Best Financial Advisors in Canada |
5-Star Advisors
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Financial advisors: needed more than ever
Spotlighting the best financial advisors in Canada who prove that tech cannot
replace their high-level skills and emphasize why the human connection remains critical
Wealth Professional invited financial professionals from across Canada to nominate exceptional specialist wholesale brokers to find the best financial advisors in Canada.
The 2026 report includes the following new features:
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list of topics not in the previous report
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a closer look at AI’s impact on the profession
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increase in nominees and winners
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increase in states/provinces represented
Finding Canada’s best financial advisors:
the 5-Star standard
A 2025 KPMG Canada survey found that Canadians who work with a professional financial planner are more than twice as confident they will be able to retire when they want, compared to those without a plan. Yet, nearly half of all Canadians have not sought professional help, with many citing uncertainty about the process or its value as a barrier.
Despite lazy assumptions, digital tools are not replacing human financial advice but instead acting as a gateway, identifying investors’ more complex needs and pushing them toward human guidance.
It’s common now for individuals to begin investing or looking after finances using platforms that are relatively easy to use, but then realizing a financial advisor can offer far more insight and a bespoke service.
Investor satisfaction a key part
of our financial advisor list
JD Power 2026’s Canada Investor Satisfaction Study states:
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47 percent of affluent DIY investors with $250,000 or more in assets say they plan to work with an advisor within the next year.
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52 percent of DIY investors who use a robo advice platform intend to enlist a human financial advisor during the next year, a trend that is even more pronounced among affluent DIY investors (60 percent).
The gap between those who have access to exceptional guidance and those who do not is precisely what Wealth Professional’s 5-Star Advisors recognition is designed to address. Now in its fifth year, the program exists to answer one essential question: Who are the best financial advisors in Canada when it comes to acting in their clients’ interests?
The 2026 cohort of 5-Star Advisors reflects a remarkable breadth of experience, specialization, and philosophy. From retirement income specialists and business-exit planners to multigenerational wealth managers and holistic family advisors, these professionals share a common thread: an unwavering commitment to putting clients first.
Why finding the best financial advisors in Canada has never been more important
The financial landscape facing Canadians in 2026 is uniquely demanding. The 2025 FP Canada Financial Stress Index found that 42 percent of Canadians identify money as their top source of stress. Meanwhile, the 2025 CPP Investments Retirement Survey revealed that six in 10 Canadians fear outliving their savings – a concern that cuts across age groups and income levels. Canadians today believe they need an average of $1.54 million to retire comfortably, more than triple the figure cited in the same survey 20 years ago.
At the same time, research consistently shows that professional financial planning produces measurable outcomes. KPMG in Canada’s 2025 survey found that eight in 10 Canadians with a professionally prepared financial plan felt financially secure enough to retire at their desired age – more than double the proportion of those without a plan. And yet, over half of Canadians do not have a retirement plan in place.
What separates the best advisors from the rest in client relationships?
“Leading advisors are keeping a pulse on client needs – open dialogue, asking questions, understanding and re-checking risk profiles for major life events or material cash needs – and then leveraging their knowledge, resources, and relationship access to ensure every client has access to the information they need to make an investment, or other life decisions,” says Erik Sloane, EVP, head of distribution at Global X Investments Canada.
The case for quality financial advice is clear, but with thousands of financial professionals operating across Canada, identifying the advisors who genuinely deliver on that promise is a challenge. WP’s 5-Star Advisors highlights the professionals whose clients have nominated them and whose practice philosophies reflect the highest standards of the profession.
Unlike rankings based solely on assets under management or revenue, WP’s process centres on the quality of service delivered to real clients.
From January 19 to February 13, 2026, the WP team conducted an extensive marketing and survey campaign, drawing on its connections to thousands of readers across the country. Readers were asked to nominate the advisors who had provided them with the best support, evaluated against five key criteria: quality of advice, communication, responsiveness, understanding of client needs, and long-term relationship management.
From more than 600 nominations, a shortlist of 39 advisors was created through a review process that combined client feedback with editorial assessment. The nominees recognized as 5-Star Advisors are not ranked against each other, and their selection is based not on how much money they manage, but on the quality and consistency of the service they provide to the people who trust them.
