As we approach the end of the year, it’s a great time to take a look back on the issues that resonated most with our readers. Which articles did you, the readers of Canadian Family Offices, enjoy on our site?
Here are the most-read articles for the second half of the year, July through December, 2025. (Click here for Part 1, January through June.)
Happy reading!
July: How rich is UHNW? We asked 15 advisors to put their sorting hats on
Canadian wealth professionals attach dollar amounts to commonly used terms
We often describe family offices as firms that serve “ultra high net worth” individuals and families. So you’d think there would be a common definition of this term.
But there’s little agreement. This financial classification, as well as “high net worth,” “very high net worth” and “mass affluent,” originated via U.S. private banking and wealth management reports.
We decided to ask 15 Canadian wealth professionals what UHNW means to them.
August: Keith Sjögren: ‘There are a whole bunch of people earning a lot of money who are not giving to charity’
He talks about why we need to rejuvenate charitable giving in Canada, the need for research in the field, and why charities need a bigger voice in Ottawa
Keith Sjögren has a unique perspective on philanthropy in Canada, with a career that spans wealth management and research on the charitable sector, where he remains a consultant today.
One of his notable quotes from our interview: “I would like to see high-net-worth individuals come forward to work with the charities that represent causes they are keen about, instead of waiting to be asked.”
September: A great place to build: Canada’s top 20 real-estate families and how they created wealth
These builders and developers changed the face of the nation’s cities—and made lots of money doing it
Canada has proven to be an ideal place for real estate entrepreneurs to acquire lasting wealth. Lists of the richest Canadians include many real-estate billionaires—both homegrown and immigrant—who have changed the face of the nation’s cities, towns and suburbs.
But it takes a special kind of entrepreneur to reach the top of the field.
Our list of wealthy real estate individuals and families reflects the diversity of the industry across the country.
October: How much do you need to launch and run a single-family office?
We asked 10 advisors for their thoughts about complexity, family needs and, of course, money
At what level of wealth could a family consider setting up a single-family office? We weren’t surprised to find that opinions vary considerably.
Should you have $100 million or $300 million? Some advisors pegged the number at closer to $500 million. They also addressed the circumstances in which a family with a family office will just burn money faster.
November: ‘Beyond the Family Business’ with Pierre Somers of the Walter Group—why consistent evolution is key
He talks about selling the family business, growing as an investment firm, and managing across generations
In the podcast “Beyond the Family Business,” sponsored by BMO Private Wealth, Luke Hansen-MacDonald goes beyond the headlines with fellow leaders in family businesses and family offices.
His session with Pierre Somers, founder of the Montreal-based family investment firm the Walter Group, turned out to be one of our most-clicked videos.
December: ‘Surprise! You own a warehouse’: How wealthy people lose track of their assets
Mislaid stocks, insurance policies and bank accounts are common among the wealthy. Even purchases of real estate can be forgotten
We all lose things—socks, glasses, keys and (occasionally) pets. Usually, we notice right away and take action. But in families with broad holdings, complex financial structures and multiple family groups, surprisingly large and important assets can go astray, often for a generation or more.
And this problem is bound to become more acute, experts say, as snail-mailed statements go the way of the dodo. Here’s how it happens.
Dave Michaels has been an editor at Canadian Family Offices since its launch in 2021. Before that he edited content for the Report on Business section at The Globe and Mail in Toronto and The Arizona Republic in Phoenix, Ariz.
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