Firm led by Shiraz Ahmed launches with dual registration to guide investors across two systems
Sartorial Wealth Inc. has officially launched as an independent advisory firm with a mandate to serve clients managing financial lives across the Canada-US border, according to the firm’s announcement.
Founder and CEO Shiraz Ahmed, CIM, brings a long-standing focus on cross-border strategies to the venture. He previously led the Sartorial Wealth team at Raymond James Ltd., where the business was originally established in 2014.
Sartorial Wealth now operates independently with dual registration—licensed as a portfolio manager in multiple Canadian provinces and as a registered investment advisor under the US Securities and Exchange Commission.
The launch comes as Canadian investors and advisors face growing uncertainty around cross-border taxation and trade.
In a May article by Wealth Professional, proposed US legislation—the “One Big Beautiful Bill Act”—was reported to potentially override the Canada–US tax treaty and significantly raise withholding tax rates on Canadian corporations and individuals.
Ahmed warned that the bill could expose Canadian investors to significantly higher taxes on dividends, equity growth, and corporate holdings.
“The bigger the problem, the more you should be on top of it,” he said in the May interview.
“Whatever they can do today to see what can be done to mitigate some of this potential burden on a go-forward basis. This gives you an opportunity to at least reevaluate your current circumstances.”
Ahmed emphasized that tax implications should not drive investment strategy alone, but the scale of the proposed changes means clients and advisors need to act now.
While he holds dual registrations with CIRO in Canada and FINRA in the US, he emphasised the importance of working with CPAs. “I am not a CPA,” he said, encouraging advisors to work with tax professionals to assess each client’s situation.
Sartorial Wealth’s offering is built around what the firm describes as a bespoke and data-driven approach.
“As no two people are the same, financial advice shouldn’t be either,” the announcement quotes Ahmed as saying.
The firm’s proprietary algorithm, developed over six years, evaluates risk and return to help define optimal trading strategies tailored to the individual.
“Another key benefit of this technology is that it removes human bias and subjectivity from portfolio management, relying on evidence-based objective analysis,” he said.
The firm positions itself as delivering institutional-grade methodologies—typically used by pensions or hedge funds—to individual investors.
Ahmed’s interviews over the past year reflect the urgency behind Sartorial’s cross-border focus.
In an April interview with Wealth Professional, he addressed market volatility following the announcement of broad US tariffs under US President Donald Trump’s “liberation day” trade policy.
Although Canada was spared from new tariffs, Ahmed noted that volatility remained high.
“We’re dealing with high levels of volatility and high levels of uncertainty,” he said. “Whatever your discipline or your approach is this is the time to maintain it.”
He employs a quant-based strategy that rebalances regularly and adjusts for momentum, helping reduce exposure to North American markets and incorporating diversifiers like gold, alternatives, and treasuries.
In February, amid calls from consumers to “buy Canadian,” Ahmed advised clients to stay focused on fundamentals. He recognised that emotional responses can colour financial decisions but cautioned against letting politics override sound strategy.
“This too shall pass,” he said, noting the importance of perspective during policy shifts.
As Sartorial Wealth begins operations independently, Ahmed underscored the role advisors can play in helping clients navigate cross-border disruption.
“We’ve been having more conversations with our client families and their CPAs,” he said in May. “When policy changes and we have to understand what the ramifications are, we can lean on external partners.”
