The End Game

At a certain level of wealth, legacy planning becomes a question of enoughness: what a family wants, what it needs and what it can share. Philanthropist, investor and activist Claire Trottier joins Davide to discuss her personal reconciling of intergenerational wealth, social responsibility and family legacy. Drawing on her work with Patriotic Millionaires Canada, the Trottier Family Foundation an...

Great legacies are rarely built alone. Journalist Eric Andrew-Gee joins Davide to discuss Dr. Wilder Penfield, the celebrated neurosurgeon whose work helped map the human brain, and William Cone, the brilliant but largely forgotten collaborator beside him at the Montréal Neurological Institute. Drawing on Eric's new book The Mind Mappers : Friendship, Betrayal and the Obsessive Quest to Chart the...

Grief is universal but mourning is shaped by culture, ritual and community. In the first of many episodes on diverse end-of-life traditions, Sara explores Jewish mourning practices. She is joined by writer and death educator Simcha Paull Raphael, author of the bestseller Jewish Views of the Afterlife, to discuss how non-Jewish professionals, colleagues and friends can support people in the Jewish...

Heirlooms like fine art can create real value, and real complications for families when it's time to settle an estate. A former appraiser joins Davide and Sara to explain how art, jewelry and collectibles are handled in estate administration, from provenance to probate. Drawing on over a decade of experience at one of Canada's oldest auction houses, ClearEstate's head of partner relations, Ellie M...

Presidents, prime ministers, monarchs and diplomats do not retire like the rest of us. Their legacies are meticulously planned and later fiercely defended. Jeremy Kinsman, one of Canada's most experienced diplomats, joins Davide Pisanu for a wide-ranging conversation about how world leaders think about legacy, reputation and history once their power is gone. Currently a Distinguished Fellow of the...

No two families are the same, and no one conversation can unlock all the benefits of proper estate planning. It is an ongoing process, and this episode offers a wide range of practical ideas for getting started. Marc Seguin, who specializes in the family estate meeting, joins Davide and Sara for a wide-ranging discussion on what can actually trigger that first conversation, and why the first step...

What does it mean to think like a CEO, or even a monarch, about the future of your business and estate? Davide and Sara are joined by Karl Moore, professor at McGill University's Desautels Faculty of Management, Forbes contributor and longtime host of the CEO Series podcast, for a wide-ranging conversation about leadership, succession and the difference between building a business for the quarter...

If you had to explain the difference between a will and an estate plan in a sentence, could you? In this ​special 'Estates 101' discussion, Sara chats  with ClearEstate co-founder Alex Gauthier to ​make one very important point ​, and explain   ​why it matters so much in real life ​ . As Davide observes, "the simplicity of the distinction also hides the ​  complexity of the process" ​. You can als...

Families rarely plan senior transitions. They are usually forced into them.  The catalyst most often comes in the form of bad news, like a fall, hospitalization or caregiver burnout. It doesn't have to be this way. Joining Davide and Sara is senior living expert Matt Del Vecchio, a Certified Professional Consultant on Aging (CPCA) and Life Unrehearsed podcaster, who runs a free brokerage service o...

If you had unlimited resources and influence, how would you approach estate planning? As Davide Pisanu and co-host Sara Hillier begin exploring more in-depth conversations on The End Game , they speak with New York–based podcaster and estate lawyer David Lenok, who since 2019 has been unpacking high-profile horror stories—and the occasional planning and settlement success—on Celebrity Estates: Wil...

Settling an estate is certainly a lot of paperwork but there is also the emotional journey for families coping with death; and professional help is available for both. In this episode, we explore how thoughtful end-of-life planning can include the role of a death doula, a non-medical expert providing support for individuals and families. ClearEstate's own Kim Nelson, an estate planning advisor by...

We all plan for the future, but what happens if you can't make decisions for yourself? Joining Davide and Sara is Dr. Daren Heyland, founder of the Plan Well Guide and Professor of Medicine and Epidemiology at Queen's University. The emergency care physician, and advocate for medical care plans that cover serious injury or illness, speaks about the tough reality of incapacity, common mistakes, and...

When estate matters get complex, emotions run high, or family dynamics get tricky, a professional executor can be a game changer. Joining host and ClearEstate CEO Davide Pisanu is Christine Van Cauwenberghe, one of Canada's foremost experts on such matters and the co-author, with Blair Evans, of Wealth Planning Strategies for Canadians, which will soon print its 20th edition. Christine is the head...

Being an executor is more than just signing papers—it's a demanding, often emotional job that few fully understand. With the help of two certified estate professionals, we dive into the real workload, time commitment, and risks executors face; plus hear stories of when things got unexpectedly complicated. Learn the common pitfalls, how to handle conflicts of interest, and get practical tips for ex...

Think you know everything you own? Think again. Joining ClearEstate CEO Davide Pisanu is Doris Bonora, TEP ​, KC — Partner, National Leader for Estates and Trusts at KPMG Law Canada. From forgotten bank accounts to digital assets you didn't realize mattered, we explore what people overlook in their estate plans and why it can cause big headaches later. Hear about the most surprising things ever le...

No Will? Big mistake. Whether you own a house, have kids, or just a few keepsakes, you need one—and we'll explain why.  ClearEstate co-founder and CEO Davide Pisanu begins this discussion series by speaking with colleague, friend and fellow co-founder Alex Gauthier, whose personal estate horror stories inspired the creation of ClearEstate. Estate planning is one of the most underrated acts of empa...

No one wants to think about death. Let alone talk about it. Or plan for it. But that's precisely what we'll be doing here on the ClearEstate Podcast. Join co-founder and CEO Davide Pisanu for a discussion series where we get real about estate planning and administration, and our efforts to disrupt old systems with new technology, and a good dose of empathy. In this introductory episode, Davide exp...