“Family Office provides a disciplined approach in today’s complex and volatile financial markets which is critical in successfully protecting and growing of wealth.”
Family Office proposition goes much beyond managing wealth. It provides solution for building, preserving and transferring family wealth and legacy.
A family office acts as a Personal CFO or Chief Advisor to wealthy families, with a dedicated team of professionals who oversee and manage the complete financial affairs of client families.
Key highlights of the Family Office are:
- Your ‘Personal CFO’ with 360 º visibility
- Work with all your existing service providers from ‘your side of the table’
- Prudent investment philosophy with access to best in class solutions across the market
- Fiduciary responsibility & long term continuity
- Independent advice aligned to your interests with benefits of larger institution when required
- Complete transparency
- Institutional ownership of relationship with sufficient checks and balances
What are ‘Family Offices’
Family offices are private wealth management advisory firms that serve ultra-high net worth investors. Family offices are different from traditional wealth management shops in that they offer a total outsourced solution to managing the financial and investment side of an affluent individual or family. For example, many family offices offer budgeting, insurance, charitable giving, family-owned businesses, wealth transfer and also tax services.
History of Family Office
According to the New York Times the Rockefellers first pioneered family offices in the late 19th century. Family offices started gaining popularity in the 1980s, and since 2005, as the ranks of the super-rich grew to record proportions family offices swelled proportionately.
There are two types of family offices, single family offices and multi-family offices sometimes referred to as MFOs. Single family offices serve one ultra affluent family. Multi-family offices are more closely related to traditional private wealth management practices, seeking to build their business upon serving many clients. In addition, the family office also handle non-financial issues such as schooling, travel arrangements and miscellaneous other household arrangements.
The benefits of a family office include:
- An integrated plan for your family’s complete financial affairs, including investments, wealth transfer strategies, proactive tax planning and also optimal ownership structures.
- A comprehensive approach to risk management, so you know your family and also wealth are protected.
- A well thought-out investment policy and process that includes selection and oversight of money managers, effective diversification and consolidated performance reporting.
- Time saving and complexity management, by having a family office act as the quarterback to coordinate and oversee all the components of your integrated financial affairs.
- The cost saving benefits of pooled purchasing power.
- Coordination of your professional advisors – including lawyers, accountants, investment and insurance advisors – to ensure that your family’s objectives are met and nothing falls through the cracks.
- A strategic approach to family philanthropy.
- The confidence that, if something happens to your main family decision maker, there will be someone in place who knows your family and your wealth to help you manage through the transitions and into future generations.
- The proactive, personalized and highly responsive service of an independently-owned, boutique firm.
What’s the difference between a family office, my private bank, a wealth advisor, and an asset manager?
The difference is independence. Family offices ideally are not affiliated with any bank, financial institution or asset manager. The advice they provide is strictly objective and also without the conflict of a sales mandate or a financial interest in selling particular financial products or services. Wealth manager comes in many legal forms – private bank, trust company, brokerage firm, family office, multi-family office, financial planner, etc.