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New · Q2 2026 Stock option deadlines & the new CRA rules

Financial advice for founders & tech professionals.

RSUs, IPOs, stock options, ESPPs… it all sounds complex. We build financial plans that bring clarity and organization, so you can focus on what really matters.

Schedule an intro See how we work
CIRO Approved Person Fee-based Independent
A Millen Wealth Advisors advisor walking a client through a planning dashboard during an in-office meeting.
Inside a client planning session
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Key takeaway

Millen Wealth Advisors helps Canadian tech founders and high-earning employees turn equity compensation (RSUs, stock options, ESPPs) into lasting personal wealth, combining financial planning with ongoing investment management.

A short intro form and a free 30-minute call show whether it’s a fit. Millen Wealth Advisors advises Canadian residents only. Investing involves risk, including possible loss of principal.

Managing wealth for people like you.

Public tech co.Senior engineer Big techDeveloper Big techAccount manager Enterprise SaaSAccount executive E-commerce platformMarketing lead Medical devicesSenior manager Health techData scientist Media techFounder Cross-border techFounder Bootstrapped SaaSFounder Post-exitTech founder Law firmPartner

How we help.

Two tracks, built around the two situations we see most. Pick yours, or schedule an intro and we'll figure it out together.

For tech founders
$500K+ revenue

Compensation planning

Salary vs. dividends, structured to keep more of what you earn.

Corporate structure & tax

Holding companies, share classes and corporate tax, alongside your accountant.

Investment recommendations

Built for wealth creation and tax efficiency, personal and corporate.

Quarterly planning

We meet every quarter to keep the plan moving with your business.

Exit planning

Preparing the business, and you, for a sale or transition.

Estate & corporate wind-up

Legacy, succession, and winding the corporation down cleanly.

Goal progress analysis

We track funding toward each goal and adjust as your life changes.
For tech employees
$200K+ compensation

RSU & equity strategy

Vesting, sell-to-cover, and concentration risk on your equity comp.

Tax planning

T1 optimization around RSUs, options and your full income picture.

Cashflow modelling

Where the money goes, and how to fund every goal.

Registered plan optimization

FHSA, RRSP, TFSA and RESP, used in the right order.

Investment recommendations

Evidence-based, fee-based portfolios aligned to your horizon.

Risk review & estate planning

Life, disability and critical illness, plus a basic estate plan.

Goal progress analysis

We track funding toward each goal and adjust as your life changes.
The software behind every plan

Your plan is built in Conquest.

Great advice deserves great tools. That's why we build every plan in Conquest Planning: the best planning technology in the industry, built in Canada for Canadian tax rules. Your plan isn't a static PDF. It's a living model of your finances that we adjust together, live in the meeting, as your life changes.

  • Scenarios, side by side. Sell the business in 2031? Take a sabbatical? Exercise options this year or next? We model it and compare.
  • Updated live, in the meeting. Change an assumption and watch the whole plan recalculate. No "we'll get back to you in three weeks."
  • Built for Canadian complexity. RSU vesting, stock options, holding companies, FHSA/RRSP/TFSA ordering, CPP timing. It handles all of it.
Conquest Planning · Sample plan
A sample financial plan in Conquest Planning showing retirement and goal funding dials, planning suggestions, and a long-term investment projection chart.
Sample plan, not actual client data. Projections are illustrations based on assumptions, not a guarantee of future performance.
See how we build your plan
Next steps

Ready to become a Millen Wealth client?

Step 1

Fill out the form

Three quick questions about who you are and what you want to work on. About 60 seconds.

Step 2

Book a call

Pick a time for a free 30-minute intro. Your answers come along, so Sam shows up prepared.

Step 3

Connect over Google Meet

A real conversation about your situation. If we're not the right fit, we'll point you somewhere that is.

Schedule an intro Free, no obligation. ~30 minutes.

Case studies.

Illustrative, anonymized client scenarios shared for educational purposes. The names and avatars shown are fictional and do not identify real clients. They are not testimonials, and not a guarantee or prediction of future results. Every situation is different; nothing here constitutes individual financial, tax, or investment advice.

The situation

An independent IT consultant experienced a massive, temporary surge in corporate revenue by taking on multiple remote contracts during a period of high demand for his specialized software skills.

The concern

He recognized that the high demand in his specific tech niche was temporary and feared overcommitting his lifestyle to long-term liabilities based on an unsustainable peak in income.

What we did

Created a structured, multi-year financial plan to optimize his corporate compensation strategy (weighing salary versus dividends) and aggressively diversify his investments to ensure stability for when the market eventually cools down.