Wealth Professional
This client-first approach reflects a broader shift in how excellence in financial advice is being defined across Canada. According to the 2026 JD Power Canada Investor Satisfaction Study, trust and personalization rank among the most important dimensions of the advisor relationship, ahead of investment returns alone.
Canada’s 2026 5-Star Advisors:
in their own words
The eight advisors profiled below were selected from the 2026 shortlist. Each was asked to reflect on their career, their approach to client service, and what they believe sets them apart in a competitive and rapidly evolving industry. Their responses offer a window into what genuine, client-centred financial advice looks like in practice.
How Canada’s best financial advisors bring clarity to the complex
The eight advisors profiled below were selected from the 2026 shortlist. Each was asked to reflect on their career, their approach to client service, and what they believe sets them apart in a competitive and rapidly evolving industry. Their responses offer a window into what genuine, client-centred financial advice looks like in practice.
Evan Riddell
Riddell Wealth Management
Evan Riddell has built his reputation as one of the best financial advisors in Canada by bringing clarity to complexity. The Victoria, BC-based founder of Riddell Wealth Management saw early in his career that many advisors focused narrowly on investments, while clients were left to navigate retirement income, tax strategy, and estate issues on their own. He committed instead to a planning-first practice that helps successful Canadians approaching or in retirement organize their financial lives, reduce taxes, and turn decades of savings into reliable, tax-efficient income.
Evan RiddellRiddell Wealth Management
What truly distinguishes Riddell among his peers is his emphasis on follow-through. He begins with the full picture – retirement income, tax strategy, estate considerations, and risk management – and takes responsibility for implementing and coordinating those decisions over time. He works primarily with Canadians aged 50 and over with over one million dollars in investable assets, helping them make what he describes as life’s most consequential financial transition: moving from building wealth to preserving and enjoying it.
Evan RiddellRiddell Wealth Management
Canada’s best financial advisors share knowledge
Joanne Lam, CFP®, CLU®, FMA®, CHS®
JADA Financial Corporation
Joanne Lam began her financial career in 1994 with a simple motivation: to share knowledge and help people make better decisions. Over three decades, that commitment has evolved into JADA Financial Corporation, one of the most comprehensive independent planning practices in Canada. Holding four professional designations – CFP, CLU, FMA, and CHS – and the recipient of the John Tory Gold Medal for academic excellence in the Chartered Life Underwriter program, Lam is distinguished by her ability to integrate investment and insurance planning into a single, holistic strategy.
Since 2009, she has conducted financial planning seminars for clients and the broader community, teaching more than 1,000 individuals on topics ranging from basic tax planning to advanced estate and retirement strategies. Her philosophy is built on the belief that clients should understand their plan before they invest their money.
Joanne LamJADA Financial Corporation
Lam typically spends between 20 and 40 hours reviewing a client’s financial situation before making recommendations. Her primary clientele includes retirement-age couples, business owners, and multigenerational families, and her success is measured not by AUM, but by the trust that leads clients to refer their children and friends.
Joanne LamJADA Financial Corporation
The benefits of a high-touch service model
Thane Stenner, CIM®, FCSI®
Stenner Wealth Partners+
Thane Stenner brings a rare combination of contrarian investment discipline and ultra-high-net-worth client focus to his practice. The son of a financial advisor with nearly 50 years in the profession, Stenner has refined a highly selective model that serves just 53 clients across Canada, each with a minimum of $10 million invested and a typical net worth of $25 million or more. His team at Stenner Wealth Partners+ deliberately onboards only eight new relationships per year, prioritizing service depth over growth.
In a volatile 2026 market environment, this discipline has translated into strong outcomes: as of March 30, 2026, Stenner’s core discretionary Global Absolute Return mandate had delivered year-to-date performance of +13 percent, following a +23.82 percent return in 2025, while maintaining approximately half the broad market’s volatility.
Thane StennerStenner Wealth Partners+
Stenner’s high-touch service model involves proactive contact with clients between 24 and 60 times per year, supported by customized Investment Policy Statements and monthly performance fact sheets. His clients are predominantly family-oriented entrepreneurs aged 40 to 82, many of whom he describes as “super smart in their own areas of expertise” – creating relationships he finds mutually enriching.
Exit planning: how to transition out of
your business
Jonathan Hunt
Hunt & Associates Private Wealth Management
Jonathan Hunt’s path into wealth management was always intentional, but his focus sharpened over time into a highly specialized niche: business owners and entrepreneurs. As a Certified Exit Planning Advisor, Hunt helps clients think beyond their investment portfolios to address what is often their largest asset – the business itself – and how to plan for the transition out of it.
