Graves Financial Advisory Group

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Graves Financial Advisory Group We make wealth work. We are confident we offer great value for the transparent, competitive rates we charge. (“WMI”).

All content on this profile page is my own and does not necessarily reflect the views of CIBC or its affiliates. The information provided herein is meant for Canadian residents only, is general in nature and does not contain any financial, legal, tax or investment recommendations or advice. Following or showing interest in a securities issuer on this site is not a recommendation to invest in such issuer’s securities. Any commentary that might be construed as an endorsement or recommendation on this site should not be construed as explicitly or implicitly approved by me or CIBC or its affiliates. You agree that you will not communicate any personal or confidential information through this site. CIBC Private Wealth consists of services provided by CIBC and certain of its subsidiaries: CIBC Private Banking; CIBC Private Investment Counsel, a division of CIBC Asset Management Inc. (“CAM”); CIBC Trust Corporation; and CIBC Wood Gundy, a division of CIBC World Markets Inc. CIBC Private Banking provides solutions from CIBC Investor Services Inc.(“ISI”), CAM and credit products. CIBC Private Wealth services are available to qualified individuals. The CIBC logo and “CIBC Private Wealth” are trademarks of CIBC, used under license.

Do you ever feel like you're the person who always says yes?Helping people probably means a lot to you. You want to be u...
10/15/2026

Do you ever feel like you're the person who always says yes?

Helping people probably means a lot to you. You want to be useful, available and someone others can count on.

But when you're exhausted, you have less patience, less energy and less focus. When you're rested, you show up better for the people you serve, and your family gets a better version of you too.

Serving from a healthier place is the same commitment to helping, with a little more care for the person doing the helping.

If you want to talk about building a plan that lets you stay generous with your time and your money for the long run, send us a message.

There will always be one more client, one more board to serve on and one more opportunity.Opportunities renew themselves...
10/07/2026

There will always be one more client, one more board to serve on and one more opportunity.

Opportunities renew themselves. That's what makes them easy to keep chasing.

Summers with your children don't renew, and neither do conversations with your parents or healthy years.

If your kids are eight, you have roughly ten summers left before they're out the door. It's a countable number, and things you can count deserve a plan.

When we sit down with clients to talk about what they want their money to do, the answers are rarely about the next opportunity. They're about time: with family, with their health and with the people who matter most.

Priorities matter. A good financial plan should be built around the things that won't come around again.

If you want to talk about building a plan around what matters most to you, send us a message.

This year, my dad, Dennis, celebrates. 40 years in the wealth management industry. Forty years of helping people build t...
10/05/2026

This year, my dad, Dennis, celebrates. 40 years in the wealth management industry. Forty years of helping people build their futures, navigating uncertainty, and earning the trust that makes a career like this possible.

He has seen an extraordinary amount of change. The market crash of 1987. The dot-com collapse of 2000. The financial crisis of 2008. Through changing technology, evolving regulations, and an industry that looks vastly different from the one he entered, he has continued to learn, adapt, and move forward.

He has been a branch manager, run his own mutual fund dealership, built lasting client relationships, and mentored others along the way. There is so much in those 40 years to be proud of.

But to me, the most impressive part is who he has been through all of it.

The father. The husband. The mentor. The person people can count on.

Behind a career spanning four decades is a life that hasn’t been without its own challenges. My mom’s health scare in the mid-2000s and his own very serious health scare earlier this year brought a different kind of uncertainty—one no amount of professional experience can prepare you for. Having him here to celebrate this milestone means more than I can put into words.

I have had the privilege of knowing him as both his son and his colleague. I’ve seen the effort behind the accomplishments, the care behind the advice, and the person behind the professional. What I aspire to most is to be the kind of father, husband, mentor, and person he has been for me and for so many others.

Dad, you are woven into so many parts of my life. I feel blessed every day to work beside you, learn from you, and continue making memories with you. Your example shapes how I raise my children, how I show up for people, and how I try to live my own life.

Forty years is another incredible milestone in an already remarkable career. I am so proud of you, so grateful for you, and so happy we get to celebrate it together.

Congratulations, Dad. I love you.

Most people think legacy is something you leave behind, like a speech at retirement or a number on an estate plan.But it...
09/29/2026

Most people think legacy is something you leave behind, like a speech at retirement or a number on an estate plan.

But it’s worth thinking about it differently, as something experienced every day.

It’s the way you answer an email or how someone feels after a conversation with you. It’s how your kids remember dinner and how colleagues describe working with you.

