“Our priority is you."
—Susan Kopas, MBA, FEA, FCSI, CIWM, CIM, CFP, B.Sc.
Elevate your wealth. Enrich your life. Secure your future.
As your advisor and senior portfolio manager, Susan strategically manages your family’s wealth with the personal attention and proactive care of a boutique practice, backed by the extensive resources and capabilities of Canada’s leading financial institution.1 Our goal is simple: to help you make more of your wealth—today and for generations to come.
1. Based on market capitalization as of January 31, 2024.
Elevate
We design personalized portfolio strategies aimed at growing your wealth to support the goals that matter most to you and your family.
Enrich
We manage your wealth with your well-being in mind, providing anticipatory, concierge-level care shaped around your evolving needs and priorities.
Secure
We specialize in multigenerational planning designed to preserve your wealth and create an enduring legacy that carries your values forward.
Our family office approach
Personalized wealth management for you and your family’s future
With a certified Family Enterprise Advisor (FEA) designation, Susan is dedicated to helping clients navigate and harmonize the dynamics of wealth, family, and business. Susan collaborates closely with her clients to understand their unique guiding principles, laying the groundwork for seamless wealth transfer across generations.
Works with our clients to understand their unique guiding principles that set the framework for wealth transfer to the next generation and beyond.
Specializes in guiding families through the intricate intersection of ownership, family dynamics, and business continuity.
Discusses the importance of:
- Succession and transition planning
- Family governance
- Leadership development
- Wealth management mentorship
- Strategic business planning
Discover total wealth management
Experience the depth of our comprehensive family office-style framework, which goes above and beyond a conventional offering. We integrate and coordinate with internal and external professionals, and your existing team of advisors, forming a personalized “board of directors.” This collective effort ensures alignment and dedication to your overarching wealth management objectives.
Investment management
Through RBC’s leading investment platforms A+ and Private Investment Management, we build fully customized, diversified portfolios designed to balance growth, income, and security.
Financial planning
We take the time to understand you, your family, and your business. From there, we design tailored strategies to help you achieve your long-term goals with confidence.
Will and estate planning
We identify tax-efficient strategies designed to safeguard your estate and create a lasting legacy for future generations.
Insurance planning
We assess your family’s insurance needs and recommend strategies that reduce tax and preserve more of your estate.
Business succession planning
We help you prepare for the sale or transition of your business with tax-efficient strategies, pension plan solutions, and more.
Financial education
We empower you and your family with one-on-one guidance and access to RBC resources, so you can make informed financial decisions at every stage.
Charitable giving
We work with you to define the causes that matter most and create a giving strategy or foundation aligned with your vision.
Retirement planning
We provide peace of mind by helping you maximize retirement savings, create reliable income, and minimize taxes.
Our priority is you, providing concierge service and advice every step of the way.
—Susan Kopas, MBA, FEA, FCSI, CIWM, CIM, CFP, B.Sc.
Cross-border solutions
Your wealth across borders
A dual citizen herself, Susan is uniquely qualified to advise Americans living in Canada and Canadians with ties to the United States on the complexities of cross-border wealth management. From complexities regarding real estate ownership, trusts, registered accounts, equities, fixed income, insurance products and more, there are many things that can have a direct impact on taxation and tax filing requirements for American citizens. We invite you to contact our team and discuss solutions available to you.
Regulations
We proactively monitor changes in legislation and regulatory frameworks to ensure your wealth remains aligned with all necessary compliance requirements.
Tax implications
Leveraging our experience with international tax regulations, we’ll help you minimize tax liabilities, maximize deductions, and take advantage of unique tax planning opportunities.
Investment opportunities
We manage your wealth in Canada, taking your U.S. citizenship into account. U.S. persons face tax consequences when they live in Canada that are both controversial and complex. We will help you navigate best solutions to optimize your wealth and estate planning while providing a global investment solution that aligns with your risk tolerance, estate planning needs, and personal goals.
Foreign exchange forecast
Get the most up-to-date information on foreign exchange rates and view short- and long-term projections.
Our clients
Delivering tailored solutions to align with your unique goals
While we are able to advise on any Canadian’s wealth, our accomplished team has expertise and experience serving the particular requirements of several key groups.
Business families
With a family-first approach and a savvy understanding of the impacts of business ownership, we focus on intergenerational wealth strategies that reflect your values, history, and unique needs.
Highly affluent individuals
A high net worth requires a best-in-class approach to help manage it. That’s why we rely on our own expertise—and that of our world-class RBC partners—to help you achieve your goals for the future.
U.S. citizens residing in Canada
Wealth management for U.S. citizens involves specialized financial services tailored to address the unique challenges and opportunities faced by this group. We work closely with our extended team of RBC specialists to provide: cross-border taxation strategies, retirement planning, investment strategies, estate planning, financial goal-setting, and risk management.
Medical professionals
Offering support and advice from residency to retirement, we’ve served doctors, dentists, and various other medical professionals through all stages of their careers.
