Insights

Many ultra-high-net-worth families have heard of the benefits of establishing a private trust company to serve as trustee of their trusts. (We prefer “private family trust company” or “PFTC”) . However, they might not understand the nuanced best practices on forming a PFTC. This blog explores some of the legal and structural issues that families […]

Role of the Family Office Some family offices are simple, consisting of a registered investment advisor and a few ad hoc services. Others are complex, involving many non-family advisors and 3rd party external service providers. No matter the size of your family office, the dynamics will be complex. The family office’s role is to serve […]

What is Family Governance & Education? Family governance and education are two key and related components of an effective family office. They serve as the foundation for responsible stewardship of wealth, preservation of family values, and transmission of wealth from one generation to the next. These services help ensure that families flourish across generations. Failure […]

“The life of money-making is one undertaken under compulsion, and wealth is evidently not the good we are seeking; for it is merely useful and for the sake of something else.” –Aristotle, Nicomachean Ethics 1.5 Introduction What is the feeling that you most associate with the word “money”–excitement, fear, anxiety, or something else? Does money make you happy? […]

In 1973, the artist Pablo Picasso died with an estate worth $100-$250M and no estate plan. The ensuing battle over his estate lasted six years and cost $30M. This was good for lawyers and not so good for Picasso’s descendants! Unfortunately, Picasso’s estate is just one example of a common problem. Many people either do […]

What is Wealth? How do you measure your wealth? Most of us immediately think about bank accounts, investments, or real estate. Thinking more broadly, we might include skills we’ve acquired, a social network, and health. In fact, all of these are equally valid definitions of wealth. Wealth is really what makes us flourish as human […]

Families have a variety of options when they select a trustee to administer their trusts. There are two traditional options: an institutional trustee, such as a trust company, or an individual trustee, such as a family member or trusted advisor. In either case, these traditional trustees may not meet all of a family’s unique goals […]

The term “family office” is hard to define because it appears in so many different forms.  There’s a well-known saying, “Once you’ve seen one family office, you’ve only seen one.” Some family offices are comprised of nothing more than a financial advisor. This advisor coordinates services with external tax experts, insurance providers, bankers, brokers, and perhaps […]

Why People Planning Matters Estate planning is about protecting assets over time for the good of beneficiaries. Many grantors and advisors work hard on the first part, protecting assets, but fail to adequately address the second part, creating a positive impact for beneficiaries. Many grantors intend for their trusts to become a gift of love […]

Stories form culture in powerful ways. Narratives as small as a meme and as large as an epic poem communicate meaning and can create unity among a group of people. Stories have transmitted information across millennia. Good stories are compelling, clear, emotional, and true (metaphorically or literally). Families can and should tell stories in order […]