Founder, Senior Wealth Advisor, Cross-Border Specialist
- Observations That Continue To Concern Us
- Observations That Give Us Cause for Optimism
- Summary of Thoughts As We Enter 2025
Investment Marathon #15
November 2024 // Markets & Investing
Alex Vozian, CFA, Co-Founder, Associate Portfolio Manager
- Bull market or horse market ahead?
- Canadian and U.S. markets update
- What makes Aspira's investment process special? Maybe it is curiosity!
- Featured holding – United Rentals (URI)
- Team update
Quarterly Compass Q3 2024
October 2024
Alex Vozian, CFA, Co-Founder, Associate Portfolio Manager
- The Big 5 Takeaways
- Investment Performance - Q3 2024
- Broad Market Observations
- Worry Journal - top worries of market participants and business leaders in 2024
- Sector Positioning for The Dividend Value DisciplineTM
Special Market Dispatch August 2024
Chris Raper, CIM, CFP® | Co-Founder, Senior Wealth Advisor, Cross-Border Specialist
Market Downdraft: Problem or Opportunity? It Is All About One’s Behaviour.
- The panic of 2024 compared to 2008 and 2020
- Aspira Wealth strategies have cash to deploy or are relatively immune
- There are multiple positives to keep in mind
- Looking forward – there are many attractive non-AI related companies
Quarterly Compass Q2 2024
August 2024 // Markets & Investing
Alex Vozian, CFA, Co-Founder, Associate Portfolio Manager
- Aspira In-House Investment Strategies - performance in the first half of 2024
- Broad Market Observations - analysis on the Canadian & U.S. markets and our economic indicators
- Worry Journal - top worries of market participants and business leaders in 2023-2024
- Playbook of Opportunities – how we seize the current opportunities
- Sector Positioning for The Dividend Value Discipline™
Quarterly Compass Q1 2024
April 2024 // Markets & Investing
Alex Vozian, CFA, Co-Founder, Associate Portfolio Manager
- Investment Performance - Q1 2024.
- Broad Market Observations
- Worry Journal - top worries of market participants and business leaders in 2023-2024
- Playbook of Opportunities – how we seize the current opportunities
- Sector Positioning for The Dividend Value Discipline TM
- Chris's take on interest rates and inflation
Investment Marathon #14
February 2024 // Markets & Investing
Alex Vozian, CFA, Co-Founder, Associate Portfolio Manager
- What makes Aspira's investment process special?
- Featured holding – MEDPACE HOLDINGS INC (MEDP)
- Canadian and U.S. markets update
- Performance update
Quarterly Compass - Q4 2023
January 2024 // Markets & Investing
Alex Vozian, CFA | Co-Founder, Associate Portfolio Manager
- A New Years video message from Chris
- Investment results for all our investment strategies for the calendar year 2023
- Minor changes to our long-term thinking
Special Market Dispatch
November 2023 // Markets & Investing
Chris Raper, CIM, CFP® | Co-Founder, Senior Wealth Advisor, Cross-Border Specialist
Chris's quick take: interest rate hikes are done, inflation is due south and investors are fearful – a wonderful mix for markets to rally. "Friends, …based on the evidence I am seeing, I am getting increasingly bullish – don't let the Halloween spooks scare you out of your stocks."
Quarterly Compass #2
October 2023 // Markets & Investing
Alex Vozian, CFA, Co-Founder, Associate Portfolio Manager
- Broad Market Observations
- Investment Insights from Chris
- Worry Journal - top worries of market participants and business leaders in 2023
- Playbook of Opportunities – how we seize the current opportunities
- Sector Positioning for The Dividend Value Discipline TM
- Investment Performance - 9 months of 2023.
Investment Marathon #13
September 2023 // Markets & Investing
Alex Vozian, CFA, Co-Founder, Associate Portfolio Manager
- Canadian and U.S. markets update - The "20!30! Buy" Strategy
- Performance update
- Featured holding – Intuit Inc (INTU)
- Two ways to worry less about the stock market news – Fight and Flight
Quarterly Compass #1
July 2023 // Markets & Investing
Alex Vozian, CFA, Co-Founder, Associate Portfolio Manager
- WORRY JOURNAL - top worries of market participants and business leaders in 2023
- PLAYBOOK OF OPPORTUNITIES – how we seize the current opportunities
- BROAD MARKET OBSERVATIONS
- SECTOR POSITIONING FOR THE DIVIDEND VALUE DISCIPLINE
- INVESTMENT PERFORMANCE
Aspira's Special Market Dispatch - Transitions
June 2023 // Markets & Investing
Chris Raper, CIM, CFP® | Co-Founder, Senior Wealth Advisor, Cross-Border Specialist
This is not Chris's usual missive - this dispatch focuses on transitions, specifically:
- The Market Transition
- Chris's Transition
- Your Transition
2021 Wealth Insights
The Strategist • December 2021
Clarke White, CFP®, Financial Planner
- The Spousal Loan Strategy – A Practical Way To Reduce Your Household Taxes
- Where is the benefit?
- What is a prescribed rate loan strategy?
- So what is the catch?
- Where do I start?
