For many, the term “wealth portfolio” is synonymous with a pile of (uninteresting) documents about stocks, money market funds and other financial instruments that someone else monitors for you. However, trends are increasingly shifting toward principals taking a central role in the management of their estates, both so they can grow their wealth and more effectively educate their heirs on how to preserve it moving forward. Here are some reasons why having a mix of tangible and intangible assets is the key to preserving your wealth and your sanity at the same time. It empowers you.  As mentioned, having a mix of assets allows principals without financial expertise to gain greater knowledge and agency around estate management decisions.  Physical assets are, by their nature, much easier for the layperson to understand and care for. So if you can’t read…

The challenge of any wealth advisor is to build a healthy portfolio tailored to each client’s unique needs and goals. Many focus their efforts on the need for financial assets such as equities for their low risk and easily liquidity.  It’s no surprise then that many people, even those of high net worth, are often unaware of the true value of their physical assets and what’s needed to maintain them. As a result, they may be missing out on opportunities, literally right under their noses, to preserve and grow their wealth. Of course, every investor needs a balance of financial and physical assets. Some physical assets – real estate, for example – are not always helpful if you need to raise cash quickly. You may find yourself trying to sell a home in a buyer’s market and have to…

There is no denying that we are moving toward more personal accountability and empowerment with regard to wealth management. While one can point to these uncertain times as a reason for the shift, the truth is that the current situation is merely shining a light on a centuries-old problem, that being the relatively short life of even the largest family fortunes.  As the ancient Chinese saying goes, Fu bu guo san dai – literally, “Wealth does not pass three generations.”  The solution for this may very well lie in the utilization of digital tools that facilitate not only the management of wealth, but the education of our children about how to maintain it.    No matter who created your family’s wealth, it was likely done, not only through a lot of hard work but by taking complete responsibility for…