Families

Make thoughtful decisions about your family’s wealth.

You may be deciding how much to spend, how to help your children or what to pass on. We help you understand the costs and long-term effects, then plan and invest for those decisions.

Explore your family’s questions Talk with our team

One family’s wealth. Different lives to consider.

You may have built the wealth or inherited it. Family members can have different incomes, ambitions and views about what to do with it.

We work with families who want their investments managed alongside a financial plan, whether the decisions concern one household or shared wealth across generations.

Parents and children together outdoors in the mountains.

Questions to start with

What does our wealth need to support, today and in the years ahead?

Who wants shared ownership, and who can fund its responsibilities?

Who needs to understand the plan before taking responsibility?

Your own future

What can the wealth support?

New wealth, retirement, time away or a significant purchase. Consider what you want to do while keeping future needs in view.

See how we work through a decision

The people involved

Where do needs and wishes differ?

Sharing a holding company or property can mean sharing decisions with people whose needs differ. Ongoing financial support can raise questions about fairness and independence.

Work through different needs

The years ahead

Who will take responsibility?

A partner, the next generation or another trusted person may need to understand the finances, future care and estate responsibilities.

Prepare for changing responsibilities

Understand what a decision means for your family’s financial future.

As a thinking partner, we help you compare the costs and trade-offs before you decide. Your choice then guides your financial plan and the investments we manage.

Start with the decision in front of you.

Could you afford a second property, support a family member or take time away from work? We examine the ongoing costs as well as the initial outlay.

We look at the money available to you and what you need for your own future. If companies or trusts are involved, ownership and access to the funds matter too.

Our own family has faced decisions about shared ownership, passing down property and charitable giving.

Meet the team behind the advice

From a family decision to your financial plan

Conceptual explanation, not software output or a client case. Begin with a purchase, family support, ownership change or time away. Consider resources and separate ownership, the costs and timing of commitments, and future needs. Use the decision to review the financial plan, managed investments, banking arrangements and professional advice. Involve the people the client chooses. Revisit as circumstances change.

Invest for what your family needs next.

Your portfolio should reflect what you need to spend and when. We consider future estate costs and how much risk you can afford.

Individual equities and Canadian investment-grade corporate bonds form the core of our portfolios. We review holdings, concentration and liquidity alongside your spending and other commitments.

With BMO Family Office, we assess institutional-style open- and closed-end alternative investments where appropriate and subject to eligibility. We consider commitments, fees and each strategy’s liquidity terms.

The charts are illustrative. Your portfolio mix depends on your plan and the other assets you hold.

Explore our investment approach

Portfolio construction · Illustrative examples

Illustrative portfolio examples reused from Services and Business Owners, not current client holdings or recommended allocations. The example mix is 50 percent equities, 30 percent fixed income, 15 percent alternatives and 5 percent cash. Growth, planned maturities, longer-horizon capital and near-term liquidity have different roles. The bond chart shows example principal maturities in Canadian dollars; the equity chart shows the sector exposures in the existing Services illustration. The private-market cash-flow example shows early capital calls and later distributions; its assumed positive outcome is schematic, not a forecast, and capital may be lost. Your investments are tailored to your needs and risk tolerance.

A younger woman and an older woman talking together at a table.

Help your family understand the plan.

We review your plan and investments as your circumstances change. With your permission, we also explain the finances to the people who may one day need to manage them.

Build understanding

We explain where income comes from and how future care could be funded.

Prepare for responsibility

We help a partner, adult child or trusted person learn about the finances and ask questions. That can include discussing support and family giving.

You decide whom to involve. Participation, account access and legal authority are separate.

BMO Family Office, working alongside our team.

We remain your main point of contact. BMO Family Office specialists join us for more complex questions. We use their recommendations when reviewing your plan and investments.

Explore BMO Family Office

Complex planning

Review how companies and trusts affect ownership and plans to pass on wealth.

Investment expertise

Assess institutional-style public and private market opportunities, including open- and closed-end alternatives where appropriate and subject to eligibility.

Family governance

Work through who makes decisions, how family members are involved and how the next generation can prepare.

Philanthropy

Decide what you want your giving to achieve, consider charitable structures and help younger generations take part.

We manage your investments and develop your financial plan. We can also help consolidate assets and introduce private banking specialists to simplify your banking. Your accountant and lawyer provide tax and legal advice and carry out that work.

Explore our services

Continue the family conversation.

Browse all articles

Articles on sharing wealth, preparing to inherit and planning for later life.

7 selected articles

The Emotional Currency of Wealth Transfer: Navigating Complex Conversations

BMO Private Wealth
Updated August 11, 2025

Explore differing needs, blended families and expectations before a wealth-transfer conversation.

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The Hidden Risks in “Simple” Estate Planning Decisions

Christopher Bowlby
May 21, 2026

Consider ownership, authority and intentions before treating an account or estate change as a simple shortcut.

Read article

Inheriting family wealth: How to prepare

BMO Private Wealth
Updated April 10, 2025

Explore the questions and responsibilities facing someone who expects to receive family wealth.

Read article

Your legacy in motion: The benefits and risks of early wealth transfer

BMO Private Wealth
Updated September 28, 2026

Consider support during life alongside your own future needs, family expectations and the arrangement you intend.

Read article

Celebrating aging, embracing the future: Planning for the unexpected

BMO Private Wealth
Updated June 13, 2025

Consider decision-making responsibilities, professional advice and the financial effect of a health change.

Read article

Retirement ready: from countdown to drawdown

BMO Private Wealth
Updated January 21, 2026

Explore the move from accumulating savings to funding retirement withdrawals and family commitments.

Read article

Why does risk matter in investing?

OSC Investor Office
Updated January 15, 2026

Understand concentration, liquidity and other risks that can affect the money you rely on.

Read article

Questions about working together.

What to expect and who can take part.

Read our service FAQs
Do we need to know what we want before we talk?

No. We help you weigh a purchase, financial support or a change in ownership before you decide. We examine the costs and what you would have left for your own future. Valuations, purchase due diligence and legal or tax advice require the appropriate professionals.

What if family members want different things?

We help you compare the financial consequences of different wishes. BMO Family Office specialists can help with family decision-making and preparing the next generation. Each person makes their own choices; our involvement does not guarantee agreement or replace legal advice.

What if our wealth is newly created?

New wealth can make time away from work or helping family possible. We help you plan for those goals and reduce reliance on a single investment. A smaller allocation to higher-risk opportunities may suit some plans; it remains exposed to loss.

Can you help someone who has been less involved in the finances?

Yes. With your permission, we explain the income, investments and commitments in the plan. That can help a partner or another future decision-maker build understanding and confidence. Your lawyer advises on powers of attorney, wills and estate responsibilities. Participation does not itself provide account access or legal authority.

What is included in the relationship?

Our management fee includes investment management, financial planning and coordination. BMO Family Office specialist planning support is available through our team without a separate planning charge. Applicable investment and other service costs are explained separately. Planning forms part of our investment-management relationship; we do not offer planning-only engagements.

Can our existing advisers remain involved?

Yes. With your permission, we work with your accountant and lawyer when developing your financial plan and managing investments. They provide tax and legal advice and carry out that work. Family members, companies, trusts and foundations may need separate accounts.

What decision is your family facing?

Tell us what you are considering and who is involved. In a 30 to 60 minute conversation, we can discuss your current arrangements and whether our investment-management and planning services fit. There is no commitment.