Table of Contents
Executive Summary
1.1. US HNW clients prefer custom and discretionary approaches to wealth management
1.2. Key findings
1.3. Critical success factors
2 Profiling the US HNW Investor
2.1. Earned income accounts for the largest proportion of US HNW wealth
2.1.1. The majority of US HNW individuals are males over the age of 50
2.1.2. US HNW clients accumulate wealth in different ways
2.1.3. HNW wealth is sourced from property, professional services, and IT
2.2. Expats in the US are a small but important segment
2.2.1. Expats account for 5.4% of the US HNW population
2.2.2. The increase of US HNW expats from China is notable
2.2.3. Foreign exchange is the main reason HNW expats move investments to the US
3 US HNW Investment Style Preferences
3.1. US HNW investors prefer their wealth professionally managed
3.1.1. Discretionary mandates are the most favored among US HNW investors
3.1.2. Lack of time is driving uptake of advice
3.1.3. US HNW investors prefer to use fewer wealth management firms than the global average
3.2. US HNW individuals prefer their portfolios to be managed by a professional
3.2.1. Discretionary and advisory asset management are greatly in-demand by HNW clients
3.2.2. Greater demand for discretionary mandates is widely forecast
3.2.3. HNW investors perceive advisory asset management as a high-return time saver
3.2.4. HNW individuals who choose to invest themselves do so for exclusive control
4 Understanding Asset Allocation Trends among US HNW Investors
4.1. Current asset allocation is heavily weighted towards equities
4.1.1. Equity and alternative investments dominate HNW portfolios
4.1.2. Equity investments make up nearly half of US HNW portfolios
4.1.3. US HNW investor portfolios display noticeable demand for bond investments
4.1.4. HNW individuals shift assets away from cash investments
4.1.5. HNW client portfolios allocate a minimal proportion of wealth to property investments
4.1.6. Commodity investments are of little interest to US HNW clients
4.1.7. Alternatives constitute 7% of the typical HNW portfolio
5 US HNW Product and Service Demand
5.1. Planning services are in high demand in the US
5.1.1. Inheritance planning presents an opportunity for wealth managers to resonate with recipients
5.1.2. A holistic approach to providing wealth management services is key for resonating with the US HNW market
6 Appendix
6.1. Abbreviations and acronyms
6.2. Definitions
6.2.1. HNW
6.2.2. Liquid assets
6.3. Methodology
6.3.1. GlobalData’s 2016 Global Wealth Managers Survey
6.3.2. GlobalData’s 2015 Global Wealth Managers Survey
6.3.3. GlobalData’s GlobalData
6.4. Bibliography
6.5. Further reading



List of Figures
Figure 1: Women constitute a minimal proportion of the US HNW population
Figure 2: More US HNW clients gain wealth through earned income than the global average
Figure 3: Property and real estate is the main industry through which HNW individuals accumulate wealth
Figure 4: The majority of US HNW individuals hold presidential or executive positions
Figure 5: Expats represent a minimal proportion of the US HNW population
Figure 6: Almost one quarter of HNW expats in the US are from China
Figure 7: Almost two thirds of US HNW expat clients invest wealth locally to avoid foreign exchange fees
Figure 8: Lombard International Assurance outlines its company ambitions for 2016
Figure 9: The vast majority of HNW wealth is kept in discretionary mandates
Figure 10: Time and access to sophisticated investments drive demand for professional management
Figure 11: US HNW clients place the majority of their wealth with their main wealth manager
Figure 12: US HNW individuals display strong demand for discretionary mandates
Figure 13: Demand for discretionary asset management is forecast to increase significantly
Figure 14: The expectation of higher returns prompts HNW investors to opt for discretionary mandates
Figure 15: US HNW investors value the ability to have exclusive control over parts of their portfolio
Figure 16: Equities dominate the US HNW portfolio
Figure 17: HNW investors prefer to hold equity in funds
Figure 18: Dividend income drives clients' preference for holding equities
Figure 19: US HNW investors prefer a diversified approach to bond holdings
Figure 20: Risk aversion drives HNW bond investments
Figure 21: When it comes to cash, US HNW investors prefer money market funds
Figure 22: Wealth managers expect demand for cash to increase over the next year
Figure 23: A minimal proportion of HNW wealth is allocated to property
Figure 24: US HNW individuals predominantly hold property investments for diversification
Figure 25: The majority of US HNW commodity investment is allocated to funds
Figure 26: Few investors expect demand for commodity investments to increase
Figure 27: When it comes to alternative investments, HNW individuals prefer diversification
Figure 28: Wealth managers are less confident in the demand for alternatives than the global average
Figure 29: Financial and tax planning are the most in-demand services for HNW investors
Figure 30: The already strong HNW demand for planning services is expected to increase
Figure 31: RBC's What Are You Afraid Of? tool visualizes the impact from uncontrollable variables