Nov 5th 2025 There’s a quiet kind of comeback happening in portfolios this year—the return of 60/40. Not the 1980s version with a cigar in one hand and a Fed put in the other. I’m talking about a new, more disciplined 60/40—one rebuilt on higher yields, cooling inflation, and a dose of AI humility. A few weeks ago, my Copilot and I ran a full diagnostic on the classic mix. What came out wasn’t nostalgia—it was validation. Setting the Stage The bot started by pulling five deca

Nov 6th, 2025 By Parson Tang It was 7:45 p.m. in the lobby of the San Francisco Marriott when Sarah Lopez, the CIO of a foundation I’ve advised for years, stopped me with a familiar mix of urgency and fatigue. “Parson,” she said quietly, “the board meets tomorrow morning. I need proof our 40/30/30 policy can still fund scholarships without giving up our U.S. overweight.” I smiled. “Then we have one night to make the data speak louder than opinions.” That’s how it began — one

June 12th, 2025 A few weeks ago, I spoke at a biotech incubator event hosted by QB3 at UC Berkeley . The room was filled with brilliant...

Common Mistakes and Smarter Strategies I’ve worked with many successful entrepreneurs, family offices, and investors from Asia and around...

July 11th, 2025 A few weeks ago, I was walking through Central Park with a childhood friend who now leads macro strategy at a top hedge...

June 26, 2025 A few years back, I was sitting in a quiet boardroom with a founder in his early 60s. He’d built his empire from the ground...

June 25th, 2025: The market is rising, but under the surface, not everything is as strong as it seems. We’re seeing leadership from a few...

There’s a moment in every investor’s life when the market punches you in the face. Hard. For me, one of those moments came in early April...

Most founders are taught to pitch like they’re on Shark Tank or demoing to a venture capitalist.But family offices? They don’t think—or...

By now, you know why  family offices are a valuable source of capital—and how they think. But most founders still get stuck on the next...

One of the biggest fundraising mistakes I’ve seen founders make is assuming that family offices behave like venture capital firms. They...

You don’t need to have it all figured out. That’s the first thing I tell people — whether it’s a college grad unsure what to do next, or...

A Practical Reflection on Rules, Integrity, and Quiet Discipline Several years ago, I received a late-night email from a foundation...

Why It’s Not Just About What You Give — But How You Grow It Years ago, I met a founder in Asia who was incredibly thoughtful about his...

Why Clarity is a Gift — to Grantees, and to Yourself A few years ago, I worked with a foundation that felt… stuck. They had generous...

On Legacy, Letting Go, and Watching the Next Generation Rise I remember meeting a retired businessman in Los Angeles—first-generation...

The Quiet Power of Choosing the Right People From the Start I once sat in a board meeting where no one spoke for the first few minutes....

And Why It’s Not Just a Legal Question A few years ago, I helped a family in California set up a private foundation. They had just sold...

Lessons from Families Who Chose Purpose Over Pressure A few years ago, I met with a client who had recently received a major inheritance....

Reflections from a Banker Who’s Sat With Hundreds of Families at Their Crossroads I still remember one afternoon in Hong Kong, sitting...

There’s a saying in fundraising circles: “The thank-you is not the end—it’s the beginning.” And it’s true. One of the most impactful...

I once worked with a nonprofit that had a fantastic meeting with a potential donor. The conversation went well, the donor seemed excited,...

I remember a conversation I had with a long-time donor who had been quietly giving to a conservation nonprofit for over a decade. One...

One of the most common challenges I see when I advise nonprofit leaders—especially smaller or growing organizations—is this: they don’t...