An Investment Policy Statement (IPS) is no longer an unusual feature of a family office, but adoption continues to vary by the maturity and structure of the family office. In Citi Private Bank’s Global Family Office survey of 338 respondents, 52% reported having a formal IPS in place, with adoption rising from 45% among first-generation offices to 68% among those in their third generation or beyond. This steady increase reflects a sector undergoing rapid professionalisation.

Family offices are being asked to do more with less. They must preserve wealth across generations, allocate capital through uncertain markets/geo-political cycles, manage multi-tiered regulatory environments, monitor risks across private and public assets and align on changing family priorities. The operational work Family Offices do span jurisdictions, currencies, custodians and data sources. The teams are often deliberately lean.