Synopses & Reviews
Praise for Advising Ultra-Affluent Clients and Family Offices"Michael Pompian's book Advising Ultra-Affluent Clients and Family Offices is noteworthy for its comprehensiveness. Michael combines 'the big picture' with detailed, prescriptive, and actionable strategies; advisers to wealthy families will receive a detailed understanding of how a quickly evolving landscape impacts their business and its implications for their clients."
—John Benevides, President, Family Office Exchange
"This book should be on the reading list of anyone who wants to be a full-fledged professional in our industry. Michael Pompian has wisely chosen to focus on practical descriptions and recommendations; in my view this is a great plus, as we need more educational resources in this field. Congratulations. The book is well worth reading."
—Jean L.P. Brunel, CFA, Managing Principal, Brunel Associates, LLC
"Ultra-affluent clients want information and advice integrated and in real time. So planning, investing, and measuring become a continuous process. This is very hard to do. Michael Pompian articulates a clear and insightful road map which outlines the process, components, and human factors needed to create a sustainable world-class wealth management program-both advisers and wealth owners would be wise to follow Michael's lead."
—Stephen Martiros, founder, Summitas (www.summitas.com) Managing Partner, CCC Alliance (www.cccalliance.com)
"As wealthy families become more globalized, their needs for wealth preservation and growth have become more complex and sophisticated in times of financial uncertainty. Michael Pompian has crafted an insightful and comprehensive guide for enhancing your own capabilities and awareness on how to advise the most demanding clients. A must-read for all financial advisers!"
—Dr. Kurt Moosmann, MBA TEP CFP; cofounder and Managing Partner of Dara Capital Ltd., Zurich, Switzerland
"Without incorporating the critical components of effective family governance and the awareness of generational and behavioral issues, families of wealth and their advisers are operating blind in their wealth management pursuits. Michael Pompian's book gives both advisers and family members essential insights for discovering the risk factors they must consider in today's environment and in finding the resources required to provide consummate solutions."
—Lisa Gray, graymatter Strategies LLC, author of The New Family Office and Generational Wealth Management
"Advising Ultra-Affluent Clients and Family Offices is a valuable 'handbook' that covers all the major areas of wealth management. While Mr. Pompian has written the book primarily for wealth advisers, Advising Ultra-Affluent Clients and Family Offices will provide invaluable insights to ultra-affluent individuals and families, particularly those who are thinking about setting up a family office or becoming clients of a multifamily office."
—Paul R. Perez, CFA, Managing Director, Family Advisory Services, Northern Trust
"I like the way Michael Pompian presents this material. It covers the waterfront with a clear, concise, and compelling treatment. This book will prove useful for family members and family office executives. I especially admire the multigenerational orientation."
—Bradley G. Fisher, CEO, Springcreek Advisors LLC (Multi-Family Office), Corte Madera, California
Synopsis
Advising Ultra-Affluent Clients and Family Officesbegins by defining what the author, Michael Pompian, believes to be the "ultra affluent": those who have $100 million or more. He then divides the book into three sections: 1. An introduction to who the ultra-affluent are; 2. A discussion of traditional asset class investment choices for the ultra-affluent; 3. A discussion of alternative asset class investment choices; 4. An overview of what types of advisors (investment consultants, private banks, brokers, and independent planners) are available; and 5. A collection of case studies related to advising the ultra-affluent. Throughout the book, Pompian details the importance of structuring a strong relationship between the ultra-affluent client and advisor, while also offering advice on unique issues facing this sector, such as taxes and multi-generational asset allocations.
Synopsis
A timely guide for financial professionals looking to tap into the lucrative world of the ultra-affluentThe ultra affluent–defined here as those having $50 million or more in liquid assets–are an elite class who expect their financial advisors to not only preserve and grow their assets, but also help them with "soft" issues such as philanthropy and family governance. One of the biggest factors to success in this field is the relationship between the client and the advisor. In Advising Ultra-Affluent Clients and Family Offices, author and practicing investment consultant Michael Pompian provides a practical introduction to who the ultra-affluent actually are and reveals what it takes to build and maintain a solid relationship with them. Filled with in-depth insights and expert advice, this unique resource offers valuable information on issues that every advisor to the ultra-affluent must be familiar with.
