First Atlantic Financial Inc. was founded in 1992 by Brendan Hunt. Brendan began his career in financial services in 1973 at the age of 20. After various roles at major Canadian banks, Brendan moved to investment firm Pitfield Mckay Ross, a forerunner of today’s RBC Dominion Securities. Upon joining the firm, Brendan spent time in Toronto training and becoming licensed as an IIROC registered representative dealing in stocks, bonds, options, futures, and commodities.

After a decade in the brokerage world and looking for independence from big bank objectives, Brendan decided to strike out on his own and create the first independent mutual fund dealer in Newfoundland offering an alternative approach to investment management. As a Chartered Financial Planner, a Certified Investment Manager, and a Fellow of the Canadian Securities Institute, and with over 40 years of industry experience, Brendan helped guide his clients through the Crash of 1987, the tech bubble of 2000, the financial crisis of 2008, and most recently, the global Covid-19 pandemic. Over the past 29 years First Atlantic Financial has quietly but consistently grown, servicing over 1000 clients.

In 2008, Brendan’s son, Ryan moved back to Newfoundland from Toronto to join the family business. As a computer science graduate and having worked in technology with some of Canada’s largest investment managers and insurance companies, Ryan brought a new perspective to First Atlantic Financial just as technology was beginning to change the industry in a big way. Ryan is a Chartered Financial Analyst, a Certified Investment Manager, and has a degree in computer science from Memorial University. Ryan has spent the last 14 years working side by side with Brendan as they continued to build the business.

In the fall of 2020, First Atlantic Financial started the project to launch First Atlantic Private Wealth allowing Claire Hunt, Brendan’s daughter, to join the fray. Claire is a Portfolio Manager, a Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA), and a Certified Financial Planner (CFP).

After an over two-year battle with cancer, Brendan passed away on October 2, 2021. Brendan never thought about retiring. He loved what he did and was invigorated by working with his clients. Up until his final week, Brendan continued chatting with clients, checking the market news, and listening to manager updates. In the wake of Brendan’s legacy, Ryan and Claire continue building the businesses and look forward to serving clients as he did.

In 2021 we launched First Atlantic Private Wealth, the first independent Portfolio Management firm in Newfoundland and Labrador. In 2023 we amalgamated the two firms, First Atlantic Private Wealth and First Atlantic Financial, and expanded our services to Alberta.

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Our Logo

We designed our company logo using the actual entrance to First Atlantic's main office in Holyrood, Newfoundland. For us, this entrance way represents childhood wonder and imagination … the pathway to a dream.

The story is Brendan lived near the "whalebone" house his entire life. It was a secluded weekend-retreat property. Built in the 1930s by a Norwegian whaling captain, it represented a life unimaginable at the time. When Brendan was a kid, he and a friend climbed a tree to get a peek inside the gardens. The property always captivated him, and he vowed he would one day own that property. It was a dream-come-true when he finally got the chance to purchase it about 30 years later and make it the home of his new business.