What Are Foundations In Wealth Planning? (Video)

For families managing significant or internationally held wealth, succession planning is rarely just about deciding who receives particular assets. It can also involve determining how those assets should be owned, governed and managed across generations, particularly where family businesses, investment portfolios and other assets span multiple jurisdictions.

A foundation can provide a framework for doing this. It is a separate legal entity that can hold assets in its own name, without shareholders, and operate according to defined purposes and governance arrangements. Foundations are available in a number of international financial centres and may form part of succession planning, family governance, business ownership, philanthropy and wider private wealth structures.