Insights matter.

How to Establish Trust and Collaboration in a Complex Family System Key Findings Why Is Transparency So Hard? Ultra-high net worth (UHNW) families are defined as families with more than $30 million in net assets. This means that they have generated enough wealth to have a significant impact on the long-term well-being of their children and grandchildren. Choosing how and when to share financial wealth with their kids can affect the careers their children choose, where they live, who they

Managing wealth as a high-net-worth family involves more than just growing financial assets — it’s about preserving a legacy, planning for stability for future generations and simplifying the complexities that come with affluence. Family offices have become an essential resource for wealthy families, offering tailored solutions that go beyond traditional wealth management. But how do family offices work and why are they so beneficial for affluent families? In this blog, we’ll explore the inner workings of family offices, the wide

At Matter Family Office, we understand that managing wealth goes far beyond numbers—it’s about aligning your financial resources with your values, goals and legacy. For high-net-worth individuals and families, a family office provides a dedicated team to address the unique complexities of significant wealth. High-net-worth family offices manage everything from investment strategies to family governance, enabling families to focus on what matters most: living their values and creating lasting impact. Types of High-Net-Worth Family Offices High-net-worth family offices are not

The internet has been abuzz due to a stellar performance by Jerry Jones, long-time owner of the Dallas Cowboys, in the hit series Landman. Apparently, this Emmy-worthy monologue took only one try. In the scene, Jerry Jones is talking to his friend Monty, played by Jon Hamm, who has just suffered a heart attack. Monty is a hard-driving oilman who spends little time with his family and enough time managing his business to warrant a fifth heart attack. Jerry’s job

Legacy and Learning Matter has recently made a decision that has significant meaning even if the result seems like an insignificant change. We take a comprehensive, integrated approach to managing wealth and have framed this as follows: Investment Management, Wealth Planning & Coordination, and Culture & Legacy. Truth be told, as we have learned more about what makes families successful and thrive, the word legacy does not capture the entirety of this critical aspect. The Oxford Dictionary defines legacy as

At Matter, we believe successful families truly thrive when they develop their human capital along with their financial capital. We are committed to helping them do both by continuing to expand and evolve our innovative, industry-leading family culture and learning services.  On October 1st, Matter added a chief learning officer (CLO) to our leadership team and began a search for a family learning consultant. These new team members will lead our culture and learning work and develop new services, programs,

We are on the cusp of an unprecedented shift in the US financial landscape.   By the numbers: From 2010 to 2015, private wealth held by women grew from $34 trillion to $51 trillion. By 2021, women are expected to hold $72 trillion.   Source:  <Economist Intelligence Unit (2018) study>  Some of this change is due to the fact that women are earning more than we ever have. We’re running companies, launching startups, and helping to drive innovation and evolution across the global marketplace.

If we’ve learned anything over the past several months, it’s to expect the unexpected. The global pandemic has challenged us all to learn new ways of communicating and collaborating effectively, and it has highlighted the need for businesses, organizations, and individuals to lean into their creativity, flexibility, and resilience in the face of change.   The same is true for families. At Matter, we help build “learning families” because we believe they exhibit the behaviors and characteristics that help them remain successful in

Family meetings are invaluable to multigenerational success. They help families build trust and communication, provide a structure for information-sharing and decision-making, and create a format for introducing the rising generation to the opportunities and complexities of wealth. At Matter, we take an integrated, holistic approach to helping families thrive for generations, and facilitating family meetings is a critical part of that work. Over the years, we’ve learned a lot about how to help families prepare for meetings, set expectations, and

With the holidays approaching, many families are preparing to gather together. These are precious opportunities for family members to connect, especially for those who are geographically scattered. They are an especially important time for different generations of the family to listen to and learn from each other. While we have all experienced the telling and retelling of certain classic family tales (occasionally accompanied by much eye rolling), establishing a tradition of storytelling is actually an extremely powerful tool for families

In a 2018 article, the Wall Street Journal highlighted an apparently common practice in American families: parents doing their kids’ taxes. Why is this notable? Well, in many cases, the children are adults in their 20s, 30s, 40s, and even 50s. So, why are parents doing their adult children’s taxes? Is it a good thing or a bad thing? In our work with families, we have seen many situations like this. In our experience it’s not necessarily good OR bad.

Sometimes the hardest advice to give is to those closest to us. While we don’t pretend to have the secret recipe for success, we have found that objectivity, independence and clarity are essential. Here’s a bit more detail as to how we think about helping aging parents. 1. Use an independent, neutral advisor to facilitate the planning. This person can gather information, identify gaps, detect patterns, and provide thoughtful solutions. It is important that the advisor meets with parents and