Legacy is today’s behaviour, repeated for decades to come.

That’s a helpful reframe. It means the legacy you’re building isn’t waiting somewhere in the future, it’s being built right now, in the small, unremarkable choices most days are made of.

If this has you thinking about the lega

09/24/2026

What separates a good advisor from a great one isn't always about the numbers.

Your greatest asset isn’t your portfolio, it’s your capacity.It’s easy to think about capacity strictly in terms of prod...
09/16/2026

Your greatest asset isn’t your portfolio, it’s your capacity.

It’s easy to think about capacity strictly in terms of productivity, like how much you can get done in a day. But it’s something much broader. It’s physical health, emotional resilience, sleep, curiosity, patience, presence, relationships and energy.

Every decision either compounds that capacity or depletes it.

It’s a subtle shift, but optimizing for capacity instead of just your calendar changes how present you are with the people you love, how much you show up for others, and how much you actually have left to give at the end of the day. A packed schedule isn’t a measure of success if it leaves nothing in the tank.

If you’re building a plan for your wealth, it’s worth asking the same question about your capacity. What’s compounding it? What’s quietly draining it?

Send us a message if you want to talk about what optimizing your capacity, not just your calendar, could look like.

The hardest permission you’ll ever receive is the one you give yourself.For a long time, many of us wait for permission....
09/08/2026

The hardest permission you’ll ever receive is the one you give yourself.

For a long time, many of us wait for permission. Permission to slow down, to rest, to say no, to enjoy what we’ve built.

A dream home, a growing business, a family, financial security. None of these things automatically create peace. It’s easy to feel obligated to earn your worth every single day, as if the moment you stop proving yourself, it will all disappear.

But maybe you’ve already earned it.

Success eventually stops being about proving yourself. It becomes about allowing yourself to enjoy what you’ve already built.

If this resonates, send us a message. Let’s talk about what enjoying what you’ve built could actually look like.

One of the most powerful wealth-building lessons has nothing to do with picking stocks or timing the market. It has to d...
08/26/2026

One of the most powerful wealth-building lessons has nothing to do with picking stocks or timing the market. It has to do with fixed payments.

A payment isn't good or bad on its own. A mortgage on a home you can comfortably afford builds equity and a loan that finances productive assets can grow future income. The issue isn't that a payment exists, it's what that payment is buying.

Many of the largest recurring payments people take on are attached to assets that are almost guaranteed to lose value, like cars, boats, RVs and luxury toys. These feel affordable because the question is always "Can I make the monthly payment?" The better question is: "What is this payment preventing me from doing?"

Imagine two people with the same income. One commits to a $1,000 monthly vehicle payment. The other drives something less expensive and invests that same $1,000 every month. Ten years later, one owns a depreciating vehicle. The other owns a decade of compounding.

Low fixed expenses mean more room to invest when markets fall or weather a rough year with far less stress.

The most valuable payment you'll ever make may be the one you never commit to in the first place.

Want to take a closer look at what your fixed payments are costing you in future flexibility? Send us a message!

08/18/2026

When it comes to passing on wealth, someone needs to be in the room helping guide the conversation. And that’s a big part of what we do.

One of the biggest risks to your wealth isn't a market crash, it's inflation.Cash feels safe because the number on your ...
08/12/2026

One of the biggest risks to your wealth isn't a market crash, it's inflation.

Cash feels safe because the number on your statement doesn't change. If you have $100,000 today, you'll likely still see $100,000 tomorrow. But imagine keeping that $100,000 in cash for 20 years. The balance looks the same, but its purchasing power has quietly eroded the whole time.

Inflation is a silent tax. It doesn't take dollars from your account, it takes purchasing power from your future.

To be clear, this isn't an argument against holding cash. Every plan needs a reserve for emergencies and flexibility. The mistake is letting cash without a purpose sit idle for years just because investing feels uncomfortable.

Ownership of businesses, real estate and other assets capable of growing cash flows has historically been one of the most effective ways to combat inflation. Cash preserves dollars. Ownership has the potential to preserve purchasing power.

Want to talk through how your cash reserves fit into your plan? Send us a message!

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1801-1969 Upper Water Street
Halifax, NS
B3J1R6

Opening Hours

Monday 9am - 5pm
Tuesday 9am - 5pm
Wednesday 9am - 5pm
Thursday 9am - 5pm
Friday 9am - 5pm

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