Making Daily Headlines · Page 6

Family Offices Promote the Alternative to the Main Course

November 12, 2026 at 6:01 AM EST · New York time

Alternative investments account for 60% of single-family office portfolios, surpassing traditional assets for the first time, according to an assessment by BNY Wealth. The figures concern offices that manage wealth for individual families, not the typical household's retirement savings. The result shows a change in allocation for a particular group of wealthy investors. A category described as alternative now represents the larger share of these portfolios, making the label sound increasingly like a historical artifact. The assessment does not establish that the same mix is appropriate for other investors or that its performance is guaranteed. It describes how the surveyed family offices allocate assets, and that distinction matters when comparing their choices with those of households that have different resources and needs. It also illustrates how financial categories can outlive the proportions that gave them their names. An asset group can begin as a supplement to traditional holdings and later become the larger part of a particular portfolio. For these offices, the alternative is no longer waiting politely at the edge of the table. It has taken most of the chairs, leaving the traditional assets to explain why they still have the more conventional name.

Satire. Not factual reporting. Read the original reporting from the linked publishers.