Synopsis
Despite the downturn in financial markets, there are still a large number of ultra-affluent individuals and families across the globe. And in light of recent events, these clients-defined here as those having $50 million or more in liquid assets-need help on a variety of fronts. That's why author Michael Pompian, an experienced investment consultant in the private wealth arena, has created this timely guide.
Advising today's ultra-affluent clients (UACs) and family offices requires solid investment knowledge and the skills to deal with "soft" issues such as family governance and philanthropy. Understanding this idea and integrating it into your professional endeavors will put you in a better position to serve your clients as well as excel in one of the most-dynamic segments of the financial services industry. Although targeted at financial practitioners, this book is also a valuable resource for families considering whether to establish or join a family office.
Divided into four comprehensive parts, this thoughtful resource opens with an informative introduction to advising UACs, including a detailed discussion of which clients are considered "ultra-affluent" and an in-depth look at their attitudes, aspirations, and investment behavior. Part II outlines various investment strategies for UACs, examining the best practices of top investment organizations and reviewing many of the alternative investments available to UACs. Part III takes the time to outline the key aspects of advising multigenerational families-including selecting an adviser, considerations for creating a family office, selecting an investment vehicle structure, and wealth transfer. Part IV rounds out this extensive exploration of advising the ultra-affluent by covering special topics in advising UACs, such as family governance, equity risk management, philanthropy, asset protection, and developing a multigenerational asset allocation strategy.
Working with the ultra-affluent has great upside potential, especially given the generational transition of wealth that is taking place globally. In order to take advantage of this opportunity, you need to gain a fundamental understanding of both the investment and noninvestment issues that affect ultra-affluent clients. Advising Ultra-Affluent Clients and Family Offices contains the practical insights and expert advice that will allow readers to successfully navigate this complex field and effectively serve some of today's most sophisticated investors.
About the Author
Michael M. Pompian, CFA, CFP, is the director of the Private Wealth Consulting Group for Hammond Associates-based in St. Louis, Missouri-which consults to over $55 billion. He works with some of the largest family offices in the United States. Prior to joining Hammond Associates, Pompian was a wealth management adviser with Merrill Lynch, a private banker with PNC Private Bank, and served on the investment staff of a family office. He earned an MBA from Tulane University and holds a BS in management from the University of New Hampshire. Pompian is a member of CFA Institute and the New York Society of Securities Analysts. He is also the author of
Behavioral Finance and Wealth Management (Wiley & Sons). Pompian is married with three sons and can be reached at
[email protected].
