What the Beckham saga tells advisers about intergenerational wealth and brand

If you’ve not seen our article in Money Marketing this week (26th January 2026) here’s a handy link if you want to read it on their website. The full article is below though, so you can read it here instead.

However, beyond the Instagram stories surrounding the Beckham saga and questions about the dress / dance / displaced dogs, lies an interesting story for advisers – how to deal with the sometimes thorny issue of the intergenerational wealth transfer.

Buried deep in Brooklyn Beckham’s lengthy statement was a line about ‘signing away the rights to my name’. If you strip out the celebrity, what you’re left with is a classic intergenerational wealth faultline – one generation built the asset and all the wealth and fame that comes with it, while the next generation wants autonomy, identity and agency. 

With recent research from Fidelity Adviser Solutions showing that only 14% of advisers have a defined intergenerational wealth strategy in place, for us, the Beckham story highlights the importance for financial advisers to get their brand, communications strategy and language right if they want to speak to multiple generations.

Because, if they do, there is a real opportunity for advisers to be the bridge over the intergenerational wealth faultline.

Why does intergenerational wealth planning often go wrong?

The Fidelity Adviser Solutions research also revealed that two thirds (66%) of advisers said that advising on wealth transfers represents an important opportunity for their business. 

However, as so few have a strategy in place, they could also be missing a fundamental point. Intergenerational wealth isn’t just a planning challenge, it is also a brand challenge.

Where advisers often make a mistake is in how they communicate with each generation. For example, they often focus on the ‘lead’ generation i.e. those with the wealth, rather than the inheriting generation.

This could leave the inheritor, whether that is adult children, grandchildren, spouses or partners, in a bit of a void, acting as observers, or even treated as a risk that needs to be managed.

This means that, while the wealth may transfer, the adviser relationship may not. The trust simply isn’t there.

So, how can advisers avoid these mistakes?

1. Your website could be the dealbreaker

The next generation of inheritors are likely to be some of the earliest digital adopters. They were the first to use social media and understand the power of being online. It’s therefore likely that your first interaction with them won’t be a meeting, it will be online. 

So, if your website doesn’t appeal to them, if it feels too corporate and too ‘old’, then you will have lost them before you even have a conversation.

2. Your brand needs to have multi-generational appeal

A brand that appeals solely to 75-year-olds is unlikely to appeal to a 35-year-old. Advisers need to play multiple roles – reassuring to current clients, while also being relevant to the next generation of clients.

This could include dedicated pages on your website that are specifically focussed on how you help inheritors, or targeted social media content designed to appeal to this audience.

However, what is really key is building an inclusive brand that gives each generation a place where they can recognise themselves, and each other. Being clear, warm and credible is crucial.

3. Build trust by talking like a human

When choosing an adviser, the main driver for inheritors is ‘can I trust these people with my money?’. So, if your website just lists the services you offer or is filled with financial and regulatory jargon, you’re not going to win over sceptical new clients. 

Your website and communication need to use human language and feature real people across multiple generations. The next generation should see themselves in what you offer. So, focus on why you matter to them and how you will help.

Get ready for the next generation

The intergenerational wealth transfer is happening right now. 

So, if adapting your brand and how you communicate isn’t a top consideration in your intergenerational wealth strategy, then you’re already behind. Don’t watch wealth walk out of the door because you’ve failed to adjust to the needs of tomorrow’s inheritors. 

Anyway, let’s see if this wedding dance video has been published yet…

How ready are your brand and website?

If you’re not sure of the answer then it’s a good time for a brand scan. We’ll take a close look considering your messaging, visuals, and how well it all lines up with what your clients need. It’s a good way to understand where things are working, where they’re not, and what could be holding you back.

You need only drop us a line – or if you prefer a chat, use our online booking tool – and we’ll get the ball rolling.