Case Study: Helping a Cross-Border Couple Retire to Canada After Selling Their Business
SWAN Wealth Management
Selling a Business and Getting Ready to Move to Canada
When Mark and Laura* first reached out to SWAN Wealth, they were in their late fifties, living in Washington State, and feeling increasingly unsettled by the political climate in the United States.
They had always planned to retire in Canada, where Mark was born, but recent changes pushed them to move up their timeline.
They were about to sell their healthcare-related business for over $6 million, and they needed help managing the proceeds in a way that supported both their retirement goals and their planned move back to Canada in the following year.
Most of their wealth had been tied up in that business, and they didn’t want to make any wrong moves.
Mark & Laura’s Cross-Border Challenges
Mark and Laura’s challenges were typical of many cross-border families and included:
How to manage and transfer US retirement accounts such as SEP IRAs and Roth IRAs, without triggering unnecessary tax.
How to plan for Canadian tax residency and the sale of their US home.
How to structure income and investments so their assets would be ready for the move.
How to navigate university tuition for their dual-citizen daughter, who hoped to attend university in Vancouver.
Mark and Laura are intelligent, thoughtful, and proactive.
But like many entrepreneurs who have sold a business, they didn’t want to manage their investments and retirement planning on their own. They wanted a single team that could coordinate investments, taxes, and cross-border planning to ensure a smooth transition.
The Solution and Process
The first step was to help Mark and Laura consolidate and simplify.
They had roughly $4 million spread between two large US brokerage firms. Mark originally felt safer diversifying across custodians, but after our discussions, he understood that true diversification comes from a well-structured portfolio, not from using multiple firms.
We began transferring their accounts to our cross-border platform so that we could:
Move their SEP IRAs into portfolios that maintained tax-deferred status while they remained US residents.
Replace US mutual funds and municipal bonds (which are considered PFICs and can create tax issues in Canada) with a globally diversified portfolio that could be easily managed once they become Canadian residents.
Maintain accurate cost bases and position tracking to avoid double taxation on future gains.
Together with our tax team, we reviewed their S Corp and LLC to confirm what needed to be dissolved and what could remain open until after their move. We also coordinated with their US accountant to ensure any business losses would be handled properly and to confirm what could (and could not) be carried forward to Canada.
On the personal side, we addressed their questions about their daughter’s tuition. Because UBC’s tuition for Canadian residents is about one-third of the international rate, we explored how establishing Canadian residency before his second year could reduce the family’s overall costs.
Finally, we completed a comprehensive financial plan to help them see how their assets could sustain their lifestyle for life.
This plan covered:
Future housing and healthcare costs.
Timing their move to minimize currency risk.
Cash-flow projections to ensure they would never run out of money.
Why It Worked
This multi-step process worked because everything was coordinated under one roof.
Mark and Laura no longer had to juggle multiple advisors who didn’t understand both sides of the border. They now have:
Integrated cross-border tax planning that addressed their business sale, future residency, and ongoing filing obligations.
A disciplined investment strategy based on ETFs and direct holdings rather than high-fee mutual funds.
A single, trusted advisory team to manage both the financial and emotional aspects of their transition.
Mark was initially concerned about “gambling” in the market. But that feeling eased once he saw that our approach focuses on quality, long-term holdings (companies he could actually own), not speculation.
The Outcome
By late 2025, SWAN Wealth had successfully transitioned much of Mark and Laura’s portfolio to the new structure and completed their financial projections.
They were comfortable and confident with the plan. They told us they finally felt they could sleep well at night. They knew their investments were properly diversified and ready for the move, their tax situation was under control, and their long-term spending plan was clear.
Mark remained eager to begin the next chapter of their lives in Canada, while Laura appreciated that the plan allowed them to move thoughtfully — balancing financial security with family timing.
They both expressed that they felt “in good hands.”
*The case studies and client examples presented on this website are for informational purposes only. Names and identifying details have been changed to protect client confidentiality. These examples are based on real scenarios but do not constitute financial advice. Individual circumstances vary, and you should consult a qualified financial advisor before making any financial decisions.