Large financial institutions are often known for their global reputation, robust resources, and established trust. But when managing significant wealth, it’s critical to look beyond the name and ask these questions to truly understand who is helping manage your wealth.

1. How do you ensure that your unique interests are prioritized?
2. Are the relationships with your advisors meaningful and built to last?
3. Is the institution’s commitment to your success consistent and aligned with your long-term goals?

These are questions worth considering regardless of the size of the wealth manager. However, they are easier to answer when you work directly with individuals who understand your personal journey and are invested in your future. This is where smaller Private Wealth Managers (PWMs) and Multi-Family Offices (MFOs) offer distinct advantages.

Alignment of Interests and Incentives

Large financial institutions often have proprietary investment funds they are incentivized to promote. This can complicate decisions about what’s best for the client. We do not offer any in-house investment products, nor do we have investment quotas. Our sole focus is on providing strategic guidance that aligns with the client’s personal objectives.

Another way we align our services with our clients is by operating on a fixed-fee model rather than hourly rates. This approach encourages a regular and ongoing dialogue with our clients and allows flexibility to modify strategies as needed. This model reduces any stress or concern about billable hours and helps us to focus on the client’s long-term success.

We measure success not by assets under management but by the impact we help our clients create.

Discretion and Privacy

Discretion and privacy are often underappreciated in wealth management but can be critical when it comes to inheritance and legacy planning. Large institutions often do not prioritize privacy in a way that smaller firms do.

At Bespoke, we emphasize discretion throughout the wealth management and inheritance transfer process. From safeguarding your assets from potential creditors to structuring your inheritance to avoid public judicial proceedings, our strategies are designed with privacy in mind. We believe in taking ownership of this process and being proactive to ensure that you retain as much control as possible over how your wealth is distributed.

Self-sovereignty is planning for and exercising your ability to maintain control of the process and keep your financial affairs outside of the public court system. Working with a small, trusted team of advisors like ours allows for more careful planning, ensuring that your personal affairs remain private, both during your lifetime and after.

A Personal Approach and Building Long-Term Relationships

It can be easy for large institutions to fixate on investment returns and lose sight of what matters most—your legacy, values, and protecting your family’s future. Achieving this depth of understanding can be challenging with larger institutions, where the relationship may feel impersonal and transactional.

Wealth management should be considered in the context of how you can live the best version of your life by leveraging your wealth and creating a framework for your family and future generations to do the same. Clients must think deeply about what their wealth means to them. At Bespoke we ask our clients ‘what kind of life do you want your children to have? How can you ensure that your values are passed on and respected?’ Legacy planning is about properly preparing the transfer of ownership to future generations in a thoughtful and organized way. For a thoughtful conversation on these topics, please listen to our Co-founder Matt McClintock’s conversation with Jacob Shapiro (Head of Geopolitical & Macro Research, Senior Client Relationship Manager, Bespoke) on The Jacob Shapiro Podcast – Matt McClintock: The Good Life and Personal Sovereignty: Introducing Bespoke.

Smaller MFOs focus on building long-term relationships with a foundation of trust and respect. By deeply understanding the client’s family dynamics, personal goals and financial aspirations, we create tailored strategies that reflect not just financial goals but generational legacies. This is difficult to replicate at larger institutions, where the volume of clients and conflicting priorities can dilute personal attention.

Comprehensive and Holistic Planning

There are many variables at play and implications to consider in estate planning, with smaller PWMs and MFOs uniquely positioned to offer guidance and planning that is more thoughtful and holistic. Larger institutions may offer similar services, but smaller firms with highly experienced and knowledgeable advisors excel in designing comprehensive, cohesive and one-of-a-kind wealth strategies.

At Bespoke, we offer a fully integrated service that includes investment management, tax mitigation, estate planning, philanthropic strategies, and specialized asset protection. Our clients often seek privacy, the protection of wealth from predators, family-controlled governance structures, and customized solutions to manage complex or concentrated assets.

We also work closely with clients to strategically deploy financial capital to their communities in ways that align with their values. In The Last Trade: The Bitcoin Heritage Blueprint with Matt McClintock (1:25:05), Matt describes multiple examples of UHNWIs who have made commitments to improve communities that are deeply important to their lives.

Customized Investment Solutions

Smaller PWMs and MFOs often provide more flexible and tailored investment strategies than large institutions, which can be limited by standardized offerings. At Bespoke we can design strategies that reflect our client’s unique risk profile, family dynamics, and long-term goals. We aren’t bound by institutional mandates or investment quotas, allowing us to focus entirely on what makes sense for each client.

This includes managing risk across multiple jurisdictions, creating investment opportunities in emerging markets or alternative asset classes, and leveraging opportunities that large institutions may overlook due to their scale. We maintain a broad view of markets, new technologies, and global opportunities, balancing these with a long-term perspective on risk management. Our expertise in legal and tax strategies enables us to navigate even the most complex situations.

For example, we work with a number of early bitcoiners who understand the trajectory of this new asset class. Working with and prioritizing an allocation to bitcoin while it’s experiencing its monetization phase is incredibly important when considering asset allocation. We’re able to step back and understand the opportunity cost of premature portfolio rebalancing in this environment.

Flexibility and Iteration

Wealth management is a dynamic process. Everything in life is subject to change, often in ways we can’t control. Markets shift, regulations change, and family circumstances evolve. We believe wealth planning is an iterative process that requires ongoing dialogue. Our strategies are designed to be flexible, allowing us to make adjustments as family requirements change.

This level of adaptability is often harder to achieve with larger institutions, where processes are more rigid and transactional. Smaller PWMs and MFOs excel in maintaining this level of flexibility, allowing them to better serve clients in an ever-changing environment.

The most important thing to consider with estate planning is that every individual and family has unique needs and deserves a thoughtful well-designed wealth management strategy. Smaller PMWs and MFOs have proven time and again that they can provide an equal level of services that are often more personalized and customizable.

If you’re interested in learning more about Bespoke’s approach to private wealth management and how we can help you build a secure financial future, we invite you to reach out to us directly. We’d be happy to set up a confidential consultation at your convenience.

Thank you for considering Bespoke as your partner in wealth management. We look forward to the opportunity to work with you.

The following information is intended for general educational purposes only and should not be construed as legal or investment advice.