Who We Are A firm is only as strong as its team.

That is why we take great pride in the quality of our people. Our team is committed to serving the long-term financial success of our clients. They also have the years of experience, work ethic, and commitment to get the job done.

Your Spectrum Financial Strategies Team MEET OUR DEDICATED FINANCIAL SUPPORT TEAM

Karen Roy of Spectrum Financial Barrie

Karen Roy

Karen’s journey in financial services began with National Life in downtown Toronto, but when her first child arrived, the dream of homeownership led her to Barrie. After a brief stint commuting, she connected with Richard McCaw, a seasoned local advisor, and eagerly embraced the opportunity to learn from a veteran in the industry.

It wasn’t long before Karen discovered her passion for empowering families to achieve financial security. She thrives on helping clients build, protect, and grow their wealth—whether that’s planning for retirement, saving for education, managing investments, or crafting a personalized financial strategy. Karen’s dedication lies in guiding families at every stage, ensuring they have the knowledge and tools to confidently navigate their financial futures.

In addition to her expertise in comprehensive financial planning, Karen is a dedicated advocate for the Special Needs community. With firsthand knowledge and deep compassion, she helps families with disabilities tackle the complexities of long-term financial planning, providing them with peace of mind and sustainable support.

Karen’s approach is both personalized and compassionate, always focused on empowering clients to make informed and confident decisions about their financial well-being.

Outside of work, Karen enjoys spending quality time with her family, traveling with her partner Dave, tackling challenging jigsaw puzzles, and diving into her latest paddleboarding adventures.

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Kevin Schuster

Kevin is a second-generation financial planner who began his practice in 2014. Starting with one of Canada’s prominent captive institutions, Kevin quickly realized that the best way to serve his clients was by offering truly unbiased advice. In 2019, he transitioned to the independent advisory world, freeing him from the pressure to promote specific funds and allowing him to focus solely on his clients’ best interests.

Over the years, Kevin has honed his expertise in serving two key client groups:

The first is business owners. With his extensive experience and knowledge of strategic financial planning, Kevin helps business owners uncover and leverage opportunities that can maximize their financial outcomes, allowing them to dedicate more time and energy to growing their businesses.

The second group includes individuals who are either approaching retirement or have recently retired. Kevin takes a comprehensive approach and develops tailored plans that address not only investment strategies but also income needs, legacy goals, and estate planning, ensuring that clients feel secure both during retirement and in leaving a lasting impact for future generations.

Kevin’s commitment to independence and client-first service is reflected in his tailored solutions and long-lasting client relationships.

When Kevin isn’t looking over financial statements, he can be found touring baseball stadiums, visiting Disney parks and supporting the Toronto Sceptres all with his partner Talena.

Kevin Schuster is a Worldsource Financial advisor partnering with Spectrum Financial in a collaborative effort to help expand the offerings that we can provide to our valued clients. While Kevin will maintain his independent business, the time he spends with you will be focused on your financial success.

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Janet Farrell of Spectrum Financial Barrie

Janet Farrell

Janet is our Senior Administrative Assistant responsible for managing all aspects of a clients file. Janet joined our Spectrum Team in May of 2000 and with her long tenure comes a wealth of experience in all areas of our business. She takes great pride in ensuring the families we work with are serviced to the highest standards. Janet is the strength behind the scenes that keeps our systems running smoothly.

Janet is renowned for her baking and enjoys spending quality time with her two daughters and her puppy Jaxx.

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Cathy Bricker of Spectrum Financial Barrie

Cathy Bricker

Cathy is our newest administrative assistant, just joining the team in June of 2023. Cathy comes to us with strong administrative experience in the Financial Planning field – both in Canada, and the US. Cathy is enjoying getting to know our clients and loves the family atmosphere at Spectrum.

Cathy is a proud mom of 2 grown sons, and Gam Gam to her grandson, Watson. When she is not out trying new restaurants or visiting with friends, she is home with her two felines Boo and Buster.

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Richard McGraw of Spectrum Financial Barrie

Richard McCaw (Retired Dec. 31st, 2023)

Richard has been educating and helping his clients achieve financial security for almost 55 years, initially as a representative with North American Life in Montreal and the Eastern Townships of Quebec and then becoming an independent advisor in Barrie, Ontario.

Richards long tenure comes from his absolute love of people and his passion for helping others. In his words “Why would I retire when I love what I do!”

As evidence of his commitment to his clients and his professional development, Richard has earned the Certified Financial Planner, Chartered Life Underwriter, Chartered Financial Consultant and his Elder Planning Counselor designations.

Richard has been a long standing and contributing member of Advocis, the Financial Advisors Association of Canada and spent many years actively participating and supporting many local associations, such as Scouts Canada and the Gryphon Theatre.

In his spare time, Richard enjoys the outdoors and spending time traveling with his lovely wife Melvina.

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Our Promise to You

This is what we promise to do…

  • We promise to continually enhance our knowledge, resources, and infrastructure to ensure we provide enduring value in our relationship.
  • We set high benchmarks and consistently pursue betterment in everything we do.
  • We take full responsibility for our commitments and see them through to fruition.
  • We concentrate on building trust through honesty, reliability, and delivering exceptional service.
  • Our recommendations are rooted in your unique circumstances, gained from a thorough understanding of your personal aspirations and objectives.
  • We promise to keep you informed about shifts in the financial landscape. We also encourage you to keep us updated on changes in your life, enabling us to offer the best possible service during life’s transitions.

This is what we promise not to do…

  • We do not make promises about performance; instead, we report the actual results.
  • We do not chase maximum returns at the expense of your financial security. Our recommendations aim for a balance that aligns with your goals without unwarranted risks.
  • We do not engage in market timing. Our approach keeps you invested in the markets, irrespective of market conditions.
  • We do not favor specific companies based on promotions or limited-time offers. We prioritize the right fit for you over short-term incentives.
  • We will not act in contravention to any provincial or federal laws or guidelines set out by our licensing or governing bodies. Our integrity and ethical business practices are the cornerstone of our business.
our-legacy

Our Legacy & Succession A TIMELINE OF OUR SUCCESS IN HELPING OUR CLIENTS

  • June 1969 Richard McCaw began his career as a life insurance advisor with North American Life in Montreal, QC. Map Point
  • May 1983 Richard moved his family to Ontario and settled in beautiful Barrie, transferring to the local North American Life office. He became dually licensed and continued to work with his QC clients, travelling 5 times per year to meet, while building his business in Barrie. Map Point
  • October 1991 Realizing that he could not keep up with the administrative side of the business, Richard hired his first administrator, Karen Roy who had been with National Life in Toronto and also choose to make Barrie her families new home. Map Point
  • January 2011 After 20 years of mentorship and education, Karen took over the management of the Ontario families, while Richard continues to maintain clients in Quebec, New Brunswick, British Columbia, Alberta and Manitoba ~ he loves to travel! Map Point
  • October 2018 Richard began working with Danny Sirignano of Quebec to transition his clients in that province, in anticipation of an upcoming retirement one day. Map Point
  • May 2020 Karen purchased a lovely building in downtown Barrie and after 3 months of renovations, it became Spectrum’s new home. Map Point
  • December 31, 2023 After 54 ½ incredible years, Richard retired from doing what he loved most! Map Point
  • March 1, 2025 Kevin Schuster, a second-generation financial planner, partners with the Spectrum team. Map Point

Words from our Clients We pride ourselves in the exceptional work we do for our client families