Jonathan HuntHunt & Associates Private Wealth Management
Winner of the Desjardins Award for Rising Star Advisor of the Year, Hunt has also stepped into a leadership role within a multigenerational practice – a responsibility he takes seriously. His philosophy centres on removing noise and returning focus to the fundamentals: helping clients understand the 'why' behind every decision, so they remain confident and disciplined when markets are turbulent.
David Poliquin has built something rare in the Canadian wealth management industry: a team of more than 70 professionals who share three non-negotiable core values – creativity, rigour, and integrity. As a leader at BGY Wealth Management, Poliquin oversees a practice serving over 740 households with investable assets above $1 million, with a client retention rate that speaks for itself: the practice did not lose a single client in 2025.
David PoliquinBGY Wealth Management
Poliquin’s specialization lies in tax-efficient portfolio management for HNW clients, including entrepreneurs, doctors, and senior executives. With more than 300 financially sophisticated clients on his books, he adapts his communication style significantly based on each client’s background. He never promises a return, preferring instead to stay conservative and over-deliver.
Marshall Drozduk came to financial services without a conventional route. After running a business in British Columbia and then selling it, he entered the industry and quickly discovered a profession that aligned deeply with his values. Today, his practice is one of the most personal in the industry – a family-run wealth management firm where his wife and sister work alongside him, and where long-standing team members are referred to as extended family.
Drozduk’s holistic approach covers six core disciplines: retirement planning, investment management, tax planning, estate planning, risk management, and cash flow management. His primary clients are professionals with families – a demographic he understands from the inside.
Ramsey Diab’s path to wealth management began with an engineering degree and an ambition that outgrew the constraints of a conventional career path. After more than 20 years in the industry, he brings a rare combination of long-term perspective and genuine humility to his practice – attributes he credits as essential to sustained excellence.
Diab’s client base spans HNW individuals, business owners, executives, doctors, lawyers, and retirees. His communication philosophy is built on accessibility: clients know he is available by call, text, or email outside traditional business hours. His investment philosophy centres on conceptual understanding: ensuring clients know exactly what they own and why, so they can make rational rather than emotional decisions during periods of market volatility.
Working directly with clients to provide clear investing options
William Chan
Modern Vision Planning
William Chan describes himself as the “advisor’s advisor” – a designation earned through years of corporate leadership and advisor development that gives him a granular understanding of both products and the strategies used to market them. That perspective now shapes how he works directly with clients: cutting through complexity, translating industry language into plain terms, and helping people make decisions with genuine clarity.
William ChanModern Vision Planning
Chan’s practice serves a broader demographic than many advisors at a similar stage, driven by his belief in helping anyone actively seeking to improve their financial well-being. His client base has grown organically to include young professionals, real estate investors, business owners, medical professionals, and corporate retirees.
William ChanModern Vision Planning
What the best financial advisors in Canada
have in common
Across eight profiles, eight distinct practices, and eight different approaches to wealth management, certain themes emerge consistently among the 2026 5-Star Advisors. Understanding these qualities can help Canadians evaluate potential advisors and recognize excellence when they encounter it.
Clear financial advice over complexity
Whether serving UHNW entrepreneurs or first-generation investors, every advisor featured here prioritizes clarity. Hunt talks about removing noise so clients can make better decisions. Riddell says most clients do not need more information; they need clarity. Chan focuses on translating complexity into plain language. In an era when financial information is abundant but financial understanding is not, this commitment to simplicity is a defining characteristic of great advice.
Advisor-client relationships built on trust
The 2026 JD Power Canada Investor Satisfaction Study identifies trust as one of the highest-impact dimensions of the advisor relationship. Every advisor in this cohort reflects that finding in how they describe their practice. Drozduk describes trust as foundational. Lam considers her clients part of an extended family. Stenner speaks of being a long-term partner rather than a service provider.
Holistic financial planning, not product sales
The advisors recognized here are uniformly focused on comprehensive planning rather than product distribution. Drozduk covers six core planning disciplines. Lam integrates investment and insurance into a single strategy. Hunt connects business exit planning with personal investment management. This reflects a broader industry direction: the most effective advisors are those who see the full financial picture and coordinate across its dimensions, rather than optimizing a single component.
