Now, more than ever, the business of managing private wealth is exceedingly complex. Most family offices are doing the work of sophisticated financial institutions with limited staff, while relying on a patchwork quilt of software solutions that are hosted internally with little integration, securit...

In December 2015, Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg announced he would transfer 99 percent of his Facebook shares—a sum currently valued at $45 billion—to the new Chan Zuckerberg Initiative, a philanthropic endeavor that will be led by Zuckerberg and his wife, Dr. Priscilla Chan. The Chan Zuckerberg...

"I'm wondering if it's time for us to add outside experts to our advisory board," Julie Jacks mused aloud to her cousins. "Experts who would bring fresh ideas and who would have some gravitas around here." Julie and her cousins were gathered at the brown-bag lunch session they held each week i...

I was recently speaking with the general counsel for a private family trust company (PFTC), and they told me a compelling story about their recent PFTC state situs evaluation that I believe many in the PFTC world will find both informative and relatable. With their permission, I have shared it...

Recently, a family I advise came to me looking to plan a family meeting. Inevitably, the question came up: “Well, should we do it at Thanksgiving or at Christmas?” My response? Avoid both. There has been a growing recognition by families of the need to prepare future generations to be res...

For several years now, wealth advisors have been concerned about the rise of robo-advisors and the potential impact on the wealth management industry. There is a strong potential disruption from the new financial technology (or FinTech) start-ups, each with goals of becoming the “Uber” of peer-to-pe...

Stop for a moment and think about the leaders in your world. Consider friends, family members, teachers, colleagues and business partners. Which of these people would you consider to be the "best” leaders? Who stands out and what makes them stand out above others? Perhaps it's because they show...

Jonah Wittkamper wants to start a conversation about wealth—and help rising generation family leaders find their life purpose in the process. “I think many people think that the meaning of life is to simply accumulate as much material wealth as you can,” says Wittkamper, Co-Founder ...

For many, owning a horse is the realization of a lifelong passion. However, it can also increase your risk of financial loss or even lawsuits. Whether you board your horse on your own property or at a professional facility, it’s important to ask yourself, “Am I protected against the potential risks?...

Is the real estate market overheated? In October 2014, PwC published a report based on interviews of dozens of leading real estate professionals across a number of sectors and disciplines. The report, “Emerging Trends in Real Estate® 2015,” predicted that the momentum of the last five yea...