Wealth Building Portfolios
We help you Grow your wealth With Professional Management and Trusted Advice.
Many firms offer their services only after you have built substantial wealth, leaving you to manage valuable wealth building years on your own.
- A Lack of Professional Guidance can leave your savings and investments without a clear direction.
- Missed Opportunities arise when your investments are not structured to match your goals and tax situation.
- Reactive Decisions happen when market headlines and emotions replace disciplined strategy.
- and more....
You deserve more than limited access and generic advice. You deserve professional management that keeps your hard-earned wealth on track.
Feel Confident In Every Step of Your Wealth Journey
Stop worrying about whether you are saving enough.
Spend less time managing accounts and more time on what matters.
Feel confident knowing your investments and goals are on track.
Our Wealth Building Portfolios help keep your strategy clear, your progress steady, and your goals within reach. This way you do not have to worry about the complexities of managing your investments and can be confident you are on the right track.
This service is most effective starting around $200,000 in investment assets, but we are happy to discuss your individual situation.
Already accumulated significant assets? – Explore our High Net Worth Wealth Management.
Individuals and Families
As financial priorities expand, our approach brings clarity and coordination to your investments. This ensures your strategy remains balanced, tax-efficient, and aligned with what matters most – helping you stay on track.
Business Owners
We help simplify your finances with professional management that integrates personal investments, corporate assets, and tax-smart strategies to keep your wealth working efficiently.
Retirees with Pensions
Even with a stable pension, making the most of your remaining retirement assets is essential. We provide disciplined, transparent management to help support your retirement lifestyle.
Know What You Own Podcast
The Know What You Own Podcast invites you inside the conversations we, at Hemisphere Capital Management, have every day. We explore what makes a company worth owning and the factors that drive long-term success. No hype. No sales pitch. No hidden agenda. Just clear, honest discussions between professionals.
Professional Management to Keep You Moving Forward
Managing important years of financial growth on your own is not easy – especially when those decisions can shape your long-term success. We know what it feels like to worry you are not on the right path.
We help you move forward with thoughtful guidance and professional advice.
You work directly with the registered Canadian portfolio managers responsible for your investments.
We make investment decisions on your behalf using our expertise and judgment, so you can focus on what matters most.
Unlike traditional mutual funds that often carry high fees, our approach offers lower-cost access to professionally managed investments.
We utilize our equity pooled funds to reduce transaction costs, enhance diversification, and make ongoing contributions seamless – ideal for growing accounts.
We help you choose the right mix of accounts to reach your goals efficiently while reducing your overall tax burden.
Our disciplined approach balances opportunity and risk based on your risk profile to support steady, long-term growth.
Our fees are based on a percentage of assets under management. They are clearly reported in dollar terms each year.
You receive detailed quarterly reports showing performance net of fees, calculated using the Time-Weighted Rate of Return (TWRR) method recommended by the Global Investment Reporting Standards.
All assets are held in segregated accounts with independent third-party custodians. Our current custodian is National Bank.
Our holistic approach integrates seamlessly with your existing professionals to ensure your investment strategy supports your broader financial plans.
Performance
Our pooled funds form the basis of our equity investment approach.
Start Your Path to A Clear and Confident Financial Future.
1 / Schedule an introductory conversation.
We start with a straightforward discussion about your goals, priorities, challenges and current investments.
2 / Allow us to create a tailored strategy.
We outline proposed changes to your investment portfolio to better align your wealth with your short-term and long-term objectives.
3 / Execute the strategy together.
If we both agree it is a good fit, we help implement your new strategy with care and discipline, keeping you informed every step of the way.
See Where A Clear Strategy Can Take You
The power of compounding
Contributions + Time = Long-Term Results.
*Illustrative only. Not investment advice. See full disclaimer at the end of the page.
Learn More About Our Wealth Building Portfolios
Click On A Section To Learn More.
