A letter from our founder Earl – Passing the Torch
Over the past 41 years, I’ve had the privilege of walking alongside you and your families through milestones, challenges, and celebrations.
It has truly been the most rewarding part of my career.
While there is rarely a perfect moment to retire from a professional career, after much reflection and many memorable years as a financial planner, I am formally announcing my retirement, effective December 31, 2025. With the strong team at KHB Capital in place, this feels like the right time.
Throughout my career, my goal has been to build a sustainable practice. One that would provide continuity in your financial plans throughout your lifetime and for future generations. As I step aside, I do so with complete confidence in my two trusted partners, Olivier and Jeremy. Jeremy and I have worked side by side since 1999, and Olivier, who joined in 2014 and became a partner in 2020, has been integral to the team’s success. Together, they bring decades of experience in wealth management, hold the highest professional credentials, and know your financial plans inside and out. In fact, they have been actively managing your investments for years, even when I was your main contact. Their professionalism, insight, and dedication have always been at the heart of how we serve our clients. I am confident you will find the transition seamless.
Although I will officially retire at year’s end, I look forward to connecting with many of you in the months ahead to reminisce and share a few stories.
After 41 years, how do you capture a career in words? I've lived Confucius's wisdom: "Choose a job you love, and you will never have to work a day in your life."
Allow me to share a few thoughts, memories, and perhaps even a little advice.
Let’s start at the beginning. - July 1984
Bill Gates was developing software, Steve Jobs was building Apple, three-pound "brick" phones were cutting-edge, and mortgage rates had just peaked at 21%.
A young financial advisor enters the profession, ready to take on the world!
Those early years were a blur of activity — learning the business, studying financial planning, and frankly, just paying the bills.
Three years in, October 19th, 1987, I faced my first major lesson: “Black Monday.” Markets plunged 25% almost overnight! More “lessons” followed: the credit collapse of 1992, the dot-com bubble, the global financial crisis, the pandemic, and countless other upheavals. Yet through every crisis, markets recovered, portfolios grew, and careful planning allowed you to focus on what mattered most—your lives and families.
What I will cherish most are the relationships we’ve built together over the years. It has been a privilege to help you define and develop long-term financial, tax, and investment strategies to achieve your most important goals — even as markets swung, interest rates shifted, and tax laws changed with every new government. My hope is that having a sound financial plan gave you the freedom to focus on what truly matters in life. For some of you, that journey has spanned 10, 20, even 40 years. And in many cases, I’ve had the honour of advising your children and grandchildren as well. Those enduring connections are what turned my career into a joy rather than a job.
While I will deeply miss regular contact with many of you, I leave with immense gratitude and assurance that you are in capable hands. I am confident that Jeremy and Olivier, along with Joumana, Rohan, and Jordan will continue to provide the highest level of service and commitment that you have come to expect.
My trust in Jeremy and Olivier is not only professional but also personal. Julie and I, my children and my extended family have entrusted all our investments to them —a testament to the confidence we place in their expertise and judgment.
Thank you for allowing me to be part of your lives for up to four decades. It has truly been an honour. Though I am stepping aside, you can rest assured that I will remain in the background as a trusted mentor to Jeremy and Olivier, and of course, we can always chat about life. My personal contact information is below.
A closing thought from my mentor, Roy Curnick — the key to financial success: “If your outflow exceeds your income, your upkeep will be your downfall.”
I wish you continued health, happiness, and prosperity in the years ahead.
Best regards,
Earl Kaplin