Frequently Asked Questions

Advisor Experience

  • Optimize is built for advisors, with a focus on flexibility, support, and growth. When you join our platform, you gain true independence – you maintain full control of your practice, client relationships, and branding, while we provide the infrastructure that empowers you to serve without constraints.

  • Complete freedom & control. You’re the CEO of your business. We have no product pushing or restrictive quotas – you, along with an Optimize Portfolio Manager or Associate Portfolio Manager tailor advice to each client, and we support your way of doing business.

  • Transparent, Equitable Compensation. Optimize believes in rewarding advisors fairly. We offer a single, transparent payout structure with no convoluted grids or hidden claw-backs. Every advisor is on the same compensation schedule, fostering a culture of collaboration over competition. You’ll know exactly how and what you earn, and it will reflect the true value of your work and client relationships.

  • We enable you to deliver a comprehensive family office experience to your clients. This means beyond portfolio management, you can offer integrated financial planning, tax planning and preparation, estate and will services, insurance solutions, and even mortgages – all through Optimize Financial Group’s platform. By having these services in-house, you can deepen client relationships and provide holistic advice without needing multiple third-party partnerships.

  • Your clients get access to pension-style portfolio management and institutional investment opportunities typically out of reach for retail investors. Optimize’s private pooled funds and model portfolios let you offer sophisticated strategies (in alternatives, private credit, etc.) with the support of top-tier portfolio managers, giving your clients an edge in achieving their goals.

  • We invest heavily in technology to make your practice more efficient. You’ll use an integrated CRM and portfolio management system that streamline client onboarding, compliance, and ongoing service. Our platform includes tools like a client online portal (so clients stay informed), an AI-driven advisor assistant for quick answers (our in-house “Stacy”), and a robust training and support library. Plus, you get dedicated back-office support – our operations team handles trading, transfers, and administrative tasks quickly, so you can focus on advising clients. In short, we pair entrepreneurial freedom with enterprise-level resources.

What services can I offer my clients through Optimize?

  • Through Optimize's Portfolio Managers and Associate Portfolio Managers, you can manage client portfolios using Optimize’s range of Model Portfolios and private funds, which employ a pension-style approach to balance growth and risk. You have access to diversified strategies, including exclusive institutional funds normally reserved for pension funds and endowments. This means you can provide sophisticated investment solutions that set you apart from the average advisor.

  • Beyond investments, Optimize gives you the capability to handle financial plans, tax returns, estate planning, and wills for your clients. As a part of Optimize Financial Group, you have access to tax specialists and estate lawyers as part of our extended team. For you, this means you can be a one-stop solution – helping clients with retirement projections, saving for their children’s education, insurance needs, and even preparing their annual taxes or updating their wills. All of these services are integrated and covered by the client’s management fee, which adds tremendous value to your advisory relationship.

  • Through Optimize, you can facilitate loans and mortgages for clients (for example, helping them secure a mortgage at competitive rates). You also have access to insurance products – from life insurance for risk management to annuities for retirement income – ensuring you can implement comprehensive financial strategies.

  • Optimize equips you with an integrated CRM platform and marketing tools. You can easily keep track of client information, track service tickets, and automate parts of your workflow. Plus, you’ll receive marketing support: content and resources you can share with clients, professional branding materials, and digital marketing assistance to help grow your practice. The platform’s design is to save you time on administrative tasks while enriching the client experience with timely insights and communication.

  • Because Optimize is independent and privately owned, there are no external shareholders siphoning off a portion of profits. We believe in aligned incentives so your success directly translates into fair compensation without complex schemes. All details of the payout and any revenue-sharing on certain services will be clearly laid out when you join, and our management is always open about how new initiatives or products might impact your earnings.

Insurance Product Offerings (Seg Funds, Annuities, etc.)

  • As a part of the Optimize Financial Group umbrella, yes. Advisors licensed to offer insurance products can access a full suite of insurance-based investment solutions, including segregated funds, annuities, and life insurance products. These options complement our investment and financial planning services, allowing you to deliver comprehensive wealth management tailored to client needs.

  • Absolutely. Optimize partners with leading Canadian insurers to provide segregated fund products that combine market-based growth potential with principal protection guarantees. These are valuable tools for clients seeking both investment growth and capital preservation, especially in estate or retirement planning contexts.

