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I have spent most of my professional life in finance, first in London, later in Zurich, working in banking and wealth management. I have seen how money shapes lives, choices, and freedom. I also learned that true wealth is much more than numbers on a screen. It is confidence, patience, gratitude, and balance. Values that are not taught nearly enough.

What does a 19th century novel about passion and revenge on the Yorkshire moors have to do with your investment accounts, your retirement planning, and your children's financial future? Discover how this haunting classic reveals the hidden dangers of generational wealth without governance, structure, or values to guide it. In this article, I will show you how Wuthering Heights reveals what happens when wealth transfers without preparation, why governance matters more than p

I spent 15 years in finance in London and wealth management in Zurich where I advised high-net-worth families. The children who succeeded financially learned completely different lessons than what most families teach. Most families follow the same script: get good education, get good job, save money, retire. Wealthy families teach something else entirely: money is not something you earn. It is something you build, multiply, and use intentionally to create freedom. This is no

Children are not asking for a bank statement when they ask if you are rich. They are trying to understand their place in the world. They are noticing differences between families and trying to make sense of what those differences mean. The question usually comes from one of three places. Sometimes they are comparing themselves to friends. Sometimes they are worried because they overheard you stress about money. Sometimes they genuinely want to understand how your family work

I will never forget the morning I watched my colleague walk off the equity trading floor for the last time. We had started together as junior traders at a private bank in Zurich both handling global equity portfolios for ultra-high-net-worth clients. We worked the same brutal hours, studied the same markets, reported to the same demanding bosses. His father's company was a client of the bank. Successful across multiple countries with operations in several markets.

If you only change one financial habit in 2026, make it this: Start holding a short, monthly family money meeting. Not a detailed budgeting exercise. Not a reaction to overspending. Not a place to renegotiate decisions every few weeks. Just a consistent, calm check-in that keeps your family aligned with the financial plan you have already agreed. After years working in private banking and wealth management, advising families with very different levels of wealth but remarka

Each year, the UBS Billionaire Ambitions Report provides a rare, data-driven window into how the world’s wealthiest families build, preserve, and transfer wealth. The 2025 edition is particularly instructive, not because the numbers are larger than before, but because the report captures a moment of transition. Wealth is no longer described simply as a personal achievement or financial outcome. Instead, it is increasingly framed as a long-term family system, shaped by decisio

Most families work incredibly hard, yet many still feel as though they are only managing the present rather than shaping the future. It is common to believe that financial security is simply a matter of earning more, but after more than fifteen years in wealth management, I learned something different. Income alone does not create lasting wealth. What truly matters is how a family plans, saves, invests and makes decisions over time. This family wealth guide will show you the

November 2025 delivered a turbulent month for financial markets, with stocks recovering from mid-month losses to finish modestly higher while Bitcoin posted its second-worst monthly performance of the year. The S&P 500 and Dow closed modestly above flat for the month, while the Nasdaq shed 1.5% to snap a seven-month advance. Silver emerged as November's star performer, hitting record highs above $56 per ounce with gains approaching 13% for the month.

Bringing Investment Portfolio Diagnostics Home: A Comprehensive Financial Review for Families In wealth management, portfolio health checks aren't optional. We would systematically review our clients' investments: asset allocation, concentration risk, issuer exposure, fees, performance attribution, liquidity constraints. These weren't just glances, they were rigorous diagnostics designed to identify vulnerabilities before they became problems. The irony? Many of the professio

I spent 15 years managing money for some of the wealthiest families in the world. On the equity trading floor in Zurich and in financial services in London, I watched high net worth clients build and preserve generational wealth. I saw their strategies, their mistakes, their successes, and most importantly, what they taught their children. Then I had my own daughter Ebba and I realized something that changed everything. The principles that protect and grow wealth for the ri

What does Dracula have to do with your wallet? Discover how this classic teaches families the power of awareness, discipline, and lasting financial confidence.

UBS’s Global Family Office Report 2025 captures insights from 317 family offices managing an average of USD 1.1 billion each. It reveals that wealthy families are holding steady amid global volatility, shifting more toward developed market equities, private debt, and healthcare or AI-driven investments. The biggest concern for 2025 is a potential global trade war, yet most family offices maintain a long-term, “all-weather” approach.

Most parents wait until their children are teenagers to start teaching them about money. By then, it is often too late. After 15 years in private banking, advising high-net-worth families managing portfolios worth hundreds of millions, I have observed a pattern that most people never see: the families who successfully transfer wealth across generations start financial education at age three, not age thirteen. Most habits, including money habits form between ages three and s

When my daughter was born, I realized something uncomfortable. I could explain complex trading strategies to investors, but I had no idea how to explain where money comes from to a four year old. Most parents feel this way. You know money matters. You want your children to be financially confident. But where do you even start? This made me think and write a guide on this topic from a different angle. You will see that the first two conversations are foundational and famil

I once worked with a client who had everything. Ultra-high net worth. Decades of business success. Access to every financial resource imaginable. Our bank rolled out the red carpet for him: dedicated analysts, specialists in every asset class, detailed research reports, personal portfolio reviews. He lost millions anyway. Not because he lacked intelligence. Not because he lacked education. Not because he lacked resources. He lost money because he lacked something far more v

October 2025 delivered a tale of two markets: U.S. equities powered to multiple record highs while Bitcoin suffered its worst October in a decade. The month saw the Federal Reserve cut rates again amid mounting concerns about labor market weakness, even as inflation remained stubbornly elevated at 3%. Gold continued its historic run with gains exceeding 3%, while a U.S.-China summit late in the month eased trade tensions and stabilized volatile markets.

September 2025 defied historical trends as markets delivered solid gains despite the month's traditionally bearish reputation. The S&P 500 climbed 3.53% while Bitcoin posted its best September performance in 13 years, signaling a shift in seasonal patterns as investors prepared for what's typically a strong fourth quarter.

A former private banker reveals why wealthy families teach children multiple languages early and how language skills create financial advantages beyond salary. My daughter is learning five languages before she turns five years old. Swedish. English. German. Hungarian. Russian. People think this is unusual. They ask if she will get confused. They wonder why we do not just focus on English and maybe one other language.