KEVIN OSER, CIM®, Senior Investment Advisor, iA Private Wealth, Vancouver, BC
- CARMEN MORGAN
- May 15
- 5 min read
Updated: May 16
KEVIN OSER
“We can all feel uncomfortable when markets decline and it can be easy to
forget to look back at history. In the short term, markets can, and do, move up and down. But, over time there is little to be concerned about for prudent investors with a long-term perspective.“
Why did a wealth management career appeal to you?
I love learning about how the brain works, human emotions and behaviour, so I went to university to study psychology. But after a year, knowing I had another six to go, I decided to turn to the investment world.
I took the Canadian securities course and looked for a job, but no one would hire me. I had long hair and looked like I was about 12. I finally got an opportunity through my dad’s Advisor who was the Vice President at a mutual fund company. I was given a desk and a phone and they said ‘good luck’. I didn’t even know if I was getting paid. It turned out, I wasn’t.
What I didn’t realize at the time was just how much psychology plays a part in the investment process. The irony is, I gave up psychology to enter into the investment business, but it’s probably 50% psychology. So I really landed this dream job where I deal with money, but also big emotions.
What is a character trait that has helped you succeed on this career path?
From the time I started this work, my belief in what I do has not wavered for a second. I have a strong belief in and commitment to the work I do, no matter the declines and crises. Black Monday was my first experience with a big market decline in 1987. It was the first time I recognized that everyone handles volatility differently and it is highly emotional. It was an eye-opener, and talking to clients about how they handle setbacks is a big part of this work. I genuinely love helping my clients navigate volatility with calmness, insight, and genuine empathy.
What question do you tend to ask your clients in the early stages of investment and wealth management?
What’s the most challenging thing that’s happened to you in your life and tell me how you dealt with it? I love that question. Everyone has had setbacks in life and if they’ve gone through something life-changing and won, it’s that level of internal strength that can never be taken away from people, and it gives great insight into the way people are. It provides an idea into an array of personal traits that people may have such as humility, gratefulness, empathy, appreciation and management of fear and pain to name a few.
Why do clients choose you and stick with you, do you think?
Wealth management is a career in learning about people’s history and setbacks, goals and dreams, as much as it is about advising on client portfolios. Nothing is black and white for me, and I’m the kind of person who needs to talk things out. After the death of my son at age of nine from a degenerative neurological disease, I have a greater understanding of people’s strife. I’m not afraid to share my own story and struggle, and I think that helps clients share their own story, as well as stay open and stay focused on the big picture.
Along with the very sincere interest I have in my clients’ success, in over 30 years of assisting investors in achieving their financial goals, I have learned many of the pitfalls some may experience and can help them steer clear of.
What do you tell clients who are worried about their financial future in this current economic climate?
Even if we’ve studied the history, the present moment can feel catastrophic. I’ve studied all the history, whether you are looking at today, 2008, 911, or Black Monday, or 1981 with 21% mortgage rates, or the ‘73 oil crisis. Each one is a different time, each one with different catalysts, but the result is the same in the market. We can all feel uncomfortable when markets decline and it can be easy to forget to look back at history. In the short term, markets can, and do, move up and down. But, over time there is little to be concerned about for prudent investors with a long-term perspective.
Who has been a mentor for you in your life or career?
I don’t think anyone achieves success without help and support. No matter how much one achieves success “on their own”, it always involves support and guidance from others. I was 21 when I started my business and was fortunate to be surrounded by many people who could guide me, and there are certainly a couple that stood out. Mike Nott, who was a professional football player and subsequently an Advisor/Manager at the company I started with was probably the most positive, influential person for me. As a very young person with questionable priorities, he sat me down for a talk. I remember the talk clearly. He said to me “Remember, the perceptions you create are the reality people see.” At that moment I realized I was completely responsible for not only how I was perceived but the importance of how I act. That was likely the most pivotal moment in my career and one of the most pivotal in my life.
What are you committed to outside of wealth advising?
I love what I do for work but it is only a part of my life. There’s perhaps only one way to survive the loss of a child—and that is time and to provide support to a community of people who are experiencing a similar or same trauma. I’ve worked with a parent peer group and done some fundraising to support parents of kids with terminal diseases. I have had the opportunity to speak with many people who have lost their children, sometimes multiple children, and they are some of the most content people I’ve met in my life. It ends up relating to my business because the big picture can steady us in the most volatile times. Additionally, I believe it is vitally important to create balance in life between work, family and recreation. I have been involved in many competitive sports in my life and continue to be, and have been fortunate to have a daughter who also loved sports growing up. Spending numerous years coaching some of her teams was not only a wonderfully rewarding time, but it also created an incredibly strong bond between us.
Carmen Morgan is a skilled business writer and storyteller, collaborating with business owners and executives to tell their stories and share perspectives on growth and success, as well as perseverance and adversity. Over two decades she has refined her interview, writing and editing skills to capture the nuggets and captivating details that engage readers and make a story memorable.
Kevin Oser, CIM®
Senior Investment Advisor,
iA Private Wealth Insurance Advisor
609 Granville St. Suite 700
Vancouver, British Columbia
V7Y 1G5
604 - 895 - 3413