Financial advisors need a long-term perspective
None of these advisors define success by short-term market performance. Poliquin’s priority is not losing clients through a volatile year. Diab’s focus is on protecting what clients have built. Riddell is measured by whether clients can live the life they worked to create. This long-term orientation aligns with what research shows clients ultimately value most: not the highest return in any given year, but the confidence and security to pursue their goals across decades.
Canada’s best financial advisors set a standard worth recognizing
Canada’s financial advisory market is large, diverse, and rapidly evolving. AUM in the Canadian financial advisory sector is projected to reach nearly US$10 trillion, with usage of professional financial planning tools increasing by 247 percent between 2023 and 2024 alone. In this environment, the advisors who stand out are not those who simply manage money, but those who earn and sustain the trust of the people who depend on them.
The 2026 5-Star Advisors represent that standard. Selected from over 600 client nominations, they have been recognized not because of the size of their portfolios or the prestige of their firms, but because real clients took the time to say: this person helped me. This person was there when it mattered. This person is one of the best financial advisors in Canada.
For Canadians seeking trusted financial guidance, the profiles in this report offer both inspiration and a framework. The qualities that define these advisors – clarity, trust, holistic planning, and long-term commitment – are the same qualities worth seeking in any professional relationship that shapes your financial future.
Sloane underlines the difference markers that separate the best from the rest.
How would you define Canada’s 5-Star financial advisors?
Sloane says, “The 5-Star financial advisors operate at another level with consistency, passion, drive and expertise that motivates their teams, attracts trusted relationships, and builds partnerships around their own business.”
Best Financial Advisors in Canada | 5-Star Advisors
- Brian Himmelman
Himmelman & Associates Financial Advisors - Colin Andrews
Canvas Wealth
Canvas Wealth/Q Wealth - Darren Cooper
Aspire Wealth Partners
Wellington-Altus Private Wealth - Darren Morcom
The Morcom Wealth Management Group
Wellington-Altus Private Wealth - David Little
iA Private Wealth/Blue Oceans Private Wealth
iA Private Wealth - Dwight Mann
Mann Team Wealth Management
Canaccord Genuity Wealth Management - Edith Kernerman
FiduSure Financial - Frank Mauro
Mauro Family Wealth
Wellington-Altus Private Wealth - Fraser McKeown
Percentage Plus Financial Group - Heather Holjevac
Holjevac Financial Group - Ida Khajadourian
Richardson Wealth - Jason de Thomasis
De Thomas Wealth Management - Jordan Mauro
Mauro Family Wealth
Wellington-Altus Private Wealth - Kelly Ho
Financial Planning
DLD Financial Group - Luke Kratz
The Kratz Financial Group
CIBC Wood Gundy - Mark Brunelle
Brunelle Financial Planning Group - Martin Pelletier
TriVest Wealth Counsel
Wellington-Altus Private Counsel - Michael Minicucci
Mauro Family Wealth
Wellington-Altus Private Wealth - Richard Rampersad
Diligence Wealth Management - Robert Daumler
Daumler Mertz & Associates
IG Wealth Management - Ryan Simone
Kleinburg Private Wealth
Carte Wealth Management - Scott Starratt
Starratt Wealth Management - Sean O’Connor
O’Connor and Associates
IG Private Wealth Management - Shafik Hirani
Shafik Hirani Private Wealth Management Practice
Aligned Capital Partners - Sheena Schreiner
Cresco Wealth Management
Wellington-Altus Private Wealth - Tanya Wilson
Gold Seal Financial Group
Wellington-Altus Private Wealth
Insights
Methodology
Wealth Professional conducted its fifth annual search for 5-Star Advisors in Canada. Our goal was to answer one question: Who are the best advisors when it comes to acting in their clients’ interests?
From a diverse cross-section of financial professionals, we got the opportunity to spotlight remarkable examples of passion, dedication, and commitment.
From January 19 to February 13, the WP team undertook a rigorous marketing and survey process, leveraging its connections to thousands of readers across the country. Readers were asked to nominate the advisors who gave them the best support based on five key criteria.
From over 600 nominations and with input from the WP editorial team, a shortlist of 39 advisors was created. The 5-Star Advisors are recognized based not on AUM but rather the quality of service provided to their clients.