Most Canadian advisors want to grow their affluent client base - but a majority say their dealer firms aren't equipped to help them get there
A significant disconnect has opened between the ambitions of Canadian financial advisors and the support they receive from their dealer firms, particularly when it comes to serving high-net-worth, according to new research published today (October 27, 2026).
The IG Wealth Management Advisor Perception Industry Study, conducted by Environics Research in August 2025 among 309 CIRO-registered and independent financial advisors, found that 52 per cent of respondents identified attracting clients with more than $1 million in investable assets as a key growth priority.
That figure climbs to 67 per cent among advisors in the early growth stage of their practices. Yet despite that near-universal appetite, 57 per cent of those surveyed rated the dealer support they receive for growing their high-net-worth business as inadequate.
The findings highlight an industry at a strategic inflection point where advisors are gravitating toward the most lucrative and complex segment of the wealth market, but say their firms are not keeping pace.
The gap between ambition and execution
The study's shortcomings go beyond headline support figures. Nearly two-thirds of advisors (65 per cent) said their dealer's support for client events and seminars was inadequate. Some 59 per cent said the same of digital marketing support.
Access to specialist expertise is another pressure point. High-net-worth Canadians frequently require integrated advice spanning tax planning, estate and succession strategy, and philanthropy - services that go well beyond portfolio construction. However, 46 per cent of advisors said their access to subject-matter experts in these areas was insufficient.
Wealth Professional has previously explored how advisors define success in building a high-net-worth practice and the pattern is consistent: advisors who work effectively with affluent clients tend to rely on a coordinated ecosystem of specialists, not just investment products.
Dealer-switching risk is real
The data may be most pointed in what it signals about advisor mobility. Nearly half (47 per cent) of advisors who said they were considering switching dealer firms named improving support for high-net-worth clients as a top priority behind that move.
At a time when advisor movement across the industry is elevated, the message to dealer firms is that inadequate support for the affluent segment is a retention risk.
Wealth Professional has reported on the reasons behind high-profile advisor switches with firm culture, resources, and the capacity to serve premium client segments consistently appearing among the primary drivers.
Damon Murchison, president and CEO of IGM Financial Inc. and IG Wealth Management, acknowledged the scale of the challenge.
"The high-net-worth segment represents a significant growth opportunity, but serving these clients requires deep expertise and a coordinated approach," he said. "That's why we've invested in the IG Private Wealth Planning Experience, which brings together a collaborative team of advanced financial planning specialists."
Murchison added that advisors need more than investment solutions to compete effectively in the affluent market.
"They need access to specialized expertise, scalable business support and meaningful client engagement opportunities," he said. "At IG, we've brought these capabilities together through a multidisciplinary planning team, industry-leading marketing support and a nationally coordinated events platform, helping advisors differentiate themselves, deepen client relationships and build stronger, more scalable businesses while delivering greater value to affluent Canadians."
What firms need to deliver
IG said it currently supports advisors through more than 300 professionally managed client events annually, alongside a library of virtual events, dedicated event funding, and turnkey seminar playbooks. On the digital side, the firm offers targeted local advertising, social media and email support, digital presence coaching, and AI-enabled marketing tools.
The Environics study is the final instalment in a series examining the perspectives of more than 300 Canadian advisors. It is broadly representative of the Canadian advisor population by age, gender, practice stage, assets under advisement, region, and licensing status.
The results align with broader industry evidence that the affluent segment is becoming both more strategically important and more contested. Canada's top advisory teams in 2026 have increasingly built their practices around comprehensive service models for wealthy clients - a standard that is now shaping what advisors expect from the firms behind them.
IG Wealth Management is a member of IGM Financial Inc. (TSX: IGM) and manages approximately $178.0 billion in assets under advisement as of September 30, 2026.