The takeaway

Tech contractors experiencing sudden income booms must avoid lifestyle inflation and proactively plan their corporate structure to prepare for inevitable industry fluctuations.

The situation

A young software sales professional at a major tech firm was earning a high, highly variable commission-based income while preparing for milestones like starting a family and buying a home.

The concern

She was anxious about ongoing industry-wide tech layoffs and the risk that a sector downturn could simultaneously wipe out her job and her investment portfolio.

What we did

Advised building a significantly larger-than-average cash reserve to weather potential job losses, and recommended diversifying her investment capital away from tech stocks so her overall net worth wouldn’t be entirely correlated to her employer’s industry.

The takeaway

Tech employees whose human capital is tied to a volatile industry must actively decouple their investment risk by diversifying away from the tech sector and maintaining robust emergency buffers.

The situation

The founders of a thriving tech company had grown the business into a high-value enterprise and were beginning to consider a future exit.

The concern

They were skilled at driving revenue and scaling operations, but nearly all of their wealth remained locked inside the company, with no clear plan for turning that success into personal financial security.

What we did

Stepped in as a dedicated financial partner, collaborating closely with their tax accountants to design a unified strategy that draws corporate profits out tax-efficiently and redirects them into diversified personal holdings.

The takeaway

Founders who excel at building companies often need a coordinated team of financial and tax professionals to convert concentrated business value into lasting personal wealth.

The situation

A highly compensated corporate employee had built up a life-changing amount of unexercised stock options over their career, which represented the overwhelming majority of their family’s total net worth.

The concern

The couple treated the company stock as an unshakeable safety net, intending to slowly draw down the options over a decade in retirement, while overlooking the serious danger of binding both their income and their investments to the fortunes of a single stock.

What we did

Demonstrated the real risks of single-stock concentration and designed a multi-year, tax-optimized divestment schedule to methodically exercise the options and move the proceeds into a globally diversified portfolio.

The takeaway

Treating concentrated employer stock as a guaranteed retirement fund is a significant gamble; wealth may be created through concentration, but it is preserved through strategic diversification.

Free checklist

Not ready to talk? Start with the checklist.

The RSU & Stock Option Tax Checklist for Canadian tech employees: the 9 decisions to get right before you exercise, vest, or sell. Sent straight to your inbox.

Email only. No spam, unsubscribe anytime.

The RSU and Stock Option Tax Checklist for Canadian tech employees
Free checklist

Run a business? Make your corporation work harder.

The Canadian Business Owner’s Wealth Checklist: 9 moves that get your corporation working for you once it’s profitable, from how you pay yourself to pensions, health accounts, and succession. Sent straight to your inbox.

Email only. No spam, unsubscribe anytime.

Testimonials.

GJ

G.J.

Agency Partner

He’s helped us think through everything from corporate structure to investments, and all the financial planning that I either don’t have time for or don’t feel confident handling on my own. Thanks to him and the team, I can focus on the parts of the business I’m good at, knowing the financial side is in good hands.

PC

P&C

Enterprise software, Toronto

Sam also helped us navigate our RSUs, which made what could have been a complicated process feel much more manageable. We’ve really leveled up our financial life. Having a plan and feeling in control has had a ripple effect on so many other parts of our lives.

RA

R&A

VP, Sales

Sam is an exceptional financial planner who is attentive, thorough, and genuinely understanding. Always responsive when it matters most, Sam is a trusted advisor we would highly recommend working with.

BR

B&R

Warman, Sask.

They have brought a very personal level of service to our meetings. It has always felt like we were working with a friend, more so than just being with a company that saw you simply as an asset.

DS

Danielle S.

Toronto, ON

…Sam is a breath of fresh air… he takes the time to educate us and is not focused on selling us a product, but rather providing excellent service and advice…

Individual client experiences, shared with permission. Not a guarantee or prediction of future results, and not indicative of any other client’s experience.

Sound familiar?

If you saw your own situation above, the next step is a free 30-minute intro call. No pressure, no jargon.

Book a free intro

Meet the team.

Your core advisors, plus the mortgage and tax partners we bring in when your plan needs them.

Registrations are independently verifiable: check Sam’s CIRO registration and CFP®.

Financial planning and insurance planning are provided through Millen Wealth Advisors. These are business activities separate from Portfolio Strategies Corporation, conducted with its approval. Mutual funds are offered through Portfolio Strategies Corporation, a member of the Canadian Investment Regulatory Organization (CIRO). Our mortgage and tax partners are independent professionals; no referral fees or other compensation are paid or received in either direction.

How we work together

Client journey and pricing.

