Copilot for RIAs: Resource Center
Microsoft Copilot can save you time, improve accuracy, and streamline tasks across Outlook, Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and Teams. But for RIA firms, security, compliance, and getting the right version matter.
This resource center brings together what RIA firms need to know to use Copilot effectively and safely.
What You Need to Use Copilot for Work
To use the secure, fully integrated version of Copilot (known as Copilot for Microsoft 365), your firm needs:
A qualifying Microsoft 365 license:
Business Standard, Business Premium, E3, or E5
A Copilot for Microsoft 365 add-on license
(purchased per user)
Without both, you may only have access to the public Web version of Copilot—which is not suitable for client data, compliance, or internal documentation.
What Makes Copilot a Fit for RIA Firms
Enterprise-grade security
Copilot respects your Microsoft 365 permissions, so it only pulls from documents, emails, and chats you already have access to.
Compliance-aware
Data stays inside your Microsoft tenant. Nothing is used to train public AI models.
Productivity-focused
Recap meetings, summarize emails, generate documents, and draft communications without switching tools.
Works where you work
Built into Teams, Word, Excel, Outlook, and PowerPoint.
Top Things to Try First with Copilot
Recap a Teams meeting into a follow-up email
Summarize a long email thread
Draft a client communication using your own tone and templates
Turn a document into a PowerPoint
Get a status update on a project using recent files and emails
Copilot Blogs for RIAs: Learn More
Copilot vs. ChatGPT: What RIAs Need to Know
Is Microsoft Copilot Secure Enough for RIAs?
How to Prompt Copilot for Better Results
Web vs. Work: Which Copilot Are You Using?
10 Things to Try First with Copilot
Frequently Asked Questions about Copilot for RIAs
No. Copilot for Web doesn’t have access to your Microsoft 365 data and isn’t governed by your tenant’s security policies. It’s not suitable for anything involving confidential or regulated information. Learn more about how to use the Web and Work versions: Web vs. Work: Which Copilot Are You Using?
In the browser, look for the Web/Work toggle at the top of the Copilot interface. In Microsoft 365 apps (Word, Teams, Outlook, etc.), Copilot runs in Work mode by default if you're signed in with the right license.
Yes. Copilot can summarize past communications, meeting notes, and shared documents if you're using the Work version. Web version can only pull from public sources but is a good tool for research or general preparation suggestions.
A short training session is highly recommended. Knowing how to prompt Copilot well, what it can access, and what not to use it for makes a big difference.
Visit Microsoft’s Copilot Prompt Gallery or download the RIA Copilot Guide.
Want help making Copilot work for your firm?
At RIA WorkSpace, we help RIA firms deploy and use Copilot securely so your team can save time, stay compliant, and maximize your value from Microsoft 365.