We serve families, not just their portfolios.
NEPC is a Boston-based, full-service investment consulting firm that has offered research-driven investment solutions since 1986, with $1.9 trillion of firmwide assets under advisement as of 1 January 2026. Its Private Wealth practice helps ultra-high-net-worth individuals, families and family offices preserve, manage and grow wealth.
As of 1 October 2026 the practice served 53 clients with $29 billion of private-wealth assets under advisement, and its advisors averaged 26 years of private-wealth experience. Karen Harding, Partner, leads the practice.
NEPC develops, coordinates and oversees a complete, bespoke wealth-management programme based on each family's goals, values, constraints and time horizons:
NEPC offers investment-advisory and outsourced chief investment officer approaches. The mandate can define which policy, allocation, manager-selection and implementation responsibilities remain with the family and which are delegated. The disclosed client count describes practice scale; it does not establish a capacity limit or guarantee the service model for a particular family.
Family offices with substantial assets that want an institutional-grade investment consultant and are comfortable keeping decision-making in-house, or want external investment oversight and a clearly defined advisory or delegated mandate.
The private-wealth solutions include tax-aware strategic and tactical asset allocation, investment-policy design, manager research and performance reporting. Public and private markets, hedge funds and real assets can be considered within the family's objectives and constraints. Operational due diligence examines managers alongside investment research.
Family education and communication support the investment programme across generations. Tax-aware portfolio decisions are not a promise to prepare tax returns or replace legal and estate advisers. A written mandate should establish investment discretion, liquidity needs, tax considerations, manager approvals and reporting responsibilities.
Founded in 1986, NEPC is headquartered in Boston. The company reports more than 380 professionals across seven offices and $1.9 trillion of firmwide assets under advisement. These figures are distinct from the private-wealth practice's 53 clients and $29 billion under advisement as of 1 October 2026; assets under advisement should not be relabelled discretionary AUM.
A December 2024 NEPC publication describes its merger with Hightower Holdings. Older employee-ownership language should therefore not be treated as a complete current ownership description. The reviewed direct source does not establish an exact ownership percentage.
Private Wealth is led by Karen Harding. Current private-wealth and firm contacts include KC Connors, Kristin Reynolds, Stacey Flier, Daniel Gimbel and Daniel Runnals; Timothy McCusker is Chief Investment Officer and Partner, and Mike Manning Managing Partner.
Contact the private-wealth team to define advisory versus delegated responsibilities, investment objectives and the existing adviser network. Existing clients have a client hub. Agree manager-selection authority, review meetings, reporting, implementation responsibilities and service expectations in the engagement. No universal onboarding timetable, minimum or fee rate was established by the reviewed pages.
Closest peers are consultants and OCIOs with private-wealth practices, such as Cambridge Associates, Callan and Mercer. Families comparing delegated investment models can also consider outsourced CIO providers such as Hirtle & Co. or Strategic Investment Group, and those also wanting tax, estate and administration services may look at multi-family offices such as Pathstone.
Yes. Its Private Wealth practice serves UHNW individuals, families and family offices.
53 clients and $29 billion of private wealth assets under advisement as of 1 October 2026.
Karen Harding, Partner and Leader of the Private Wealth practice.
Sources: Private Wealth; investment solutions; team; company; Hightower transaction discussion. Reviewed 1 November 2026.
Strengths. Institutional research and due-diligence resources; Private-wealth investment practice; Advisory and delegated mandate options.
Watch-outs. Assets under advisement are not discretionary AUM.; Practice size does not establish minimums or guaranteed attention.; Tax-aware investment work does not replace tax preparation or legal advice.; Current exact ownership percentage was not established in the reviewed direct source..
Built for Single Family Office (SFO), Private Wealth Owners / Principals, CIO / Investment Office.
UHNW families and family offices seeking investment consulting or delegated OCIO support. Define retained and delegated responsibilities rather than infer suitability from client count.
Yes
Private-wealth relationship team and existing-client hub. Agree review meetings, performance reporting, education and escalation within the mandate.
Define policy, objectives, liquidity, tax considerations, decision rights and adviser coordination; agree manager approvals and implementation authority.
Weekly intelligence on tools, providers and strategy — curated for family-office professionals. No noise, no spam.