Dave Madan's Blog
This week I had the privilege of co-presenting the opening plenary for day 2 at the STEP Canada National Conference in Toronto. I shared the stage with Junaid Mirza from PwC Canada, with Rhonda Johnson keeping us on track as moderator. Our session, “Intelligent Counsel: Harnessing AI for the Future of Estate and Tax Practice,” […]
Most estate problems do not start with bad intentions or poor advice. They start with an easy decision. A parent adds a child to a bank account to make bill paying simpler. A couple downloads an online Will template to “get something in place.” A family assumes the oldest child will naturally take care of […]
If you have ever watched a true crime documentary or investigative series, you know the familiar structure. A death sets the story in motion. A Will appears. Family members gather, each with their own questions, assumptions, and expectations. By the end of the episode, the mystery is resolved and the estate seems to fall neatly […]
Estate professionals still talk about passwords as if they are the primary barrier to digital assets. They aren’t. The real barrier today is something far more common and far more destructive to modern estates: multi-factor authentication. Over the last few years, most major platforms have tightened their security models. Apple, Google, Microsoft, Steam, crypto exchanges, […]
Digital assets have become an increasingly common topic in estate planning. What once seemed like a niche hobby has turned into a meaningful part of some clients’ financial picture. From cryptocurrency to NFTs and even online gaming inventories, these assets can hold real world value, sometimes in the millions. Yet recent events in the gaming […]
When Bob Marley died in 1981 at age 36, he left behind more than music. His untimely passing without a will triggered one of the most complicated celebrity estates in history—still offering lessons for advisors today. From intestacy battles and family feuds to landmark trademark cases and modern cannabis branding, Marley’s estate shows how powerful, […]
Dementia is not just a medical diagnosis; it’s a family story that unfolds over years. Canada’s numbers are climbing—projections suggest more than 1.7 million Canadians could be living with dementia by 2050. That’s a lot of spouses, adult children, and friends carrying new responsibilities—and often facing urgent decisions. The simplest way to bring calm to […]
Nintendo’s Switch 2 launched in June 2025 with fanfare, new features—and one clause in its user agreement that raised eyebrows. If you tamper with your console or break Nintendo’s rules, the company reserves the right to make the device “permanently unusable in whole or in part.” In other words, they can remotely brick it. It’s not just about banning […]
Wealth management is a career that blends financial expertise with human connection. For many new graduates, the path in can feel intimidating – job descriptions often list both technical and interpersonal skills, and it’s not always clear what matters most at the start. The truth is, firms know that technical knowledge grows with experience. What […]
When people think about estate planning, the conversation often begins with numbers. How much wealth is being transferred? How much tax will be owed? How much will each child inherit? Yet when you look at what really causes families stress during a transition, the answer is rarely about the dollars. It’s about the people. Surveys […]