In 2020, knowledge compiled by the Federal Reserve reveals the web value of U.S. households rose to $130.2 trillion. And, in accordance with a 2020 report by Cerulli Associates, 43 p.c of complete investable belongings owned by U.S. households is held by high-net-worth (HNW) traders. Clearly, the wealth market is increasing. The years forward ought to current substantial prospects to advisors keen on working with HNW traders (those that have a web value of $5 million or extra). Beneath, my colleague Steve Johnian and I have a look at current knowledge relating to HNW investor market share, in addition to sure funding and planning instruments that may very well be helpful for rich purchasers.
A Important Market Alternative
For impartial monetary advisors, there’s extra to this market alternative than the hovering accumulation of wealth throughout America. Traditionally, wirehouse and personal financial institution channels have maintained management over the advisory enterprise of the very rich, however that dominance appears to be diminishing. Lately, knowledge reveals that the market section of HNW traders seems to have been more and more put into play.
Because the chart beneath demonstrates, the HNW investor market share held by wirehouse and personal financial institution channels is estimated to have dropped from 56.8 p.c in 2016 to 52.5 p.c in 2021. Throughout the identical stretch, the channels steadily gaining market share included RIAs, direct suppliers, multifamily workplaces, and dealer/sellers. With the quantity of investable belongings at stake, even small share modifications imply large asset transitions are occurring.
| HNW Investor Market Share by Channel | ||||||
| Channel | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 |
| Wirehouses | 30.80% | 31.20% | 30.40% | 30.10% | 29.80% | 29.50% |
| Non-public banks | 26.00% | 25.30% | 25.30% | 24.50% | 23.70% | 23.00% |
| All RIAs | 11.70% | 11.50% | 11.70% | 12.10% | 12.50% | 12.90% |
| Direct suppliers | 10.50% | 10.50% | 10.90% | 11.40% | 11.90% | 12.50% |
| Multifamily workplaces | 7.80% | 7.80% | 8.00% | 8.20% | 8.40% | 8.50% |
| Dealer/sellers | 6.80% | 7.30% | 7.40% | 7.50% | 7.60% | 7.60% |
| Financial institution trusts | 6.70% | 6.50% | 6.30% | 6.20% | 6.10% | 6.00% |
| Supply: RIA Intel, Cerulli Associates; 2019–2021 figures are estimates. | ||||||
Shifting Shopper Preferences
This alteration comes at a time when the popularity of wirehouse corporations seems to be fading, particularly with youthful age teams. As traders turn into extra educated and complicated, they’re extra conscious of the inherent conflicts in proprietary merchandise supplied by wirehouses and different channels. Based on Pershing/BNY Mellon, “Shopper preferences are shifting whereas impartial advisory corporations are increasing their capabilities to seize a higher share of HNW enterprise.”
What does this imply for you and your agency’s progress technique? HNW purchasers supply a considerable income supply, however typically include complicated wants that require specialised providers—together with customized portfolio building and planning recommendation. In case your plans embody prospecting for HNW purchasers, your agency ought to be aware of the distinctive funding and planning instruments rich purchasers will count on. Beneath are some helpful instruments to think about when working with HNW traders.
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Funding Instruments
Change funds. It’s frequent for HNW traders to have amassed a considerable amount of wealth in a concentrated inventory place. They could be hesitant to diversify for a lot of causes, together with the potential tax burden. Change funds current a tax-aware resolution to the dangers inherent in relying on a single inventory for continued outperformance. An change fund (or swap fund) permits certified purchasers to change a number of shares for an curiosity in a diversified non-public placement fund that carefully tracks a benchmark index. Usually, change funds are unique to HNW traders attributable to qualification necessities.
An change fund not solely replaces concentrated inventory publicity with diversified fairness publicity, it additionally provides pretax return compounding and the flexibility to defer realizing capital features. After a seven-year holding interval, the investor might redeem a diversified basket of securities with out incurring capital features taxes. Earlier than then, traders might redeem pursuits within the change fund on a month-to-month or day by day foundation (topic to restrictions). A possible draw back is giving up potential for an upswing within the concentrated holding.
Structured merchandise. These merchandise are deployed to hedge a portfolio, present diversification, or cater to different HNW wants. As a result of they’re extremely customizable, structured merchandise might be linked to underlying value actions of a single safety, a basket of securities, an index, a commodity, a debt issuance, and/or a overseas forex. Some structured merchandise, reminiscent of market-linked CDs, supply capital safety of principal. Many supply restricted or no principal safety, nevertheless, and so they’re usually extremely illiquid.
Securities-based strains of credit score (SBLOCs). Many rich traders admire SBLOCs (or non-purpose loans), which use a brokerage account as collateral and supply funding for distinct wants. Frequent makes use of embody overlaying a big tax obligation, funding a life insurance coverage premium, or appearing as a bridge mortgage for actual property acquisition. Collateralizing a brokerage account is a aggressive different to promoting brokerage holdings and realizing capital features, relying on rates of interest.
SMAs/UMAs. With mutual funds, traders are topic to embedded capital features and affected by different traders’ liquidations. SMAs and UMAs might be viable choices for HNW traders.
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Individually Managed Accounts (SMAs): Buyers maintain particular person securities, and a key profit is tax management by acquire deferral and tax-loss harvesting. As a result of HNW traders are usually involved with tax legal responsibility and may meet account minimums, SMAs are a preferred possibility.
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Unified Managed Accounts (UMAs): Buyers open one brokerage account that unifies a number of SMAs, enabling operational and rebalancing efficiencies.
Wealth Planning Instruments
Distribution methods for compensation wealth. It’s frequent for HNW purchasers to carry beneficial inventory possibility grants or appreciated employer inventory. Complicated evaluation of the consumer’s total monetary place could also be wanted to evaluate tax impacts of distributions, and evaluating when to train inventory possibility grants might be difficult.
It’s vital to develop a holistic technique for tax-efficient liquidity. As with appreciated employer inventory, an IRA provision known as web unrealized appreciation (NUA) may be helpful. Usually, purchasers who qualify for NUA maintain employer inventory in a 401(ok) or conventional IRA.
Property and charitable planning by trusts. A correctly designed belief helps HNW purchasers handle their taxes, create a legacy, switch belongings to heirs in a tax-efficient manner, and impact an property freeze. A charitable the rest belief provides tax benefits for the sale of an appreciated asset whereas fulfilling philanthropic targets and provides quite a few advantages, significantly for property tax planning. A tax legal professional ought to assessment and supply steerage on belief planning on your HNW purchasers, as these automobiles require cautious drafting.
Serving to HNW Shoppers Obtain Their Imaginative and prescient
When working with HNW traders, distinctive options are sometimes wanted to assist shield and protect their belongings. As with all purchasers, your steerage will create the largest impression whenever you help in reaching their imaginative and prescient for in the present day and in making a legacy for tomorrow.
This materials is meant for informational/instructional functions solely and shouldn’t be construed as funding recommendation, a solicitation, or a advice to purchase or promote any safety or funding product. Buyers ought to contact their monetary skilled for extra data particular to their state of affairs.