This reading list addresses the unique ecosystem of the family office. Any discussion of family office administration has to consider the complex relationships between elder and rising generations, trustees and beneficiaries, advisors and family members. The following books are not the only books on the subject, nor are they ranked in any particular order of […]
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What is Flourishing?
Humans instictively seek flourishing. Whenever we do something, we do it with an aim towards some idea of happiness. The gap between our efforts and the results often comes from our being mistaken about what flourishing truly is or how to attain it.
Revocable Living Trusts: What to Know
At a Glance Please contact one of our attorneys for more information to see if a revocable living trust is right for you. What Do Revocable Living Trusts Do? A revocable living trust (RLT) allows individuals to avoid probate and plan for incapacity. By itself, a revocable living trust does not provide asset protection or […]
Avoiding 4 Traps of Core Values Discovery
Conducting a core values discovery exercise is a common first step in developing a family governance plan. Businesses will often perform a similar exercise to discover core values. Unfortunately, a values discovery exercise can become an ineffective cliché if it does not actually reflect or impact the behavior of the family. Even worse, poorly chosen […]
Power of Attorney: the Ins and Outs
There are various kinds of power of attorney (POA). Knowing which to use is critical in making sure your goals are accomplished. For purposes of this article, we will focus on “financial” powers of attorney. Financial powers of attorney deal with a person’s assets or financial matters. This includes contract powers, signing authority, and dealing with third […]
Using Probability in Family Office Decision-Making
Family Offices face complex decisions every day. These involve not just financial matters, but also multi-generational family relationships. The family office is responsible for thinking decades into the future to allocate resources and manage dynamics. These decisions can have multi-generational consequences. For any of these decisions, a simple binary is not the most effective way […]
Fine Art: 5 Family Office Best Practices
Wealthy patrons and admirers have been collecting art for millennia. The ancient Greeks and Romans eagerly collected not only art from contemporary artists, but also statues and paintings from even more ancient cultures. The motivations for collecting range from wanting to protect and preserve important cultural artifacts, to appreciating aesthetic beauty for its own sake. […]
Decision-Making for the Rising Gen
“… discover for yourself what is necessary and what is superfluous.” (Seneca, Ep. 110) “90 percent of success is not getting distracted.” — Shane Parrish Superfluous (adjective) su̇-ˈpər-flü-əs : exceeding what is sufficient or necessary : EXTRA At a Glance One of the keys to happiness and productivity is learning how to prioritize. In the internet age this is more difficult than […]
Building Resilience
Everyone faces some kind of adversity on life’s path. One character trait that distinguishes successful individuals (including entrepreneurs, athletes, and musicians) is their ability to effectively cope when they face those setbacks and move forward. They use failure as a feedback mechanism to get better and keep going through tough times. Many of those who […]
Managing Family Disputes
Successful people often have strong opinions. Their success has come from sticking to ideas, intuitions, principles, and processes, often in the face of opposition. However, there may come a time when this tendency turns into a disagreement among family members. Ideally the family is resilient enough to absorb disagreement and productively manage the conflict. This article […]