The Wealthesaurustm

A Glossary of Family Wealth Advising Terms

The Wealthesaurus provides standardized definitions of common and specialized family wealth advising industry terms. By sharing this glossary, we hope to improve communication across the UHNW community.

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Client-facing staff

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Those wealth advisors and their support staff who interact directly with clients rather than provide back-office or other functions that do not involve direct client contact.

Whether an advisor or staff member is client-facing is important for the quality of the client experience and the delivery of services. Those who interact directly with clients must have the communication and relationship skills to do so, beyond their expertise in a particular area of wealth management. In contrast, individuals who are not client-facing may include operational, expert resource, or management staff who help support the firm and their client-facing advisors.

Woodson, William I. and Edward V. Marshall. “Leadership and Staffing.” in The Family Office: A Comprehensive Guide for Advisers, Practitioners, and Students. Columbia Business School: 2021. https://uhnwinstitutelibrary.org/document/the-family-office-a-comprehensive-guide-for-advisers-practitioners-and-students/

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Citing the Wealthesaurus

If you wish to cite the Wealthesaurus in Institute or external resources, use the following format:
The UHNW Institute. “Wealthesaurus: a Glossary of Family Wealth Advising Terms,” 2024. https://wealthesaurus.org/

For more information on general topics related to finance, law, or investments, see also:

Charles Schwab Investing Glossary

Cornell Law Legal Information Institute

Investopedia

IRS Data Book Glossary of Terms

IRS Glossary of Trust Terms

U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission Glossary

Mission:
  • Provide an intellectual framework, understanding and organization of family wealth management content
  • Educate advisors and family offices on how best to support evolving UHNW families
  • Provide thought leadership, insights and resources to advisors and family offices
  • Promote best practices, provide professional development and support sustainable, positive change within our industry
  • Foster an equitable, collaborative and safe learning environment within the wealth management industry