Wealth managers occupy a unique place in their clients’ lives. Not only do they advise on picking assets and tax-efficient investment strategies—they often find out about illicit affairs and which heirs might be a problem child. These services were once the preserve of those worth $10m or more but new technology means they are accessible to people with as little as $100,000 in the bank. And now banks are fighting to be the ones to advise the moderately wealthy. 

On this week’s podcast, hosts Alice Fulwood, Tom Lee-Devlin and Mike Bird ask why wealth managers want to do business with the not-so-wealthy. Helen Watson, who’s head of UK wealth management at Rothschild & Co, shares the secrets of managing other people’s fortunes. And Markus Habbel, a consultant at Bain, explains why 250m people might soon be in need of a wealth manager.

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