Thane Stenner

Meeting the ultra-wealthy

(May 2006) Canada has many things going for it. A large population, however, isn’t one of them. When it comes to attracting and retaining affluent individuals, professionals face an uphill battle. Simply put, there aren’t a lot of them to go around. This is especially true of Canada’s ultra-high-net-worth (UHNW) population. Over the past decade, […]

By Thane Stenner |May 18, 2006

5 min read

Planning and Advice

The big sell

(January 2006) These have been exciting times for real estate investors. Property values have risen dramatically over the past five to six years in almost every market in the country. And whether they have invested directly in the property market, or have simply watched as the value of their homes increased, your high-net-worth (HNW) clients […]

By Thane Stenner |January 5, 2006

5 min read

Planning and Advice

Just trust me

(December 2005) To call trust the most important element of a client relationship would be understating the point. It’s pretty simple: if you can’t encourage, build and nurture trust between yourself and your high-net-worth (HNW) clients, you won’t be in this business for long. How you actually go ahead and foster that trust – well, […]

By Thane Stenner |November 21, 2005

4 min read

Tax News

Estate failure remarkably common

Have you helped the client write a formal estate planning goals or charitable values statement? An effective estate plan starts with a formal declaration of what the client is trying to accomplish. This document can function as a “road map” in the case of client disputes, and can help get a procrastinating client back on […]

By Thane Stenner |October 26, 2005

3 min read

Planning and Advice

Mapping Financial Genes

(August 2005) The financial services industry is a peculiar mixture of art and science. Crunching numbers, analyzing stocks, poring over financial data – that’s the science part of the business. Building relationships, interpreting client needs, motivating clients to act – that’s the art. Is one of these more important than the other? I think so. […]

By Thane Stenner |August 5, 2005

4 min read

Planning and Advice

Give it away now

(July 2005) Philanthropy is big in Canada. How big? According to a recently published survey by Imagine Canada and Johns Hopkins University, the non-profit and voluntary sector in this country accounts for 6.8% of GDP. Much of this economic activity can be traced back to the charitable bequests of high-net-worth (HNW) Canadians. In fact, according […]

By Thane Stenner |July 7, 2005

4 min read

Planning and Advice

Emotional rescue

Wealth management can be an emotional process. And many times, the more wealth there is to manage, the more intense those emotions can be. Just because your HNW clients have substantial net worth doesn’t mean they’re immune to fear, greed, pride or other emotions that can sabotage sound wealth management decisions. If you want to […]

By Thane Stenner |May 10, 2005

4 min read

Planning and Advice

Making it personal

(April 2005) If there is a secret to success in the high-net-worth (HNW) market, it is this: you must connect with your clients. The advisor who connects with clients best will have the best clients—and by extension, will enjoy the highest level of professional satisfaction. By “connecting” with clients, I don’t mean getting on the […]

By Thane Stenner |April 6, 2005

4 min read

Planning and Advice

Personality matters: Tailor your practice to meet clients needs

(March 2005) Relationships, we are told, are the key to success in the advisory business. Fair enough. But let me ask you: what makes a good relationship with a high-networth client? Is it whether you and the client get along on a personal level? Whether the client says he or she is satisfied? Whether the […]

By Thane Stenner |March 15, 2005

5 min read