Private Wealth Management in Canada: Services, Minimums & Benefits
The highest tier of financial advisory service. Built for complexity.
What Is Private Wealth Management?
Private wealth management is the highest tier of financial advisory service available in Canada. It is designed for high-net-worth individuals, families, and business owners whose financial complexity - the size of their assets, the breadth of their interests, and the sophistication of their planning needs - requires a dedicated team of specialists working together on their behalf.
Where standard wealth management provides a single advisor who coordinates your financial life, private wealth management typically involves a team: a lead advisor, a portfolio manager, a tax specialist, an estate planning specialist, and in some cases a private banker and a trust officer.
For a deeper understanding of how investment strategy, tax planning, and estate planning integrate into a single framework, see our guide to capital wealth management in Canada.
Who Private Wealth Management Is For
Private wealth management in Canada is typically available to clients with investable assets of $1 million or more. The clients who benefit most share a common characteristic: their financial lives are complex enough that a single advisor cannot give them the depth of attention their situation requires.
High-Net-Worth Individuals and Families
Clients with investable assets of $1 million or more requiring a dedicated team of specialists for comprehensive financial management.
Incorporated Professionals
Physicians, dentists, lawyers, and engineers with significant corporate surplus requiring advanced tax and investment coordination.
Business Owners Approaching Succession
Business owners planning a major liquidity event like a sale, merger, or transition requiring complex financial coordination.
Executives With Complex Compensation
Executives with stock options, RSUs, and deferred compensation packages requiring strategic optimization and planning.
Families With Multi-Generational Wealth
Families requiring sophisticated strategies for intergenerational wealth transfer, family governance, and legacy preservation.
What Private Wealth Management Includes
Advanced Investment Management
Access to alternative investments - private equity, private credit, hedge funds, and real assets - that are not available to retail investors, more sophisticated tax-loss harvesting strategies, and the use of separately managed accounts (SMAs) for direct ownership of individual securities.
Comprehensive Tax Planning
Advanced corporate tax planning for incorporated professionals and business owners, estate freeze strategies, family trust structures, and the use of corporate-owned life insurance as a tax-efficient wealth transfer tool.
Estate and Trust Services
Access to trust and estate services - including the establishment and administration of trusts, estate administration, and the coordination of complex multi-jurisdictional estates.
Family Governance and Wealth Transfer
Family governance services - helping families establish shared values, communication structures, and decision-making frameworks for managing family wealth across generations, including preparing the next generation for wealth stewardship.
Private Wealth Management vs. Standard Wealth Management
| Dimension | Standard Wealth Management | Private Wealth Management |
|---|---|---|
| Typical Asset Minimum | $250,000+ | $1,000,000+ |
| Service Model | Single advisor | Dedicated team of specialists |
| Investment Access | Public markets | Public + alternative investments |
| Tax Planning | Comprehensive | Advanced (estate freeze, trusts, corporate) |
| Estate Services | Coordination | Full trust and estate administration |
| Family Governance | Not typically included | Available for multi-generational families |
Ready to Explore Whether Private Wealth Management Is Right for You?
Book a complimentary consultation with an SG Wealth advisor today.
We will assess your situation and determine whether the depth of service provided by private wealth management is appropriate for your needs.