Herman Chan on the benefits and challenges of going independent

Herman Chan’s path to becoming a financial planner was anything but linear. He started out with a journalism degree and a dream of being a sports writer, before a stint in retail management convinced him it was time for a career change.

After 15 years of supporting other advisors at major firms such as RBC and London Life (now Canada Life), Herman took the leap into independent advice. We talked about his "frugal-boomer" upbringing in Port Coquitlam, B.C., why he thinks every good advisor needs to be a bit like Batman, and the “Platinum Rule” that guides his new firm, Crimson Financial.