What is a family office?

Joachim Van der Meiren - Head of Investment Solutions Family Office
DP Family Office", explains Joachim Van der Meiren, "was founded to respond to the specific questions and expectations of families with an important patrimony. And this in all objectivity. It is about helping them to organize governance in accordance with their values and to involve future generations; to have a consolidated view of the family's assets, to determine whether the strategic allocation of the various assets - including non-financial assets - corresponds to their ambitions and the desired returns; and to objectively assess the performance of the various portfolio managers.

A mission: to guide our clients

Our main mission," continues Joachim Van der Meiren, "is to support our clients in coordinating and monitoring their family wealth according to their objectives. Some families give priority to direct investments in a sector they are familiar with, while others prefer investments on the financial markets that provide liquidity and diversification. To obtain an accurate picture of total assets, Family Office consolidates and analyzes the various accounts under management (with Degroof Petercam or other portfolio managers) and other assets (direct investments, unlisted real estate, private equity, art collection, etc.)."

A careful, problem-oriented approach

This audit and careful mapping provide a 360° view and accurate analysis of total assets in terms of risk, liquidity and/or sustainability. They enable a better decision-making process for asset allocation and also a better measurement of its impact. We also analyze the impact of family projects on financial planning and provide "ad hoc" administrative assistance. Our approach thus focuses on two key issues: family goals and investments."

Intervention at crucial moments

"After a major change in assets, such as the sale of a company, a financial stake, the transfer of real estate or inheritance, it often happens that a family calls on us," says Joachim Van der Meiren. "At these crucial moments, our various interactions enable us to draw up a complete inventory of the assets, clarify or specify the objectives envisaged and provide the parties concerned with all the information they need to take their decisions, both in terms of the allocation of assets and the choice of managers."

An autonomous entity within Degroof Petercam

"The Family Office is a dedicated, autonomous and specialized entity of the Degroof Petercam group. To guarantee its objectivity and impartiality, we have opted for a pure multi-model for the Family Office. To avoid conflicts of interest, Family Office does not manage portfolios or sell financial products," says Joachim Van der Meiren. This clearly distinguishes us from most of our competitors. Moreover, our clients who are based in Belgium, France and Luxembourg are not necessarily clients of Degroof Petercam."

Numerous advantages

"Although we are an autonomous entity, our belonging to the Degroof Petercam group is clearly an asset. This gives us incomparable financial strength and efficient tools for consolidating multiple accounts (at Bank Degroof Petercam or at other depository banks). We also have the best strategic asset allocation models, numerous databases and the expertise and resources of the Degroof Petercam group in its various fields. We also aim to offer a professional and "institutional" quality service tailored to the specific needs of each family typology. Last but not least, families who call on our Family Office can count on the discretion of an experienced multidisciplinary team to assist them in complete confidentiality."
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