Managing Ultra-Wealthy Clients' Financial Needs, Even the Unusual Ones
Yes. If, say, a housekeeper isn’t meeting expectations, we advise the client to record instances of poor performance, then have a conversation with the employee to make them aware of their shortcomings and give them an opportunity to improve.
If the family decides to separate the individual, we can convey the news. Then we’ll prepare the separation agreement and negotiate the terms on the family’s behalf.
We also serve in the role of hiring household employees.
Another client service you provide is to pursue European Union citizenship via Golden Visa pathways. Please explain.
We have clients who would like to retire and live long-term in Europe. To do that, they need to become EU citizens [dual citizenship]. Many countries offer a Golden Visa, and each has different requirements.
It’s an immensely long process, very costly and time-consuming. Pathways that we’ve been working with are in Austria, Portugal and Malta.
We help analyze the options and liaise with international law firms.
How about clients who need or desire private aviation?
We have families who own their own planes or have fractional shares in private planes. For those contemplating ownership, we [analyze] the cost and benefits.
For people who don’t want to be owners but want to fly private, we coordinate with aviation companies to facilitate specific trips.
Many clients routinely travel to California, London, Paris or Milan and need on-demand private charter service.
To secure the appropriate plane, we look at different types of aircraft, as well as the number of people travelling, client preferences with regard to meal service, sleeping quarters, whether they’d like an onboard attendant.
What about services for yacht owners?
One family wanted to move their yacht from the New York area to Florida [for the winter], and we helped coordinate that.
Another wanted to change the state in which their yacht was moored — stored — off-season to gain a better cost.
What other luxury assets do you help with?
Some clients have immense art collections and call us to make arrangements when a museum is interested in displaying a piece for a specific exhibition.
We’ll liaise with them, making sure the appropriate insurance is in place and indicating the duration that the loaned piece will be off-site.
Suppose a client wants to borrow precious jewelry to wear to a big event?
If they choose and borrow a piece from a high-end jeweler, like De Beers or Tiffany, they need to get insurance for the period it’s in [their possession]. We coordinate all the paperwork for returning the pieces as well.
What’s a personal financial service that you provide quite often?
Many times clients lose their wallet on their way to or from a vacation. We deploy the resources to address canceling credit cards, getting replacement copies of driver’s licenses, contacting the credit agencies and making sure there’s no fraud.
Should a client be subjected to tech fraud, how do you help?
If their banks have been compromised, we’ll support them in their investigation and help change the client’s accounts to a new bank or shut down accounts.
“Security is only as strong as the weakest link…Today’s UHNW individuals remain uniquely susceptible to fraud…” [Manahi has written].