Table of Contents
Foreword xiii
Preface xv
Acknowledgments xvii
PART ONE Introduction to Advising Ultra-Affluent Clients and Family Offices 1
CHAPTER 1 Who Are the Ultra-Affluent? 3
Defining the Ultra-Affluent 5
Quantifying Ultra-Affluence Among Total Global Wealth 10
Looking to the Future 11
A World of Opportunities for Advisers 17
CHAPTER 2 Understanding the Mindset of the Ultra-Affluent Client 19
Why Advising the Ultra-Affluent is Different 20
What Ultra-Affluent Clients Value in an Adviser 23
Building Relationships by Asking Questions and Listening to the Answers 29
Matching Client with Adviser 32
Consultant Questionnaire 33
Conclusion 37
CHAPTER 3 Wealth Attitudes, Aspirations, and Investor Behavior of Ultra-Affluent Clients 39
Family Aspirations 40
Wealth Attitudes of Ultra-Affluent Clients 42
Where Psychology Meets Finance 47
Investor Biases 48
Conclusion 60
CHAPTER 4 Noninvestment Best Practices 61
The Challenges Associated with Wealth 61
Guidelines for Sustaining Multigenerational Wealth 63
Conclusion 71
PART TWO Investment Strategies for Ultra-Affluent Clients and Family Offices 73
CHAPTER 5 Practices of the Best Investment Organizations 75
Differences between Endowments and Private Investors 76
Investment Committees 77
Investment Policy Statements 82
Key Considerations for Portfolio Oversight 88
Conclusion 93
CHAPTER 6 Asset Allocation Considerations for Ultra-Affluent Clients and Family Offices 95
What Is Asset Allocation? 96
The Importance of Assumptions in the Asset Allocation Selection Process 97
The Importance of Asset Allocation 99
Considerations in Asset Allocation for Individual Investors 100
CHAPTER 7 Domestic and International Equity 111
Introduction to U.S. and International Equity Securities 112
The Five-Step Equity Strategy Process 115
CHAPTER 8 Domestic and International Bonds 135
Introduction to Bonds 137
Descriptions of Bond Asset Classes 141
CHAPTER 9 Private Equity 159
What Is Private Equity and How Does It Work? 162
Three Primary Types of Private Equity Investments 166
Creating a Customized Private Equity Program 172
CHAPTER 10 Hedge Funds 179
What Is a Hedge Fund? 180
Hedge Fund Investing by UACs and Family Offices 185
A History of Hedge Funds 187
The Legal Environment of Hedge Funds 189
Hedge Fund Strategies 191
Manager Selection 202
CHAPTER 11 Real Assets 203
The Portfolio Benefits of Real Assets 204
Real Estate: A Long-Term Inflation Hedge 205
Natural Resources 210
PART THREE Multigenerational Considerations for Ultra-Affluent Clients and Family Offices 223
CHAPTER 12 Selecting an Adviser 225
Trust: The Key Ingredient 226
How UACs Select an Adviser 228
Questions for Prospective Advisers 234
Conclusion 237
CHAPTER 13 Selecting a Custodian and Investment Vehicle Structure 239
Custodial Services 239
Investment Vehicle Structure 250
Conclusion 257
CHAPTER 14 Considerations for Creating a Family Office 259
What is a Family Office? 261
Challenges of Wealth 262
Practical Reasons to Create a Family Office 264
Challenges of Running a Family Office 265
Services Provided by a Family Office 267
Administrative Considerations for Establishing a Family Office 268
Considerations for Establishing a Private Trust Company 274
Conclusion 277
CHAPTER 15 Wealth Transfer Planning 279
Estate Planning Basics 282
Conclusion 295
PART FOUR Special Topics for Ultra-Affluent Clients and Family Offices 297
CHAPTER 16 Concentrated Equity Risk Management 299
What Constitutes a Concentrated Equity Position? 300
Concentrated Stock Risk Minimization Strategies 304
Conclusion 315
CHAPTER 17 Family Governance 317
Generational Division 318
Family Governance: An Essential Part of Successful Wealth Transfer 319
The Incredible Family 320
Policies 326
Stages of Development 327
Conclusion 328
CHAPTER 18 Risk Management and Asset Protection 331
Family Office Risk Management 332
Individual Family Member Risk Management 337
Legal Asset Protection 341
Conclusion 344
CHAPTER 19 Philanthropy 345
Philanthropic Strategy Development through Asking Questions 347
Mission Statement 348
Implementation of Philanthropic Strategy 349
Philanthropic Investing 352
Best Practices of Giving Large Gifts to Colleges and Universities 355
Appendix: The Next Generation: Redefining the Philanthropic Landscape 358
CHAPTER 20 Multigenerational Asset Allocation Strategies 367
Different Asset Allocations for Different Generations 369
Single Allocation for an Entire Family 370
Customized Asset Allocation by Generation or Family Unit 371
Asset Allocation Targeting 374
The Behavioral Finance Approach to Asset Allocation 374
Conclusion 375
Notes 377
Index 387