Hilary Wise
Cheltenham-based lifetime wealth and estate planning firm, The Family Elephant, has recruited highly experienced financial advisor, Hilary Wise, to support families through the complexities of their wealth.
Appointed as ‘Technical Manager’ Hilary holds over a decade of experience in providing independent advice to high-net-worth individuals and families to protect, grow, plan, organise and improve their finances so that they can lead the life they want.
Also working as an accomplished Chartered Financial Planner for The Family Elephant’s sister company, The Wealth Harbour, a financial planning firm, Hilary in his dual role will provide clients with ‘cradle-to-grave’ financial planning advice. From tax, and investment advice on current assets to setting up trusts and inheritance protection on legacies, Hilary’s joined-up and straightforward financial planning will protect families’ interests now and for future generations.
Commenting further on his dual role, Hilary said: “It’s great to be working across both organisations. Correctly structuring the legal framework of family wealth is every bit as important as the taxation and the investment implications of a person’s circumstances and financial aspirations. When clients tell us they want to protect their hard-earned wealth, they may not realise it, but they don’t just mean from the risk of inflation or from paying too much tax. When we explore the implications of their wealth getting into the wrong hands or being misused when they are no longer around, this becomes just as much of a priority for them. Being able to work on both businesses will mean that our clients benefit from coherent, joined-up, financial plans that provide protection for all areas of a client’s wealth, for their own lifetime and as part of their legacy.”
Prior to joining The Wealth Harbour and The Family Elephant, Hilary held roles at national wealth management firms including Schroders Personal Wealth and HDA Chartered Financial Planners.
Hilary continued: “To paraphrase American founding father, Benjamin Franklin: “in this world nothing can be said to be certain, except death and taxes”. In the UK, while we are very good at talking about the latter, we tend to struggle to deal appropriately with the former, with a tendency to be more private in the way we talk about inheritance and death. While this privacy is to be respected, I am shocked at how badly it affects families and, as a result, family dynamics and relationships. I’m convinced that there is a way to help families hold these conversations constructively.
“What I enjoy most about The Wealth Harbour and The Family Elephant, is how we challenge this narrative and proactively talk to our clients about death, to promote healthy, open and honest discussions about wealth within families. Communication is key in many aspects of life, none more so than when dealing with money and with death. We want to ensure that all of the generations are on the same page and pulling in the same direction to protect inter-generational wealth from the tax man, where applicable, and to protect against life’s challenges that current and future generations could face such as divorce or creditors.”
On Hilary’s appointment, James Dent, Founder of The Family Elephant, said: “We’re delighted to add a Technical Manager of Hilary’s ability to our growing team. Experienced in hand-holding clients through the world of family wealth, Hilary is skilled at turning the complex into the simple, bringing families peace of mind when guiding them through all elements of their wealth management.
“Where Hilary and The Family Elephant differs to other financial advisers and estate planning firms, is in our mission to get more families talking openly about the elephant in the room – death and money. Most advisors ignore or play down the significance of intergenerational wealth planning because it is complicated, more administratively difficult, and potentially an uncomfortable conversation. However, we are challenging this thinking by supporting families to be brave enough to have those discussions with the support of a professional and, as a result, create a family wealth plan that protects your family’s finances years after you are gone.”
