The most problematic challenge wealthy families face is not how to make more money, but how to ensure that it lasts. This requires focusing on something other than money. Successful families, whose wealth lasts for many generations, follow five key practices.
Market research reveals that nearly 70% of intergenerational wealth transfers fail by the third generation and almost 90% by the fourth. These are compelling statistics which have become top of mind concerns for many families as they plan their wealth transition to the next generation. For Australian families, there are three key challenges they face when transitioning wealth. A closer look shows what they are doing to beat the statistics and ultimately succeed, beginning with preserving family harmony and unity.
By fostering the idea of giving from a young age, children can learn the value and joy in helping, sharing, and giving to those who have less than them. Instilling the core ideals of philanthropy in your children's lives can also help them develop a sense of purpose and self. The key is to educate and give them something to emulate.
A global talent crisis is looming. Leaders who do grasp the situation’s gravity still struggle to make talent a priority. Inaction is not an appropriate response to the talent crunch. While the new economy means markets move so quickly they are difficult to predict, organizations can survive by developing a vision and employing models and scenarios to plan and prepare for ways the future may unfold.
Nothing says, “I'm not sure our marriage will last,” like asking your new fiancé for a prenuptial agreement. This situation can be made even more touchy if the parents of the bride or groom are the ones insisting on the agreement. However, if approached positively and created thoughtfully, a prenuptial agreement can have benefits for both partners and for the couple's relationship.
Disruptive forces are driving the future of work. By analyzing the leadership profiles of 150,000 leaders, this study underlines the five key qualities of effective, future-focused leadership—qualities which correlate with a country’s ability to innovate and which correlate with a company’s likelihood of being an acclaimed brand. It also reveals how well leaders in 18 key global markets are performing in each dimension, and where improvement is urgently needed.
The main threat to responsible investing (RI) is the very success of the idea itself. There are now so many investors looking for RI investments that the usual financial industry fraudsters and unethical salespeople have come out in force.
Whether caused by family member carelessness, employee error, or the acts of a skilled data thief, everyone has the potential to be the victim of an information breach at any time. Because family offices collect very personal information about very private people, the stakes are high when it comes to protecting their data. Family offices can better protect the families they serve by having a cyber-incident plan in place and following the six recommended steps to prepare for and respond to a system breach.
Most professionals understand that work emails can be “discovered” in litigation, meaning that adverse parties can obtain these communications if they are relevant to the dispute. Recently, courts have begun ordering parties to produce other types of communications during discovery, including personal emails and messages. It is important for family businesses and offices to take the proper precautions with their communications to avoid common discovery pitfalls.
The strategies available through liquid alternatives and hedge funds can deliver valuable portfolio construction benefits for certain types of investors, with suitability depending on investor-specific objectives, preferences, and constraints. Liquid alternatives are public and private vehicles that investors use to access a variety of alternative investment strategies. In comparing and contrasting them, major hedge fund categories were mapped to liquid alternative categories, noting important differences between their structures.