Wealth management can be viewed as a comprehensive service focused on taking a holistic view of a client’s financial situation, including services such as investment management, financial planning, tax planning, and estate planning.
Wealth management is generally considered a “premium” type of service, and some wealth management companies may require a certain level of investment assets or minimum net worth. For clients who need this level of service, it can be helpful to have all types of financial advice in one place with one company.
Main Wealth Management Objectives
Wealth management goals vary by investor. Each client’s needs and circumstances are different, and good wealth management advisors will tailor their advice accordingly.
Some key wealth management goals for clients include:
What is Wealth Management?
Wealth Management is a holistic service that aims to help wealthy to middle-income clients grow their wealth, manage their exposure to liability, and devise strategies to pass their wealth on to their designated heirs. Wealth management services take a holistic approach to the financial situation of wealthy clients, rather than working with an advisor focused solely on financial planning or investment management.
Some typical services offered by wealth management companies include:
- Investment management and advice
- Complete financial planning
- Tax planning and accounting services
- Estate planning
- Philanthropic planning
- Legal services
- retirement planning
Some of these services may, however, be offered in collaboration with an external partner. Legal services are a perfect example.
How much money is needed for wealth management?
There are no hard and fast rules regarding the amount required for an investor to obtain wealth management services. Any minimums in terms of investable assets, net worth or other parameters will be set by individual wealth managers and their companies.
That said, a minimum of $2-5 million in assets is the range in which it makes sense to consider the services of a wealth management firm. Way below that and it might be hard to justify spending on this type of service.
Again, these minimum levels will vary from company to company. They may also vary a bit depending on your situation. For example, a wealth manager may wish to take on the children of some of his current largest clients to ensure that the wealth he inherits stays with his business. They may also want to build strong relationships with young professionals such as doctors or lawyers to keep their business going once they start earning much higher incomes.
How to choose a wealth manager
When choosing a wealth manager to work with, you’ll want to consider several things.
First, does the wealth management firm work with clients like you? Some wealth managers may focus on clients of a certain type and if your situation does not fit that type of client, that particular wealth manager may not be right for you.
Second, you’ll want to look at the manager’s qualifications. Some criteria you might use to select a wealth manager include:
- What professional titles do they hold? Examples might include CFP (Certified Financial Planner), CPA (Certified Public Accountant), CFA (Chartered Financial Analyst).
- What is their level of experience in the field of wealth management?
- What services does the firm offer?
- How often do you plan to communicate with them?
- What kind of fees do they charge?
- Are they independent or are they part of a big company?
This chart summarizes the basic differences between wealth managers, portfolio managers, and financial advisors.
| A Wealth Manager provides comprehensive and holistic advice in a wide range of financial and related areas.
These include:
|
A portfolio manager focuses on managing investments and generally does not offer advice or services in areas other than investments.
This professional focuses on: |
Financial advisor is a term that can encompass a number of services. Financial advisors often provide advice on investments, financial planning, retirement planning, and other related areas.
This professional focuses on:
|
Wealth Management Strategies
Wealth management strategies will vary depending on the specific needs of the client. Overall, the reason for using a wealth management company is to seek strategies to help maintain and grow your total wealth. It can mean different things to different people.
In general, wealth management involves coordinating all the moving parts of a client’s financial situation into a comprehensive wealth plan. This may include the client’s tax situation, investments and retirement planning.
Here are some examples of wealth management strategies:
- Develop a comprehensive investment strategy covering all different types of client investment and retirement accounts.
- Coordinate an optimal tax planning strategy in their wealth planning.
- Ensure that the client’s estate plans reflect their wishes.
- Development of a succession plan for business owner clients.
Alternatives to Wealth Management
If the fees or asset minimums charged by most wealth management companies seem too high, you’re probably not suited for a wealth manager. For those whose circumstances may not be conducive to working with a wealth manager, there are other options for obtaining financial advice:
- Personal Capital is an online wealth management and advisory firm that offers a number of services with lower minimums and fees than a traditional wealth management firm.
- Vanguard Personal Advisor Services is a service offered by Vanguard that provides advice and planning to clients.
There are a number of other online financial advice services and apps that have popped up in recent years, offering a wide range of services from basic financial advice to some of the aspects of what would be considered money management. inheritance. Robo-advisors have grown in popularity in recent years and may offer a cheaper alternative if you are not yet financially in a place where it is possible to hire the services of a traditional wealth management firm.
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