Strategies
Our strategy set covers the full lifecycle of capital preservation — from initial structuring through ongoing monitoring to generational transition.
Speak to an AdviserRiverside Hartwell does not offer off-the-shelf financial products. Every strategy begins with a full audit of the client's asset base, liability profile, residency and citizenship status, and family structure. From that foundation, we build a layered protection architecture — typically combining an EU-compliant insurance wrapper as the holding vehicle, a family entity for operational separation, and a reserve liquidity buffer structured in stable, low-volatility instruments. The process takes between six and sixteen weeks depending on complexity, and results in a written Protection Blueprint that the client retains regardless of whether they proceed to implementation with us.
Each strategy is modular and can be combined with others to form a complete protection architecture.
A Luxembourg-domiciled life insurance contract held in the client's name provides creditor protection under Luxembourg's Triangle of Security regulation, investment flexibility across approved asset classes, and a succession mechanism that bypasses Romanian probate. We manage the selection of the insurance company, the underlying investment policy, and the ongoing reporting.
A Romanian or Austrian holding entity that consolidates ownership of business stakes, real estate, and financial assets under one legal roof. This separates operational liability from family capital, facilitates controlled dividend flow, and provides the substrate for long-term estate planning. We advise on structure selection, jurisdiction, and governance — implementation is completed alongside the client's legal counsel.
A disciplined allocation to a segregated reserve account — denominated in EUR or CHF — invested in short-duration sovereign bonds and investment-grade instruments. The reserve is sized to cover three to five years of family expenses, acting as a firebreak that prevents forced liquidation of longer-term holdings during market stress. We review and rebalance the reserve quarterly.
For clients with assets or heirs in multiple EU jurisdictions, we map succession exposure under EU Regulation 650/2012 and local inheritance law, then design a sequenced transfer plan. This typically involves a combination of lifetime gifting, insurance beneficiary designations, and entity restructuring — coordinated with notaries and tax advisers in each relevant jurisdiction.
An independent, one-time assessment of an existing wealth structure — identifying concentration risk, undiversified currency exposure, succession gaps, and liquidity shortfalls. Delivered as a 20-to-30-page written report with prioritised recommendations. Many clients commission this as a first step before deciding whether to restructure.
The Protection Blueprint is the tangible output of our initial engagement. It opens with a map of your current asset exposure — entity by entity, currency by currency, jurisdiction by jurisdiction. The second section scores each exposure against a standard set of risk categories: creditor risk, succession risk, currency risk, inflation risk, and liquidity risk. The third section presents our recommended structure in plain language, with each element explained in terms of the specific risk it mitigates. Finally, an implementation roadmap sequences the required actions across a twelve-to-eighteen-month horizon, assigning responsibility to Riverside Hartwell, your legal counsel, and your tax adviser respectively. The Blueprint is yours to keep and act on independently.
Our full advisory mandate is designed for clients with investable or protectable assets above €500,000. For smaller estates, we offer the standalone Risk Review & Stress-Test Report, which is accessible from €150,000 and gives an actionable independent assessment without requiring an ongoing engagement.
Entirely fee-only. Riverside Hartwell charges a fixed engagement fee for the Protection Blueprint and an annual retainer for ongoing advisory. We receive no referral fees, trail commissions, or product incentives from insurance companies, fund managers, or any other financial institution. That independence is the foundation of the advice we give.
A Luxembourg life insurance contract provides statutory super-priority creditor protection under Luxembourg law — meaning that in the event of the insurer's insolvency, the policyholder's assets are ring-fenced and returned in full before any other creditors are paid. A standard investment account offers no equivalent protection. The wrapper also provides a succession mechanism and, in many cases, favourable treatment under Romanian inheritance rules.
From first meeting to delivery of the Protection Blueprint, the typical timeline is six to twelve weeks for straightforward single-jurisdiction clients. Cross-border cases with assets or heirs in multiple EU countries typically run twelve to sixteen weeks. We set a firm delivery date at the start of each engagement and hold to it.
Our initial consultation is complimentary and confidential. We will assess your situation and outline whether our strategies are a suitable fit — with no obligation on either side.
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