Financial Advisors for High-Net-Worth Individuals
Kimberly Green | 2026-03-26
Financial Advisors for High-Net-Worth Individuals: What Changes When the Numbers Get Bigger At a certain level of wealth, the problems change. It's not just portfolio management anymore. It's estate planning that actually reduces what the IRS takes. It's tax strategy that coordinates across income types—capital gains, ordinary income, business distributions, trust income. It's insurance structures, charitable giving vehicles, and decisions that affect the next generation as much as this one. Not every financial advisor is equipped to handle that complexity. Here's what to look for—and who's built for it. What High-Net-Worth Financial Planning Actually Involves The threshold for high-net-worth is typically $1M or more in investable assets, though the complexity that requires specialized advice often starts earlier for business owners, founders, and high-income earners. Estate planning coordination: Wills, trusts, beneficiary designations, and strategies to reduce estate tax exposure. These aren't nice-to-haves—they directly affect how much of your wealth your family keeps. Concentrated position management: If you hold a large amount of a single stock (from a company sale, RSUs, or long-term holdings), managing that risk without triggering a massive tax bill is a specific skill. Charitable giving structures: Donor-advised funds, charitable remainder trusts, and qualified charitable distributions (QCDs under IRC Section 408) have meaningful tax implications. A $1M charitable contribution can be structured a dozen ways, each with different tax outcomes. Multi-generational planning: 529s, irrevocable trusts, and asset transfer strategies that keep more wealth in the family rather than with the IRS. Alternative investments: Private credit, real estate, and private equity become accessible and often advantageous at HNW levels. These require coordination with your overall portfolio strategy. Advisors Built for High-Net-Worth Clients OLarry – Mill Valley, CA OLarry is built specifically for high-net-worth and ultra-high-net-worth clients, with a white-glove model that means senior advisors do the work directly—not junior staff. Services include tax strategy, compliance, and accounting for clients across the wealth spectrum, from emerging wealth to founders and executives. Their all-inclusive, transparent pricing model means no hourly billing for phone calls. You pay a fixed fee that covers the full relationship. Fee structure: $2,500 to $50,000 annually depending on complexity. International tax services available. Who they're built for: HNW and ultra-HNW...
