Mindset: Personal and Corporate as One System
For incorporated owners, personal and corporate finances aren't separate silos—they're parts of a single wealth-building system. The most effective strategies coordinate across both, thinking in decades and generations, not just annual tax returns.
This "dynasty-first" mindset means asking: How does this personal decision affect my corporate tax situation? How does my corporate cash flow support my family's long-term security? How do we structure both to pass wealth efficiently to the next generation?
Mechanics: How Personal and Corporate Strategies Connect
Personal Insurance Coordination
Personal life, disability, and critical illness insurance protect your family's financial security. When coordinated with corporate-owned policies, you can:
- Optimize coverage across personal and corporate policies to avoid over-insurance
- Use corporate-owned insurance for business needs (buy-sell, key person) while personal policies protect family
- Structure ownership to maximize tax efficiency and estate planning benefits
Personal Investment Accounts
Personal investment accounts (RRSPs, TFSAs, non-registered) work alongside corporate investments:
- Asset location: Hold tax-efficient investments in personal accounts, tax-inefficient ones in corporate accounts
- Income timing: Coordinate withdrawals from personal and corporate accounts to optimize lifetime tax
- Estate planning: Structure accounts to minimize probate and maximize tax-free transfers to beneficiaries
Brand-Agnostic Research
We don't represent any single insurer or investment company. Instead, we research across the Canadian market to find the products and strategies that best fit your situation—whether that's a term policy from one insurer, a permanent policy from another, or investment funds from multiple providers.
How to Apply: Owner Playbook
Here's a practical approach to coordinating personal and corporate strategies:
- Inventory your current situation: List all personal insurance policies, investment accounts, and corporate accounts. Note coverage amounts, beneficiaries, and ownership structures.
- Identify gaps and overlaps: Are you over-insured in some areas and under-insured in others? Do personal and corporate investments duplicate each other unnecessarily?
- Coordinate with your CPA: Review how personal and corporate strategies interact from a tax perspective. Your CPA can help identify opportunities to optimize income splitting, tax deferral, and estate planning.
- Research independently: Get quotes and comparisons from multiple insurers and investment providers. Don't limit yourself to one company's products.
- Think long-term: Consider how today's decisions affect your family's wealth 20, 30, or 50 years from now. What structures will make it easier to pass wealth to the next generation?
- Review regularly: As your business grows, your family situation changes, or tax rules evolve, revisit the coordination between personal and corporate strategies.
Decision Checklist
Consider personal insurance and investment coordination if:
- You have both personal and corporate insurance policies but aren't sure if they're optimally structured
- Your personal investment accounts (RRSP, TFSA, non-registered) aren't coordinated with your corporate investment strategy
- You want to ensure your family is protected while also maximizing corporate wealth-building
- You're thinking about estate planning and how to pass wealth to the next generation efficiently
- You've only worked with one insurer or investment company and want to see what else is available
- Your personal and corporate strategies feel disconnected or even conflicting