ONBOARDING
Getting to Know You
As part of our wealth management process, we conduct a thorough discovery to gain a deep understanding of your financial goals, risk tolerance, time horizon, income and cash flow needs, tax situation, and other key considerations. This comprehensive consultation allows us to build a complete picture of your circumstances and enables seamless coordination with your other professional advisors, such as accountants or legal counsel.
Opening Your Accounts
Hemisphere currently uses National Bank Independent Network (NBIN) as our custodial platform. NBIN is a wholly owned subsidiary of National Bank of Canada — a federally regulated Schedule A bank — and is the largest retail custodian in Canada. NBIN is regulated by the Canadian Investment Regulatory Organization (CIRO), and all client accounts are protected by the Canadian Investor Protection Fund (CIPF), with coverage up to $1,000,000 in the event of insolvency.
Using the information gathered during onboarding, we prepare the necessary documentation to open your custodial account, including transfer forms and other required agreements. While Hemisphere has trading authority over your assets, we do not have direct access to your funds. Transfers of cash or securities in or out of your accounts requires your written authorization.
NBIN handles all trade settlement, safekeeping and recordkeeping for your account. Funding can be accomplished by transferring assets from another financial institution. We work with you to verify and record the original cost base of any transferred securities to ensure proper tax reporting.
Building Your Investment Roadmap
Based on what we learn about you, we create a personalized Investment Policy Statement (IPS). Your IPS is a key outcome of our initial discovery process. It defines your investment strategy based on factors such as your current financial situation, long-term objectives, ability to handle market volatility, income needs, liquidity preferences, and investment time horizon.
The IPS outlines a personalized asset allocation framework, guiding how your investments will be distributed across equities, fixed income, and cash equivalents. It is a dynamic document, reviewed at least annually, to reflect changes in your life or the market environment. Updates may be warranted due to events such as:
Marriage or divorce
Change of address or employment
New financial goals or liquidity needs
Significant personal, professional, or financial developments
Changes in your status as a corporate insider or major shareholder
PORTFOLIO CONSTRUCTION
Account Transition
We believe in a thoughtful, tax-efficient transition to your new portfolio — not abrupt changes. When we take over management of an existing portfolio, we gradually align it with our investment approach. This process typically takes place over several quarters, allowing us to consider:
Market conditions
Tax implications
Redemption fees
Liquidity constraints
How We Invest
At Hemisphere, our investment strategy is rooted in clarity, discipline, and active management. We make informed decisions based on our analysis of macroeconomic developments, long-term investment themes, and the evolving impact of these forces on specific sectors and industries within the capital markets.
We are focused on steady, long-term returns through proven asset classes. Our portfolios are built using individual publicly traded securities — including common stocks, bonds, and preferred shares. We believe these instruments provide transparency, liquidity, and the ability to manage risk more effectively than complex or illiquid alternatives.
Our philosophy emphasizes simplicity and flexibility — investing in what we can clearly understand and explain.
Security Selection And Execution
Security selection is where our investment strategy becomes tangible. Each position in your portfolio is carefully chosen to reflect our focus on high-quality assets with long-term value. We use rigorous analysis and disciplined valuation practices to determine which securities best represent our investment philosophy.
Fixed Income
Our fixed income portfolios are designed with a strong focus on capital preservation and income generation. These holdings play a key role in reducing overall portfolio volatility while providing a dependable income stream.
We primarily invest in:
Government, provincial, and investment-grade corporate bonds
Select high-yield corporate bonds with strong fundamentals and attractive risk-adjusted returns
Preferred shares
Our approach is active but disciplined. We continuously assess interest rate trends, credit spreads, and economic conditions to position portfolios in a way that balances opportunity and risk. Fixed income forms the foundation of many of our clients’ portfolios — providing stability, generating reliable cash flow, and offering downside protection during periods of equity market volatility.
