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Many families recognize the importance of preparing future family leaders for the responsibilities of wealth through education programs. It’s a process that needs to be cultivated over many years in a thoughtful and planned manner. However, far too often the next gen education programs fail to get off the ground or maintain momentum. Family members...

The death of a loved one is a difficult and emotional time for a family. There is often additional stress if you are appointed as the executor of the will and trustee of your family’s trusts, especially if the deceased had been the sole manager of substantial family assets and wealth. For an untrained person, it can be a daunting role. For these re...

When done well, a trustee’s service can have a profoundly positive impact on a family; when done poorly, a trustee’s service can create or exacerbate fissures within a family, dissipate family wealth, create personal liability for the trustee, and create a public spectacle that sullies the family’s good name and reputation. For key employees in fam...

Ultimately, how well your wealth transfer plan fulfills your legacy and meets the needs of the next—and future—generations depends on whom you name as your trustee(s). This makes your trustee selection one of the most critical aspects of an already complex wealth planning process. To help navigate this selection process, work with a framework built...

Serving as a trustee for your family can be a valuable experience for you, while also providing an important service to your family. But before you accept the position, make sure that you understand the role you will play for the family and are willing to accept the responsibilities and liability that come with it.

To effectively serve as a trustee, it's crucial to understand your fiduciary duties. Even trustees with the best of intentions can create liability for themselves by being unprepared for the job or by not fully understanding their obligations. Learn more about some of the common mistakes family trustees make that can lead to lawsuits and other...

Whether knowledge is shared around the dinner table or in a boardroom, starting family member education early puts a family office in a strong position to strengthen the family’s legacy. While the education program would likely depend on family characteristics, there are three topics that should be part of the curriculum: basic financial literacy, ...

Choosing a trustee is a major decision—one that may impact you and your family in many ways for generations to come. Essentially, when you establish a trust for the benefit of others, you are handing down your values through the terms of the trust and your contributed financial assets. And with an increasing number of trusts lasting for multiple ge...

At our Family Office Exchange (FOX) Rising Gen Leadership Programs held in February and June, we noticed developing themes from our next-generation attendees. It became clear their needs and concerns were coalescing around three emergent areas. In this article we’re presenting a simple engagement pipleline to guide families and rising gen on their ...

Discover different learning approaches taken by three families who partnered with a FOX consultant to develop their human capital, engage the next generation, and create a culture of learning at an early age. These three vignettes exemplify best practices and trends in family education, including the formalization of family learning.

We are pleased to announce that the 2016 FOX Value Price Study: The Critical Link in Ultra-Wealth Market is available for FOX members. Key Insights found in this study include: Advisors have lost at least some pricing power with prospects as fees quoted to prospective clients have dropped 17% since 2008 and 15% since 201...

The 2016-17 FOX Thought Leaders Council Report: Strengthening the Partnership Between Families and Advisors is a great resource for those who are seeking ways to construct sustainable partnerships and how to make them productive. Inside, you’ll find why partnerships are key to successful family/advisor relationships, what makes partnerships endurin...

The ultra-wealth business continues to perform well, but not without some growing pains. While advisors to families of wealth benefited from a strong rebound in the markets during 2020, for some firms costs are rising faster than revenue. Now that we are in the midst of a receding pandemic, what does this look back on 2020 tell us about how prepare...

FOX’s Chief Learning Officer, Mindy Kalinowski Earley, explains how and why family education is an essential component that supports family cohesion and the transfer of wealth and legacy through generations. During this session she walks viewers through the newly released FOX Family Learning Handbook, filled with a roadmap of tools that will assist...