Situational needs
A dependable income stream for your current and future needs
Proactively planning for the future and identifying your options is the best way to ensure a smooth transition, prevent any burdens on your children, and reduce the possibility of family quarrels. Working alongside you at every step, we will:
Identify wealth management strategies that meet your short- and long-term goals.
Review the importance of having an up-to-date Power of Attorney.
Review your personal and corporate Wills.
Discuss comprehensive best practices.
Provide a safe environment to discuss sensitive and personal fears and review options.
Recommend professional services to explore planning through Will and estate experts.
Why plan in advance?
As you age, your needs and priorities will change. Some of the categories that you may require a dependable income stream for include:
Healthcare
Housing
Activities
Emergency care
Assisted living
Clothing
Travel
Alternative living requirements
Team
Professionals at your service
As our client, you will benefit from high quality advice and support tailored to your needs. With full access to RBC resources and a vast network of expert partners, our team ensures you receive the highest standard of service excellence for every facet of your wealth plan and every phase of your life.
Susan Kopas, MBA, FEA, FCSI, CIWM, CIM, CFP, B.Sc.
Byron Walker
Alison Williams
Investment expertise to help you meet your goals
Driven by the expertise of our team—and by tapping into expert advice from RBC specialists—our disciplined, consistent investment strategies are designed to help you meet your long-term goals.
Rob Sluymer, CFA
Technical Strategist, Portfolio Advisory Group
Patrick McAllister, CFA
Head of Canadian and U.S. Equity, RBC Capital Markets
Lori Calvasina
Head of US Equity Strategy, RBC Capital Markets
Gopa Nair, CFA
Portfolio Manager
Mikhial Pasic, CFA, B.Sc.
Vice-President, Fixed Income Advisor
Jim Allworth
Portfolio Strategist
Podcasts and resources
Strengthen your financial literacy
As a complement to our personalized guidance, we’re pleased to share podcasts and videos from our RBC partners on a range of important financial topics. If you have questions, please contact us directly and we’d be happy to help.
Podcasts
The 10-Minute Take
Discover what the latest economic data means and why you should care—in less than 10 minutes.
Markets in Motion
Find fresh perspectives and nuanced, data-driven views on the forces shaping U.S. equity markets.
Macro Minutes
Listen in to hear high conviction insights and perspectives from RBC’s desk strategists and research analysts.
The Download
Tune in for timely market insights, strategies, and investment trends with host David Richardson.
Disruptors
Join John Stackhouse as he reimagines Canada’s economy in a time of unprecedented change.
Matters Beyond Wealth
Uncover tips and insights related to estate planning, healthy aging, and more with Leanne Kaufman.
Guides
Financial planning facts
Discover contribution and deduction limits for different accounts.
DS statement guide
Find tips on how to read your statement of account and activity page(s).
Tax reporting guide
Take note of important dates and required tax information for your annual tax return.
Blogs
Equity bull cycle intact but rising rates and deteriorating breadth are a concern
How electric power is increasingly becoming a constraint on U.S. economic growth
Your Money Matters
Welcome to the Your Money Matters series – a place to explore thoughtful money management, investment planning, and financial wellbeing. Join us as we learn how clear strategies and personalized guidance can help individuals, foundations, and businesses work toward their financial goals
Frequently asked questions
Susan Kopas, MBA, FEA, FCSI, CIWM, CIM, CFP, is a Burlington-based senior portfolio manager and wealth advisor—and the head of Kopas Advisory Group—with more than 30 years of experience helping families and business owners manage their wealth. She built her practice around a simple belief: that quality wealth management requires knowing your clients well enough to anticipate their needs, not just respond to them.
A family office approach looks at every dimension of your wealth—investments, estate planning, tax, insurance, legacy, business succession and beyond—as connected elements that impact your larger financial picture, rather than as disparate pieces. Susan holds the Family Enterprise Advisor (FEA) designation, which means she's trained specifically in helping families navigate the sometimes delicate conversations around ownership, governance and passing wealth to the next generation.
We offer family office-style wealth management—portfolio management, financial planning, Will and estate planning, insurance strategies, business succession guidance, financial education, retirement planning and more—all coordinated under one strategy. Think of it as assembling your own personal board of directors. We bring together the right internal and external professionals to the table, so every part of your financial life works together to support your goals.
We primarily serve business owner families, affluent individuals, U.S. citizens living in Canada and medical professionals—though we're glad to help any Canadian with complex wealth needs. Where we add the most value is at the intersection of family dynamics, business ownership and cross-border considerations, where the right advice can make all the difference, both today and across generations.
Absolutely—in fact, it's one of the things we do best. Susan is a dual citizen who has lived in both countries, so she understands firsthand the tax complexities Americans face when they call Canada home. We work through the tricky details, from real estate and trusts to registered accounts and investments, and bolster our experience with that of RBC's cross-border specialists, so nothing falls through the cracks.
We're based in the Burlington branch of RBC Dominion Securities and we'd be delighted to hear from you. Call us at 905-332-2743 or email susan.kopas@rbc.com. Whether you're actively exploring a new advisory relationship or casually considering your options, we're happy to help.