Equities
Hemisphere’s pooled funds form the basis of our equity strategy. Hemisphere has two registered pooled funds that are equity-focused and actively managed in-house. There is one Canadian-focused fund (Canadian Value Fund) and one U.S.-focused fund with select international exposure (U.S. Select Shares Fund). These funds are only available to Hemisphere’s clients. They enable diversification and active management without the high fees of mutual funds or externally-managed funds that large financial institutions may use. We also may use select exchange-traded funds (ETFs).
We focus on the following when selecting equities for our pooled funds:
Strong fundamentals
Sustainable business models
Responsible capital allocation
Proven track records of performance and cash flow generation
We avoid speculative investments and unproven technologies, instead preferring companies that offer stable growth and downside protection. Valuation is central to our equity process — we invest when the price is right, based on our internal analysis and a long-term view. We continuously review our holdings based on evolving fundamentals and market conditions.
ACCOUNT OPTIMIZATION
At Hemisphere, account selection and tax efficiency is a core component of how we build and manage portfolios. We understand that taxes can significantly impact long-term returns, which is why we take a proactive, deliberate approach to minimizing the tax burden across your portfolio.
We manage portfolios at both the overall portfolio level and the account level, always with after-tax outcomes in mind. This includes thoughtful asset location — matching the right types of investments to the right types of accounts while considering the risk levels identified in your IPS.
In many cases, however, it is less about pursuing advanced tax strategies and more about choosing the right account for each goal. The account you use can make a big difference in how quickly your savings grow, thanks to tax advantages and government incentives.
Using the right accounts in the right order helps you:
Keep more of what you earn (by reducing, deferring or eliminating tax on growth).
Maximize government incentives (RESP).
Create flexibility for different life goals.
Which accounts fit your goals?
Retirement
Prioritize TFSA for tax-free growth and RRSP for tax-deferred compounding. Use taxable/corporate accounts once registered accounts are fully contributed.
Buy a home
FHSA first since tax-deductible contributions and tax-free withdrawals for qualifying home purchases. TFSA for flexible top-ups. RRSP Home Buyers’ Plan if needed.
Kids’ education
RESP contributions allow for CESG grants. TFSA can supplement if timing or room is constrained.
Flexible funds
Flexible, multi-purpose capital. TFSA first for tax-free growth. Use taxable once TFSA is fully contributed due to flexibility compared to other registered accounts.
Start a business
Maintain liquidity and optionality. Focus on accounts that can be readily withdrawn from without adverse tax impacts.
*Illustrative only and not applicable to any specific individual situation. See full disclaimer at the end of the page.
RISK MANAGEMENT
At Hemisphere, risk management is embedded in every investment decision we make. We understand that all investing involves uncertainty — but not all uncertainty is the same. We differentiate between known unknowns — risks we can identify and try to plan for — and unknown unknowns — unexpected events like geopolitical shocks or sudden market dislocations. Our approach is designed to mitigate the impact of both through proactive safeguards and disciplined wealth management strategies.
Each client portfolio is governed by a detailed IPS tailored to individual objectives and risk tolerance. This ensures that all portfolio activity remains grounded in a strategic framework that balances return potential with risk exposure. By focusing on high-quality, publicly traded securities, we are able to respond quickly and effectively to changing market conditions.
For fixed income investments, we actively manage interest rate and credit risk by analyzing the yield curve, monitoring corporate credit spreads, and positioning our fixed income holdings in a way that supports predictable cash flows. By reinvesting proceeds from maturing securities in a disciplined manner, we reduce exposure to timing risks and ensure alignment with targeted duration and risk levels.
On the equity side, we closely monitor each position for changes in company fundamentals, industry dynamics, and broader economic conditions. We use internal valuation models and external research to estimate intrinsic value, which guides our buy and sell decisions. When a security becomes overvalued or no longer aligns with our investment thesis, it may be reduced or sold — helping to avoid potential downside from deteriorating fundamentals or inflated market expectations.
