High Net Worth & Ultra-High Net Worth Individuals & Family Offices
Sophisticated wealth planning strategies designed for those who have achieved significant financial success—and now face the complex challenge of preserving and growing that wealth across generations.
Client Profiles We Work With
Understanding the Landscape
High Net Worth (HNW)
Individuals or households with investable assets of $5 million to $30 million. At this level, standard retail financial products become insufficient, and strategies like tax-loss harvesting, alternative investments, and sophisticated estate planning become essential.
Ultra-High Net Worth (UHNW)
Individuals or households with investable assets exceeding $30 million. This level typically triggers the need for family office infrastructure, sophisticated tax strategies, multi-generational planning, and institutional-grade investment opportunities.
Strategies By Client Profile
Pre-Exit Planning
- Establish PPLI structures before liquidity event to shelter proceeds from taxation
- Asset protection from business liability while enterprise value is highest
- Estate freeze techniques to lock in current valuation for transfer purposes
- Charitable planning integration aligned with exit timeline and objectives
Post-Exit Transition
- Deploy concentrated proceeds into diversified tax-deferred insurance structures
- Transition from operating income to investment income tax management
- Family office infrastructure for ongoing multi-generational wealth stewardship
- Dynasty trust architecture to preserve business sale proceeds across generations
The Reality of Significant Wealth
Cumulative Tax Erosion
Income taxes (up to 37% federal), capital gains (up to 23.8% with NIIT), and state taxes can consume 50%+ of investment returns annually.
Concentration Risk
Having 70%+ of net worth in a single asset creates vulnerability that traditional diversification often triggers immediate taxation.
Estate Tax Exposure
Federal estate taxes at 40% apply to taxable estates above the exemption threshold, eroding generational wealth transfer efficiency.
Limited Tax-Advantaged Space
Qualified retirement plans cap contributions at amounts immaterial to HNW wealth building. 401(k) limits are insufficient for sheltering meaningful portions of substantial income.
Alternative Investment Complexity
Access to top-tier private equity, venture capital, and hedge funds comes with K-1 complexity, capital call unpredictability, and often unfavorable tax treatment.
Multi-Generational Planning
Without deliberate structure, family wealth typically dissipates within three generations due to taxation, division, and lack of governance.
What Effective Planning Achieves
Tax-Deferred Compounding
Returns grow without annual tax drag
Institutional Access
Entry to top-tier PE, VC, and alternatives
Asset Protection
Creditor protection and privacy
State Tax Planning
Flexibility to optimize state tax exposure
Generational Transfer
Structured multi-generational wealth transfer
Simplified Administration
Consolidated reporting, no K-1 complexity
Liquidity Flexibility
Access to capital without triggering taxable events
Control & Flexibility
Maintain strategic control with ability to adapt
Trust-Based Wealth Planning
Single and multi-family offices increasingly utilize irrevocable trust structures—including ILITs, SLATs, and dynasty trusts—to remove appreciating assets from the taxable estate while maintaining strategic flexibility for beneficiaries.
A properly structured approach can enable wealth to compound tax-efficiently for 100+ years, breaking the pattern of generational wealth dissipation that affects most families.
ILIT Structures
Death benefits outside taxable estate
Dynasty Trusts
Multi-generation wealth preservation
SLAT Planning
Estate benefits with spousal access
GST Provisions
Skip-generation transfer efficiency
Explore What's Possible for Your Situation
Every wealth situation is unique. A confidential conversation can help determine whether sophisticated planning strategies align with your objectives and circumstances.