Investment Marathon #3 • November 2021
Alex Vozian, CFA, Associate Portfolio Manager
- Canadian and U.S. market update
- Our holding - KLA Corporation (KLAC)
- Book - “Think Again - The Power of Knowing What You Don't Know” - by Adam Grant
- Protecting you against inflation
- Bonus: Bull Painting
The Quarterly Opportunity Update • October 2021
Audio VersionChris Raper, CIM, CFP®, Senior Wealth Advisor, Portfolio Manager
- The Markets – The Big Picture
- The Dividend Value Discipline™ - Pool Corporation
- The Complement Strategies - The Tax Advantaged Preferred Share (TAPS) ,The Keep More Income (KMI), The Global Active Macro ETF (GAME), The Next Cycle Resource Fund (NCRF)
- The Wrap Up – Buckle Up, It Is October
- Our Approach
- The Dividend Value Discipline™ Methodology
Investment Marathon #2 • October 2021
Alex Vozian, CFA, Associate Portfolio Manager
- Canadian and U.S. market update
- Our holding - NVIDIA Corporation (NVDA)
- Book - Atomic Habits, by James Clear - “An easy & proven way to build good habits & break bad ones.”
- Enforcing discipline
- Bonus: A moment of joy - Painting a bear with ... a fork
Investment Marathon #1 • September 2021
Alex Vozian, CFA, Associate Portfolio Manager
- Canadian and U.S. market update
- Our holding - Constellation Software (CSU.TO)
- Book - "Principles", by Ray Dalio
- Working towards your long-term financial goals in a sustainable (responsible) manner.
- Bonus: A moment of joy - “Baba Yaga” farm stand
The Strategist • August 2021
Clarke White, CFP®, Financial Planner
- The Financial Planning Crunch
- Life Expectancy Crunch
- The Expense Crunch
- Inflation Crunch
- Update on the Team
- We are back to in-person meetings!
- New team members - Shu Sharma and Yui Onishi
Quarterly Market Commentary • July 2021
Chris Raper, CIM, CFP®, Senior Wealth Advisor, Portfolio Manager
- The Big Picture - leading economic indicators
- The Dividend Value Discipline™
- New holding - Simpson Manufacturing Company (SSD)
- New holding - Muller Industries (MLI)
- Rent cheque (dividend) increases
- The Global Active Macro ETF (GAME) Strategy
- The Tax Advantaged Preferred Share (TAPS) Strategy
- The Keep More Income (KMI) Strategy
- The Next Cycle Resource Fund (NCRF)
- Q2 2021 performance
The Quarterly Opportunity Update • June 2021
Audio VersionChris Raper, CIM, CFP®, Senior Wealth Advisor, Portfolio Manager
- Recent Rent Cheque Increases
- The Markets - Canada’s Next Supercycle Is Underway
- Keep More Income – Float Your Canadian Boat
- The Wrap Up – Our GAME Compass Points North & Across The Pond
- Our Approach
- The Dividend Value Discipline™ Methodology
Quarterly Market Commentary • April 2021
Chris Raper, CIM, CFP®, Senior Wealth Advisor, Portfolio Manager
- The Big Picture - leading economic indicators
- The Dividend Value Discipline™
- New holding - PayPal (PYPL)
- New holding - CDW Corp (CDW)
- New holding - Independent Bank Group (IBTX)
- Rent cheque (dividend) increases
- The Global Active Macro ETF (GAME) Strategy
- The Tax Advantaged Preferred Share (TAPS) Strategy
- The Keep More Income (KMI) Strategy
- The Next Cycle Resource Fund (NCRF)
- Q1 2021 performance
The Quarterly Opportunity Update • March 2021
Audio VersionChris Raper, CIM, CFP®, Senior Wealth Advisor, Portfolio Manager
- The Markets – Caveat Emptor, The Trend Has Shifted
- Need & Opportunity – Our Strategies Expand
- Rising Interest Rates & Why They Matter
- Our Approach
- The Dividend Value Discipline™ Methodology
The Strategist • February 2021
Larissa Ruditsch, B.B.A, CFP®, Associate, Wealth Advisor
- Safeguarding Your Gift to Adult Children When Buying a Home
- Scenarios:
- Gifting them with a sum of money.
- Parents own a secondary home in which they allow their child to live
- A shared ownership structure
- Update on the Team: A full year of pandemic life - new ways of keeping busy
Quarterly Market Commentary • January 2021
Chris Raper, CIM, CFP®, Senior Wealth Advisor, Portfolio Manager
- The Big Picture - leading economic indicators
- The Dividend Value Discipline™
- New holding - American Tower (AMT)
- New holding - Williams Sonoma (WSM)
- New holding - Northern Trust (NTRS)
- New holding - Amphenol (APH)
- Rent cheque (dividend) increases
- The Global Active Macro ETF (GAME) Strategy
- The Tax Advantaged Preferred Share (TAPS) Strategy
- The Keep More Income (KMI) Strategy
- The Next Cycle Resource Fund (NCRF)
- 2020 performance
2009-2020 Wealth Insights
The Opportunity Update
The Strategist
Quarterly Market Commentary
Chris' Timely Market Dispatches