To protect against both known and unknown risks, we apply a consistent set of safeguards across all portfolios:
Position sizing limits help reduce the impact of any single holding.
Valuation discipline ensures we are not overpaying for assets, reducing exposure to downside risk.
Diversification across asset classes, sectors, and issuers helps mitigate the impact of sector-specific or idiosyncratic events.
Liquidity is prioritized to maintain flexibility in responding to market shocks or rapidly changing conditions.
These safeguards are essential for navigating both predictable and unforeseen challenges. By combining rigorous analysis with a disciplined, transparent investment process, we aim to protect capital while pursuing long-term investment returns.
CASH FLOW MANAGEMENT
At Hemisphere, we understand that timely access to your money is essential — whether you need regular income, a large one-time withdrawal, or emergency access to funds. Our cash flow management approach is designed to be efficient, responsive, and aligned with your financial needs.
When a cash need arises, we:
Review your existing holdings to determine the most tax-efficient and strategically sound way to raise cash.
Maintain sufficient liquidity in your portfolio to meet anticipated and unexpected withdrawals without disrupting your long-term investment strategy.
Fulfill most cash requests within a few business days, ensuring that you receive your funds quickly and with minimal hassle.
To streamline the process, we recommend setting up Electronic Funds Transfer (EFT) between your investment accounts and your bank account. This allows for seamless and secure transfers — so your money is there when you need it.
Whether your cash needs are planned or unexpected, we are here to ensure that your portfolio supports them smoothly.
PORTFOLIO REPORTING
On a quarterly basis:
Portfolio Analysis/Performance Report: Summary of performance history, quarterly and last 12 months total return, annualized asset mix, appraisal of portfolio holdings.
On an annual basis:
CRM2 Report: Money-Weighted Rate of Return (MWRR) and management fee report in accordance with CRM2 reporting requirements.
Tax Package for taxable accounts: summary of investment management fees, gains and losses realized during the year, T1135 information.
You will also receive a statement of account from the custodian on a monthly basis, unless no transactions occurred in the account, in which case the statements will be generated quarterly. Annually, the custodian will provide all applicable tax receipts including T3s, T5s, etc.
PERFORMANCE CALCULATION
Hemisphere follows best practice recommendations of the CFA Institute and calculates performance using the Time-Weighted Rate of Return (TWRR) methodology for quarterly reports. A TWRR calculation is considered to be a more accurate evaluation of a manager’s performance since it removes the effects of external cash flows, which are generally client-driven. This also allows for a common basis of comparison across investment managers. All historical rates of return on Hemisphere’s client statements are calculated using the TWRR standard.
ONGOING RELATIONSHIP
During the initial stages of a relationship, or when you have a life event, we typically meet with clients more frequently to build a strong foundation of trust and understanding. Once the relationship is established, we continue to emphasize the importance of regular check-ins — typically on a semi-annual or annual basis, depending on your preference. These meetings are a key part of our process and include:
Learning more about you. Beyond just numbers, we want to know more about what is happening in your life.
Thoroughly review the current asset mix, portfolio performance and the portfolio holdings.
Review any transactions that occurred during the period.
Discuss ongoing financial market events and our outlook.
Discuss portfolio positioning given our expected outlook.
As the decision-makers behind every investment, we are fully accountable for each holding. We take pride in being able to clearly explain what each company in your portfolio does and why we believe it deserves a place there.
Disclaimer: All information shown in is illustrative and estimates only. This information is not intended to be comprehensive investment, tax, financial or legal advice and should not be considered as personal investment advice, an offer, or solicitation to buy and/or sell investment products. Every effort has been made to ensure accurate information has been provided, however accuracy cannot be guaranteed. Past investment performance does not guarantee future results. The manager accepts no responsibility for individual decisions arising from the use or reliance on the information contained herein. Please consult a portfolio manager prior to making any investment decisions.
