The best--and worst--of all clients

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Wealth management (wealth management news) is seen as a good industry to be in right now, a way to partially offset volatile trading and investment banking revenue. We're seeing lots of banks staff up in this area.

The most coveted customers of course are the wealthiest. But the vice chairman of Barclays wealth management unit notes that you should be careful of what you ask for--you just might get it. "Beware of the complexities of dealing with ultra high net worths," said Gerard Aquilina, at a recent conference, covered by Bloomberg.

He said these customers often come with "impossible demands," push margins down and cause internal conflict with investment banking colleagues. More specifically, they seek loans that may not generate private banking fees, demand help getting their kids into elite schools and yearn for concert tickets.

This may seem to be a poor choice of words for someone who makes a living serving this cohort. But Aquilina's merely pointing out the challenges of the business. If you can crack the nut and somehow garner much of their assets, you can make it all financially worthwhile. But keeping this group happy is not easy.

For more:
- here's the article

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