Entrepreneurs whose wealth sits inside a privately held business may be poorly served by traditional wealth management models, according to the 2026 Entrepreneur Wealth Report from Dew Wealth Management, a fiduciary financial and business advisory firm that specialises in Fractional Family Office® services for entrepreneurs. The report identifies potential mismatches between what entrepreneurs need and what traditional models offer, particularly those that charge clients based on assets under management (AUM) or commissions.
The report examines where business ownership, personal wealth and financial planning meet, including the professional relationships and resources available to entrepreneurs as their businesses grow.
Wealth that doesn't sit in a portfolio
Bryce Keffeler, Managing Partner at Dew Wealth Management, said an entrepreneur can build significant wealth and a highly valuable business without accumulating a large investment portfolio. He explained that while such wealth may look different from that of a traditional investment client, managing it still requires sophisticated planning, especially around taxes, liquidity, asset protection and business succession.
The report cites the Investment Adviser Association's 2025 Investment Adviser Industry Snapshot, which found that 95.5% of SEC-registered investment advisers offered AUM-based fees in 2024. Keffeler noted that many entrepreneurs reinvest in their companies, expanding operations, hiring staff and building long-term value, so their wealth is held in a form that investment-focused advisory models are not necessarily structured around.
Partial professional teams
Published in August 2026, the report analyses data from 218 Dew Wealth client households and 21 Family Office Assessment intakes, alongside third-party industry research on traditional wealth management models. Among the assessment intakes, 57% had three or fewer of seven outside professional roles in place. The assessment covered relationships with CPAs, attorneys, bookkeepers, investment managers, commercial and personal insurance agents, and fractional or full-time CFOs. Some 71% had a CPA and 62% a bookkeeper, while 48% had no attorney relationship on record.
| Professional role | Already in place | Not in place |
|---|---|---|
| CPA | 71% | 29% |
| Bookkeeper | 62% | 38% |
| Personal home and auto insurance agent | 57% | 43% |
| Attorney | 52% | 48% |
| Investment manager | 38% | 62% |
| Commercial insurance agent | 38% | 62% |
| Fractional or full-time CFO | 29% | 71% |
Younger, and mostly couples
Across Dew Wealth's client base, 75.8% of households were headed by married or partnered couples, based on 207 households with marital status recorded. Approximately 57% of primary clients were under 50, with a median age of 47.5, based on age data from 206 households.
| Age band of primary client | Share of 206 households |
|---|---|
| Under 40 | 22.8% |
| 40–49 | 34.5% |
| 50–59 | 23.8% |
| 60 and over | 18.9% |
The firm stresses that the findings reflect its own assessment participants and existing clients rather than a nationally representative sample of US entrepreneurs, and the full report sets out its methodology and disclosures.
Coordinating the business and the household
Through its Fractional Family Office® model, Dew Wealth takes a coordinated approach that considers the links between business ownership, personal finances and long-term family goals, bringing together financial, tax and legal help for entrepreneurs facing interconnected planning decisions. Founder Jim Dew said entrepreneurs are often very good at building the teams their businesses need, while their personal financial lives become increasingly complex. He added that having individual experts matters, but coordinating their advice is what helps ensure decisions about the business, personal wealth and family work towards the same goals.
For families whose wealth is concentrated in an operating business, the report underlines the value of coordinating tax, legal and succession planning alongside investment management.
Source: Dew Wealth Management via Business Wire.
This post originally appeared here.
