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The Power of Effective Transparency

The Power of Effective Transparency

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
Investing

Hindsight Is 20/20 - What Last Decade Can Tell Us About the Next

As we kick off a brand new decade—and our 30th year of working with Matter families—we’re taking some time to reflect. Our investment committee has been reviewing the past 10 years to gain perspective on where we’ve come from, where we are now, and where we might be heading, economically and financially.   But, before we get too deep into the data, here’s some interesting context: in 2010, Apple unveiled the first iPad and the iPhone 4. We are now on the 7th generation of
Firm Updates

Matter Celebrates Eleven Promotions

What does it take to help Matter families thrive for generations? A talented team figures prominently in the equation. When we think about hiring, this means we have a lengthy interview process to help us bring in the right people to work with our families. But even more importantly, we are committed to helping each new person we bring in grow their career within the firm. This year, we are proud to promote an unprecedented 11 team members, and we are thrilled
Wealth Planning

It’s Not April. Why Are We Thinking About Taxes?

When people think of taxes, they often cringe at the crunch leading up to April 15th. But for families with complex financial worlds, tax planning isn’t limited to the first quarter. It’s a year-round affair that requires families, wealth advisors, and CPAs to live in two worlds—prior year and current—and as summer draws to a close, the heat turns up on taxes. At Matter, we think of tax planning as an integral part of managing wealth opportunities and complexities. We
Investing

Is Abnormal the New Normal or Will Market Cycles Prevail?

Matter families are familiar with our belief in the wisdom of long-term, strategic investments.  Amidst the noise, we repeat our mantra over and over: think and act strategically, focus on the long-run, and don’t let the irrationality of the markets sway your systematic and rational approach.  While we won’t fault those who might occasionally tire of this message or wonder if there is another way, we believe it’s the tried and true way to help families manage their financial capital.
Family Culture & Learning

Five Tips for Great Family Meetings

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
In the News

Matter Family Office Named on Advisory HQ "Top 10 Best Financial Advisors in St. Louis" Ranking

We are proud to announce that we have been named as one of the Top 10 Financial Advisors in the St. Louis Area by Advisory HQ in 2019. Please visit the Advisory HQ site to learn more about how top advisors are selected: http://www.advisoryhq.com/articles/best-rated-financial-advisors-in-st-louis-mo/ AdvisoryHQ developed a breakthrough “Top-Down Advisor Selection Methodology” that is based on a wide range of filters including fiduciary duty, independence, transparency, level of customized service, history of innovation, fee structure, quality of services provided, team excellence, and wealth of experience. Matter
In the News

Matter Family Office Receives Second “Family Wealth Report” Distinction

For the second year in a row, Matter Family Office was honored to win the “Multi-family Office ($2.5 billion to $5 billion AuM/AuA)” award at the Family Wealth Report Awards 2019 in New York City on March 20th. We are honored to have the opportunity to lead successful families down an intentional path that prioritizes people and helps them navigate the opportunities and complexities of wealth, and we look forward to continuing to redefine what it means to manage wealth.
Investing

Market Updates at 2018 Year-End

What a difference a year makes. At the end of 2017, we were in the midst of a period of unprecedented low volatility coupled with the S&P 500 Index returning almost 21% over the prior year. The Fed Funds rate was at 1.5% while the 10-year Treasury hovered just below 2.5%. Stock valuations were elevated as the markets were still processing the impact of the tax reform passed in the fourth quarter. Fast forward twelve months: volatility has returned and the
Family Culture & Learning

Story Sharing Can Strengthen Family Culture in a Lighthearted Way

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 the News

Matter's Kathy Lintz Recognized as Standout Multifamily Office Executive

We are proud to share that Matter is bringing home the Boutique Multifamily Office Executive award from The Family Wealth Alliance Anniversary Awards Gala held on October 17th in Chicago. This award recognizes our Founder, Partner, and Managing Member, Kathy Lintz, as an individual with a distinguished track record of innovation, thought leadership, and management accomplishment. Matter’s talented team and unique service model would not be what it is today without the foundation that Kathy created over decades, and we
Investing

The Many Faces of Risk: Exploring Late-Cycle and Idiosyncratic Factors

A key component of our investment process remains understanding some of the prevailing themes in the markets and what they might mean for relative asset class performances for the following three to five years. One of the themes that we have seen evolve over the last eighteen months is the transition from a synchronized global growth pattern to a more mature stage of the growth cycle, during which we tend to see a divergence in growth trends. Whether we look at the
Investing

Is It More Bark Than Bite? The Rising Tensions in Global Trade

The term “trade war” rarely elicits any favorable feelings from investors. When we consider that trade is the vascular system of the global economy, it is safe to presume that the actions and growing rhetoric around tariffs and trade negotiations are at the very least concerning. Economic theory would argue that any impediments to trade negatively impact many players while benefiting few, a fact that should not be lost on policy makers. To delve further into this issue, our colleagues with Asset