A framework for integrated family wealth management developed by The UHNW Institute. It uses a table as a metaphor to show how the Institute’s frameworks fit together to deliver integrated services to UHNW families. The client family is the tabletop: its resources, needs, goals, risks, and the catalysts that will shape its future. Four legs hold it up: the Firm, the Advisor, the Services, and the Process.
The Table Stakes framework was first introduced in a white paper published by The UHNW Institute in 2025. It was revised in 2026 as Table Stakes 2.0, which moves the Client to the top of the table. In the original metaphor, the legs held the surface steady. In Table Stakes 2.0, the surface is the Client: a deep, nuanced understanding of the family. That is what the whole structure exists to support. The four legs of Firm, Advisor, Services, and Process remain, but they are now understood as the delivery infrastructure that serves a clearly articulated picture of the client.
The Client tabletop is the central component, the surface on which everything else rests. It includes:
– The Ten Domains of Family Wealth™: the map of client needs
– Catalysts: the life events that trigger complexity
– Family Needs Assessment: in development, it will help families identify both their presenting needs and their underlying issues
The Four Legs are the delivery infrastructure:
Firm: the institutional foundation, structure, and culture that make consistent, high-quality family wealth service possible. These are captured in The Seven Essentials of Practice Management: Culture, Values & Strategy; Service Model & Client Experience; Growth; Business Operations & Finance; Compliance & Risk; Technology & Data; and Human Capital & Leadership.
Advisor: the individual or team who brings expertise, trust, and depth of relationship to client interactions. This may be the expert generalist who leads the integration process or an expert specialist who plays a key role in the family’s ecosystem. It is characterized by the Four Markers of an Integrated Advisor: Mastery, Mindset, Method, and Maturity.
Services: the suite of tailored solutions offered to address complex, multigenerational family needs. These are organized into the Five Service Lines: Wealth Planning, Investments, Governance, Family Well-being, and Wealth Administration.
Process: the systematic way work is delivered, coordinated, and measured for quality and outcomes. It is structured through The AIM Framework™ in three phases: Assessment & Goal Setting, Strategic Design & Implementation, and Monitoring & Administration.
See Also: The Ten Domains of Family Wealth; Assessment, Implementation, & Monitoring Framework (AIM Framework); Integrated Family Wealth Management
See References
McCullough, Tom, “Table Stakes 2.0,” moderated by Russ Haworth, The UHNW Institute podcast September 23, 2026. Table Stakes 2.0 – The UHNW Institute
McCullough, Tom, “Table Stakes 2.0,” moderated by Russ Haworth, The UHNW Institute podcast September 23, 2026. Table Stakes 2.0 – The UHNW Institute