McDowell Private Wealth of RBC Dominion Securities
Building Legacies For the Next 100 Years
Comprehensive wealth management for high-net-worth families and business owners
We don't see ourselves as product providers or transactional advisors. Our role is to act as long-term partners, helping you make smart decisions at key moments, avoid costly mistakes, and ensure your wealth is structured to support your family and your goals for decades, not just years.
Our approach is disciplined and process driven, shaped by the model of how leading family offices operate. That means deep due diligence, cost awareness, tax sensitivity, and planning that prioritizes long-term sustainability over short-term wins.
The McDowell Team specializes in supporting the long-term investment goals of high-net-worth families and business owners with $25 to $100 million in net worth. Our team prioritizes the holistic management of your finances, and provides expert assistance with investment portfolios, insurance, estate planning, taxation, and succession.
The Next Generation
We take a long-term view of wealth — building strategies designed to endure across generations or support the legacy you choose to create.
The McDowell Team is dedicated to supporting families by fostering financial literacy and implementing multi-generational planning strategies. Through personalized meetings and educational presentations, we empower families to navigate their financial landscape with confidence.
Our approach includes will and estate planning tailored to your family's unique needs. We work collaboratively with your legal and accounting professionals with your family's best interests in mind every step of the way. By strategically organizing the distribution of assets, we ensure a seamless transfer of wealth and minimize the risk of disputes.
Our tax planning aims to reduce estate taxes, which preserves a larger portion of your wealth for your family to pursue their dreams.
Professionals at your service
Leaning on experience and industry accreditations, our team of experts helps bring financial peace of mind to clients like you.
Our Approach
Our Fiduciary Standard
We operate under a fiduciary duty to act in your best interest. That means objective advice, full transparency, and no product or transaction bias.
Our Process
Our first meeting will involve an open conversation to gain a complete understanding of your goals and circumstances. After evaluating your portfolio, we formulate a presentation outlining the key areas we will address. We then carry out due diligence planning to ensure that wills, agreements, trusts, and valuations are in order to optimize your portfolio.
In the first year, we will meet with you 4–5 times to build the foundation of your portfolio. The quality of our team is driven by open communication — we are always here to make sure your needs are met.
Private Investment Management
Private Investment Management involves a unique account where day-to-day investment decisions are delegated to a personal portfolio manager. This allows for the creation of a fully customized portfolio, accounting for factors such as growth requirements, income needs, and risk tolerance.
We manage portfolios using institutional risk disciplines — asset allocation, correlation management, and downside risk control — supported by a disciplined options framework designed to help reduce volatility while keeping your capital fully invested. Our portfolio strategy combines efficient portfolio construction with a cost-neutral options overlay to improve risk-adjusted returns.
Under the private management of the McDowell Team, your finances are handled with a fiduciary duty — we must manage your money with the highest standard of care.
Our Options Overlay Strategy
We continually analyze portfolio positioning using risk and return modeling, including Sharpe ratio analysis. This allows us to optimize how each holding contributes to overall portfolio efficiency, targeting the highest expected return for each unit of risk taken.
Once the core portfolio is optimized, we apply a cost-neutral options overlay designed to reduce downside risk without reducing long-term growth exposure. We sell covered calls on a portion of the portfolio to generate premium income, and use that premium to purchase protective puts — providing a structural buffer during periods of significant market stress such as recessions or bear markets.
This strategy is designed to protect against major drawdowns, not normal market volatility, so your capital stays invested and working for you.
Who we serve
We specialize in serving high-net-worth families, business owners, and institutions navigating complex financial decisions.
High-net-worth families
We take a long-term view of wealth — building strategies designed to endure across generations or support the legacy you choose to create.
Our approach combines disciplined investing to manage volatility, thoughtful planning, and an engaged partnership with your family, including extended family where appropriate.
Business owners
With a complete understanding of the unique circumstances facing business owners with $25 to $100 million in net worth, we offer fully integrated personal and business wealth planning that always keeps taxes top of mind. We help families prepare early, coordinate the right external experts, and position capital intelligently before and after major liquidity events.
Institutional clients
Our vision is to bring your vision to life. From municipalities to charitable organizations and beyond, we act as your trusted partner to help you responsibly manage your stewardship obligations.
Cross-border & multi-generational planning
Our clients are often navigating business exits, cross-border structures, trusts, and multi-generational planning. We help families prepare early, coordinate the right external experts, and position capital intelligently before and after major liquidity events.
For clients transitioning between the U.S. and Canada, we deliver comprehensive cross-border financial plans that outline the risks and opportunities of transition, preserve existing tax positions during the changeover period, and establish and structure all required accounts — including trusts — in a coordinated and efficient manner. We work alongside experienced legal and accounting professionals who specialize in complex cross-border transitions.
Overcoming challenges, capitalizing on opportunities
Starting, growing, and selling a business comes with challenges and opportunities that – with the right support – can be overcome and capitalized on. We help you do just that by working closely with our world-class RBC partners, providing expert advice in a range of key areas to help protect what you’ve worked so hard to build.
Asset management
We’ll help you protect your business and personal assets as tax-efficiently as possible, proactively addressing your needs and seeking avenues for future growth.
Tax planning
We’ll help you make the most of your hard-earned wealth by recommending potential tax strategies that are aligned with your business goals and objectives.
Business growth
We’ll work with our partners at RBC Business Financial Services to help you leverage credit to promote growth and improve cash flow for your business.
Workforce support
We’ll make taking care of your employees easier by helping you develop employer-sponsored group retirement saving plans and group benefits packages from RBC Insurance.
Succession planning
Whether you plan on selling your business, transferring it to a family member, or setting up a buyout, we’ll provide you with comprehensive strategies to make it as smooth as possible.
Retirement planning
Exiting your business is the start of a new and exciting chapter, and we’ll ensure you have a robust plan in place to help you make the most of it.
Corporate restructuring
We'll review your corporate structure ahead of a sale, aligning your business entities to enhance operational efficiency and tax positioning.
Building a better future together
Discover the power of charitable giving to support causes that matter most to you, with a personalized approach that complements your financial plans and goals. With a structured plan in place, we can help you empower and enrich our community.
Develop a personalized giving plan
Maximize the impact of your giving by strategically incorporating it into your overall financial plan with the guidance of our expert team.
Create a lasting legacy
We’ll help you transform your giving into a meaningful legacy that aligns with your goals and values. There’s no right or wrong answer when it comes to the focus and purpose of your giving – it’s about finding the right fit for you.
Support the next generation of changemakers
We’ll work with you to engage your children, grandchildren, and other loved ones in your charitable giving, helping pave the way for the leaders of tomorrow.
Turn your passion into concrete action
Formalize your philanthropic pursuits by establishing a trust, creating a private family foundation, or participating in RBC’s Charitable Gift Program.
What our clients say
For over a decade, our team has worked to provide expert services to families and business owners. Here is what some of them have had to say.
"Always runs smoothly, I'm always kept in the loop, and I've been introduced to other professionals that could help"
"He knew about our business and spoke our language, so that gave us peace of mind"
"Wayne talked a lot about one methodology that he uses for investing and how that's tailored to my personal goals"
Guides
Get a better vantage point on your financial picture with these informative guides penned by the RBC Family Office Services team.
Estate planning guide
How planning for tomorrow – today – can help your estate aspirations
Financial planning facts
Comprehensive list of key information, such as deadlines, contribution limits, and tax facts
Tax reporting guide
Summary of the important dates and tax information required for your annual tax return
Insights
Read the latest on markets and more from our team as well as experts and thought leaders at RBC.