Working with us happens in two phases. In Phase 1 we build your written financial plan for a one-time fee. In Phase 2 we manage your investments and keep the plan on track for an ongoing fee. Use the buttons below to see what each phase includes and what it costs.

Phase 1

We build your plan.

A one-time fee. About two to four weeks from intro to delivery.

1

Goals, values & your full picture

Your goals first, then we gather income, equity comp, accounts, taxes and debt.

2

Recommendations & strategy

The recommended strategy, and the moves behind it, in plain language.

3

Portfolio & insurance analysis

The right portfolio, plus an insurance and risk review.

4

Written plan delivered

Your written plan, delivered and explained.

Employed & salaried

Professionals.

Up front
$2,500one-time
Your comprehensive financial plan
Ongoing
0.75–1.25%/yr
Of the assets we manage, billed monthly
  • Comprehensive written financial plan
  • Tax planning
  • Cash flow modelling
  • FHSA, RRSP, TFSA & RESP optimization
  • Investment recommendations
  • Insurance & estate review
Schedule an intro
Incorporated & self-employed

Business owners.

Up front
$4,000one-time
Your comprehensive financial plan
Ongoing
0.75–1.25%/yr
Of the assets we manage, billed monthly
  • Comprehensive written financial plan
  • Compensation planning, salary vs. dividends
  • Corporate structure & tax strategy
  • Personal & corporate investment recommendations
  • Exit & succession planning
  • Insurance, estate & corporate wind-up
Schedule an intro
Phase 2

We put it to work, and keep it on track.

Ongoing. A flat percentage of the assets we manage.

Portfolio management & rebalancing
Tax-planning reviews
Plan & goal-progress reviews
Insurance, risk & estate reviews

On a steady rhythm: quarterly check-ins and semi-annual reviews through years one to four, then a full re-plan.

Investment management

Estimate your annual advisory fee.

This is the Millen Wealth advisory fee only: one flat percentage of the assets we manage, not tiered. Underlying fund and ETF managers charge their own fees separately, and the one-time planning fee is separate too.

Portfolio managed
$
$250K$5M+
Under $1M1.25%
$1M – $3M0.90%
$3M – $5M0.75%
Estimated advisory fee
$13,500/yr
Your rate0.90%
Per month$1,125
Book a call →

Illustrative estimate only. This is the Millen Wealth advisory fee, billed on assets under management, charged monthly, plus applicable taxes (GST/HST). Underlying fund and ETF managers charge their own fees (roughly 0.09%–0.35%), which are additional. Over $5M, pricing is customized. The one-time financial planning fee ($2,500 or $4,000) is separate. Insurance products, where recommended, may pay a commission.

Recent writing.

Read the blog
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Stock options tax in Canada, explained

Stock options tax in Canada, explained.

Everything tech employees and founders need to know before exercising, without the accountant's fee.
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Is it safe to invest right now?

Is it safe to invest right now?

Markets are scary. The framework we walk clients through, and why timing rarely matters.
Equity comp Jun 2025 · 8 min read
RSUs, decoded

RSUs, decoded.

How RSUs work, how they're taxed in Canada, and strategies to cut tax and manage concentration risk.

Frequently asked.

Real questions from the people who book intro calls. If yours isn't here, ask us on the call.

We're a fee-based, independent firm. Banks pay their advisors based on what products they sell, which creates a misalignment of incentives. We charge a transparent fee for planning and a percentage on investment accounts. We're also specialized. We work specifically with millennial tech founders and high-earning tech employees, not the general public.

The comprehensive financial plan is $4,000 for the Founder track and $2,500 for the Employee track. Both include the written plan, a tax strategy review, and ongoing planning meetings. For investment management, we charge a percentage on assets.

Canadians only. Sam Lichtman is a CIRO Approved Person, and mutual funds are offered through Portfolio Strategies Corporation, a CIRO member. We're licensed to advise residents of the provinces where we're registered. If you're a Canadian working at a US tech company, we can absolutely help. Cross-border RSU and stock option work is a specialty.

We'll tell you, fast, usually within the first 15 minutes of the intro call. If your situation is better served by another advisor (or by DIY for now), we'll point you to resources or to a fellow advisor we trust. The intro form is designed to filter that out before you even book a call.

See all questions
Ready when you are

Ready to figure out your wealth strategy?

The intro form takes about 60 seconds and shows what you'd actually work on with us. No email required.

Schedule an intro or, call (647) 556-0100

Not ready? Start with the checklist.

The RSU & Stock Option Tax Checklist: the 9 decisions to get right before you exercise, vest, or sell. Sent straight to your inbox.

You’ll also get The Millen Memo newsletter. Unsubscribe anytime.