Financial Planning: When everybody's a 'family office,' what's the term really mean?
NEPC’s Karen Harding, leader of our Private Wealth team, was recently quoted in Financial Planning exploring the evolving definition of “family office” in today’s wealth management landscape. Read the full article on Financial Planning’s website, or the excerpt below, to learn how industry leaders are navigating the shifting expectations and responsibilities of serving ultra-high-net-worth families.
A cliché in wealth management is “When you’ve seen one family office, you’ve seen one family office.”
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Karen Harding, private wealth team leader at the investment consulting firm NEPC, said one distinguishing trait of true family offices is that they have a fiduciary relationship to their clients. This means they exist solely to further the family’s interests and separates them from, say, private bankers, who may have an incentive from their employers to sell investors certain banking products.
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Another difference arises from origins, Harding said. Historically, single-family offices have been built from the ground up by rich families seeking not only wealth management but also help with the myriad complications that can come with the possession of lots of money.
By contrast, many of the multifamily offices and other wealth management firms now using the family office label started as pure-play wealth managers, Harding said. Only over time have they come to see opportunities in providing a greater array of services to rich families, sometimes by adding to their in-house offerings and sometimes by working with outside partners.
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For wealthy families, the real question is: Is this definition-stretching harmful? In most cases, Harding said, probably not.
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“[Clients are] not necessarily hung up on visiting XYZ private bank, XYZ family office, XYZ wealth management,” Harding said.
“They’re really focused on: What are the needs that I have, and can you meet them? I think as long as they are able to kind of look at what that service offering is and make sure it matches their needs, no harm, no foul, in my mind.”
Click here to continue reading the full Financial Planning article.
Crain Currency: Dos and Don’ts for Family Offices Getting into Direct Investments
NEPC’s Karen Harding was recently quoted in a Crain Currency article, where she shared insights on the importance of thorough due diligence and setting realistic expectations when family offices pursue direct investments. Visit Crain Currency to read the full article.
As more family offices shift toward direct investments in private companies, experts say success depends less on capital and more on preparation, discipline and knowing what not to do.
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“Is direct investing right for you?” said Karen Harding, partner and private wealth team leader at Boston-based advisory NEPC. “It might or might not be the best approach — it depends on their asset class and their interests and goals, as well as their staffing and skill set.”
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Relationships should be approached strategically, not casually. Harding and Lee both warned about what Lee calls “country club” investing — informal deals made through social ties, without diligence.
Click here to continue reading the full Crain Currency article.
