What is a Multi-Family Office?

A multi-family office is a firm that coordinates all major areas of your financial life through one team. At Stenger Family Office, we provide investment management, financial planning, tax preparation, tax strategy, estate planning coordination, and risk management services under one roof. This integrated approach helps reduce complexity and improve communication among your advisors.

How is Stenger Family Office different from a traditional financial advisor?

Many traditional wealth management firms focus primarily on investments. Stenger Family Office combines wealth management, tax advisory, estate planning coordination, and financial planning into a single client experience. Our advisors are fiduciaries, and we do not sell proprietary investment products or earn commissions from product sales.

What services does Stenger Family Office provide?

Financial planning

Retirement income strategies

Retirement planning

Estate planning

Tax preparation

Tax planning and strategy

ExxonMobil financial planning

Fortune 500 company financial planning

High net worth planning

Investment management

Risk management solutions

Is Stenger Family Office a fiduciary?

Yes. Stenger Family Office is an SEC-registered Registered Investment Advisor (RIA). We provide fiduciary advice, which means we are legally obligated to act in our clients' best interests.

Do I need to be ultra-wealthy to work with a family office?

No. Traditional family offices often require $50 million or more in assets. Stenger Family Office uses technology and an integrated team approach to deliver family office services to clients at significantly lower asset levels.

What investment minimums does Stenger Family Office require?

Starter Account Program: $1,000 minimum

Wealth Management: $100,000 minimum

Family Office: $2 million

Ultra-High Net Worth Solutions: $10 million

Can Stenger Family Office prepare my taxes?

Yes. Our team provides individual and business tax preparation, tax projections, and advanced tax planning strategies. We believe taxes are one of the largest expenses most families face, which is why tax advice is integrated into our planning process.

Why is tax planning important for investors?

Taxes can significantly impact long-term investment returns. Effective tax planning may help reduce unnecessary tax liability, improve retirement income strategies, optimize charitable giving, and support estate planning goals. Our investment and tax teams work together to identify opportunities throughout the year.

Does Stenger Family Office help with estate planning?

Yes. We coordinate estate planning strategies that may include wills, trusts, powers of attorney, medical directives, beneficiary reviews, and wealth transfer planning. Estate planning is integrated with your investment and tax strategy to help ensure all aspects of your plan work together.

What does a financial advisor actually do?

A financial advisor helps clients make informed decisions related to investments, retirement, taxes, estate planning, risk management, and major life transitions. At Stenger Family Office, our advisors serve as the quarterback of your financial team.

What states does Stenger Family Office serve?

Stenger Family Office serves clients nationwide. We have offices in Illinois, Texas, and Louisiana and use technology to work with families throughout the United States.

What is included in a financial plan?

Retirement projections

Income analysis

Investment strategy

Tax planning

Insurance analysis

Estate planning review

Cash flow planning

Wealth transfer strategies

Our planning process is designed to help families make informed decisions with greater confidence.

Why do successful families use a family office?

Successful families often face increasing financial complexity. A family office helps coordinate investments, taxes, estate planning, cash flow, and long-term goals through a single team, creating a more efficient and comprehensive planning experience.

Why choose Stenger Family Office?

Families choose Stenger Family Office because we combine fiduciary advice, customized investment management, in-house tax expertise, integrated estate planning coordination, boutique client service and multi-generational planning experience all under one roof.

What is the difference between a family office and a financial advisor?

A traditional financial advisor primarily focuses on investments and retirement planning. A family office takes a more comprehensive approach by coordinating investments, financial planning, tax strategy, estate planning, risk management, and other financial responsibilities through a single team.

Stenger Family Office operates as a multi-family office, giving clients access to financial advisors, tax professionals, estate planning coordination, and operational support under one roof. This integrated approach helps eliminate the communication gaps that often exist when multiple outside professionals are involved.

Is a multi-family office worth it?

For many families, a multi-family office can provide greater value than working with separate advisors, accountants, and attorneys.

When investments, taxes, estate planning, and financial planning are coordinated through a single team, decisions are often made more efficiently and with greater consistency. This can help reduce mistakes, improve communication, and save time for busy families.

A multi-family office may be especially valuable for retirees, business owners, executives, families approaching retirement, and individuals who have inherited significant assets.

At what net worth do you need a family office?

There is no universal net worth requirement for family office services.

Historically, family offices were reserved for families with $50 million or more of investable assets. Advances in technology have made family office-style services more accessible.

At Stenger Family Office, clients can access integrated planning services with significantly lower minimums than traditional family offices. Many families begin benefiting from coordinated tax, investment, and estate planning long before reaching ultra-high-net-worth status.

What should I do after inheriting money?

The first priorities often include:

Understanding the assets received

Reviewing tax implications

Updating your financial plan

Evaluating investment opportunities

Reviewing estate planning documents

Creating a long-term strategy for the inherited assets

An inheritance can create opportunities but also introduce new tax, investment, and estate planning complexities. Professional guidance can help ensure inherited wealth aligns with your long-term goals.

How much should I have invested before hiring a financial advisor?

Many people believe financial advice is only beneficial for wealthy investors, but that is not necessarily the case.

An advisor can provide value whenever significant financial decisions are being made, including retirement planning, career changes, inheritance planning, tax strategy, and investment decisions.

Stenger Family Office offers solutions ranging from starter investment accounts to comprehensive family office relationships, allowing clients to access professional guidance at multiple stages of their financial journey.

What is a fiduciary financial advisor?

A fiduciary financial advisor is legally obligated to act in the best interests of their clients.

Unlike advisors who may receive compensation from product sales or commissions, fiduciaries are held to a higher standard of care. They must place client interests ahead of their own and disclose potential conflicts of interest.

Stenger Family Office is an SEC-registered Registered Investment Advisor (RIA) that provides fiduciary advice and does not sell proprietary investment products.

Should my financial advisor also coordinate with my CPA and estate attorney?

Yes. Financial decisions often affect taxes and estate planning, while tax and legal decisions frequently affect investments.

When professionals work independently, opportunities can be missed and important information may not be communicated effectively.

An integrated planning approach helps ensure that investment strategies, tax planning, retirement goals, and estate planning objectives support one another. This is one of the primary advantages of the multi-family office model.

What does a family office cost?

Family office costs vary widely depending on the services provided and the complexity of the client's situation.

Some traditional single-family offices cost hundreds of thousands or even millions of dollars per year because they employ dedicated staff for one family.

A multi-family office spreads those resources across multiple households, making services significantly more accessible. Stenger Family Office offers several relationship options ranging from starter investment accounts to comprehensive family office relationships. We start our annual fees at 1.00%.

How can I simplify my financial life?

The most effective way to simplify your financial life is often to consolidate advisors, accounts, and decision-making processes.

Many families maintain separate relationships for investments, taxes, estate planning, insurance, and retirement planning. While each specialist may be highly qualified, coordination can become difficult.

A multi-family office model centralizes these conversations, helping ensure everyone is working toward the same goals. This can reduce complexity, save time, and provide greater peace of mind. Stenger Family Office was built around the concept of delivering investments, financial planning, taxes, estate planning, and risk management through a coordinated team.