No one ever called Cub Dreher by his given name, Kasper. At the age of five, he was christened Cubby Bear, and the name stuck. It was a fitting moniker for the teddy bear of a man, and his kindness and consideration for others were woven into his business as a financial planner. He started making a name for himself in 1977 as part of Investors Group, and after more than 15 years in the business, he decided to strike out on his own as an independent.
Dreher grew his business, and as his clients started to bring in their children for financial planning, Cub decided it was time to do the same. In 1998, he invited his 22-year-old stepson, Grant Stefanowski, to join his company and offered guidance, support and his first clients to help him learn and build his book of business.
One of the most powerful learning moments came in 2001 when the tech bubble burst. His and his clients’ portfolios fell, and he realized that Canadian balanced funds were really technology funds in disguise. Surrounded by losses and uncertainty, the tech wreck got him thinking about investment differently with a focus on building more resilient portfolios for himself and his clients. This set off a chain reaction of changes over the next few years; the two books were brought together under one umbrella, Oculus Private Wealth, and Dreher and Stefanowski launched a fresh approach to their business that addressed the question of “why?” rather than “what?”.
“We started changing the way the book was run, from just average financial planning and setting up RRSPs to more of a wealth management style,” says Grant Stefanowski, CFP at Oculus Private Wealth (“Oculus”). “We would sit down with clients, look at their entire financial situation and then build financial plans around that. We really looked at their situation on a holistic level rather than just taking orders for an RRSP.”
Oculus evolved into a boutique financial services firm that looks at all aspects of the client’s life, from how much insurance they have to their mortgage commitments to education planning for their children. With this personal approach that eliminated cookie-cutter portfolios, Oculus continues to grow through word-of-mouth referrals and generational client families.
Dreher retired in 2017, and Stefanowski set out to find a protégé to help grow Oculus in its next chapter. He found Clayton Goodwin, an experienced CIM, and brought him on as a financial advisor consultant. Goodwin is also a registered portfolio manager with Harness Investment Management Inc. (“Harness”), and they complement each other well; Stefanowski is the wealth advisor who works with clients to help them plan out their financial futures, while Goodwin is the portfolio manager.
“Clayton manages, evaluates and monitors client investment portfolios. I’m the one talking to clients about when and how they can retire. I put the puzzle pieces together,” Stefanowski says.
Together, the two deliver exceptional personalized service to every client at every stage of their lives, offering expertise in retirement, investment, estate and tax planning to ensure there are no unwelcome surprises. Oculus caters to high net-worth individuals, as well as offering full-service group retirement plan management for corporations.
To stay on top of industry news and activity, Oculus works with a select few large, trusted companies from across the country, like Purpose Investments Inc. and Forstrong Global Asset Management Inc., to access information from economists, global EFT and portfolio managers. It also leans on Harness for both background analytics and portfolio management services for its clients. With the big-company resources of these partners, Oculus is able to aim for consistent results that meet client objectives while keeping their client list small, at about 110 households.
Oculus seeks out clients who want to be involved in their investment futures and are interested in what they are doing as a modern financial services firm. It’s a two-sided relationship that is nurtured through multiple face-to-face touchpoints throughout the year, and over the decades these relationships have grown into cherished friendships. Goodwin and Stefanowski stay educated about the nuances of their clients’ portfolio goals and objectives in order to offer personalized solutions for reaching clients’ financial goals. “As a fee for service firm with no annual account fees, Oculus’ success is directly connected to the client’s.” And that’s just the way Goodwin and Stefanowski like it.
“Portfolios are created in a way that asks: ‘Does this pass the parents test or the spouse test?” Meaning, would I invest my parents or my spouse’s money in it? Would I invest my money in this? That’s the only way to manage other people’s money,” Goodwin says. “It’s about managing it in a very prudent manner. It’s easy to buy whatever is flying through the roof. What’s not easy is knowing how to manage money in turbulent or down times. I think that’s what’s more important.”
Protecting assets is at the core of the firm, and the partners apply their vast experience and education to their money management process to help ensure they are set up for the long haul. As products and processes continue to change, clients can count on the solid, enduring advice of the Oculus team.
“I feel the same care we put into every client has never changed,” says Stefanowski. “We have four generations of wealth in our hands. We have clients that have trusted us for 40-some years and they want to trust us for another 40.”
With strong partnerships and knowledgeable portfolio managers building client portfolios, Oculus Private Wealth is happy to oblige.
4838 Richard Rd SW #100 Calgary, AB T3E 6L1 | (403) 283-8838
oculusprivatewealth.com | harnessinvest.ca
Harness Investment Management Inc. is registered as a Portfolio Manager and Exempt Market Dealer across Canada. Purpose Investments Inc. is an affiliate of Harness Investment Management Inc.