  • Yes. Insurance and investment solutions are fully integrated into our family office model, meaning advisors can coordinate tax, estate, and insurance strategies within the Optimize Financial Group platform. You’ll have access to our insurance specialists for case design, illustration support, and underwriting coordination — helping you deliver holistic advice efficiently.

What tools and technology will I have access to as an Optimize advisor?

  • Compass CRM is a centralized Client Relationship Management system that integrates client data, meeting notes, tasks, and compliance workflows. It’s tailored for our wealth management processes, so you can track everything from prospect pipeline to ongoing service tickets in one place. The CRM is cloud-based, accessible anywhere, and helps ensure no client request falls through the cracks.

  • You’ll have a robust portfolio management system (integrated with NBIN and our Optimize Private Client Program) that handles performance reporting, trading, and rebalancing. This system, coupled with Croesus (a leading portfolio analytics tool), allows you to create detailed reports (e.g., realized gain/loss, performance vs benchmarks, etc.) and analyze client portfolios with ease. It’s the same caliber of technology used by large institutions, giving you an edge in portfolio oversight.

  • MyPortfolio+ is Optimize’s secure online client portal, giving clients real-time, view-only access to their portfolios, performance, and account documents at the carrying broker. As an advisor, you have a matching dashboard that mirrors the client view—so you can prepare for meetings with full visibility into what your clients see. The system updates automatically through our custodian, ensuring data accuracy and up-to-date information at all times. This transparency strengthens trust, enhances communication, and helps clients stay informed and engaged in their financial journey.

  • We provide enterprise-level financial planning tools (such as Conquest Planning and others) to all our advisors. These allow you to model retirement scenarios, education funding, insurance needs, etc., and produce comprehensive financial plans. Clients can even have a portal view of their plan (in a read-only format) to stay engaged. Our team offers training on these tools so you can optimize their use in your practice.

  • You’re never on your own when you have a question – we have an internal Optimize Knowledge Base (online Help Center) with FAQs and guides on everything from submitting requests in the CRM to using our planning tools. Moreover, we’ve introduced “Stacy,” an AI-powered advisor assistant that you can query for quick answers or guidance on the fly. It’s like having a virtual support specialist available 24/7 to help with common inquiries or to point you to the right resources.

  • The platform includes dedicated IT support (for any tech issues, system access, etc.) and Operations support (for account transfers, paperwork, trades). For example, if you need to reset a password for the custodian system, our support lines are readily available. We also push regular updates and enhancements to the tech platform – always keeping you up-to-date with the latest tools to serve clients.

  • Absolutely. We understand that advisors may join Optimize at different stages of their careers – whether you’re in growth mode or looking toward succession, we have support structures in place. For advisors transitioning an existing practice to Optimize, we offer hands-on help to make the move as smooth as possible. This includes mapping and transferring client accounts (with minimal paperwork for your clients), training on our systems, and coordinating communications to ensure your clients understand the new advantages they’ll receive. Our transition team will work closely with you through each step (planning, ACAT transfers, compliance checks) so that no client is left behind and business downtime is minimized.

  • If you’re an advisor who is planning for retirement or an exit, Optimize can facilitate a succession plan that protects your clients and the legacy you’ve built. We help craft a plan – for example, pairing you with a like-minded younger advisor or internal team to gradually take over servicing your clients when you’re ready. Your goal isn’t simply to step away, but to ensure your clients continue to get excellent care and that you realize the value of the business you spent years building. Optimize specializes in creating succession arrangements that safeguard your clients, honour your legacy, and unlock the value you’ve built. This might involve an earn-out or sale of your book under fair terms, all coordinated with professionalism and sensitivity.

  • Optimize is an independently owned, founder-led firm. Our CEO (and founder), Matthew McGrath, established the company in 2009 with a long-term vision and a deep respect for the advisor-client relationship. Unlike many large financial institutions, we do not have external corporate shareholders or big bank ownership – this means we aren’t subject to short-term market pressures or conflicting corporate agendas. Instead, Optimize is driven by purpose and guided by experience. The leadership team is comprised of seasoned industry professionals across portfolio management, financial planning, and operations, all working together to foster a culture that puts clients and advisors first.