Forward PWS, Inc.

Overview

Forward PWS develops personalized strategies for estate, financial, and legacy goals. The firm serves privately held business owners, families, ultra-high-net-worth individuals, and family offices with implementation, monitoring, and tax reporting.¹

History

Forward PWS was founded in 2015. The firm reports more than 40 years of experience advising owners of privately held businesses, their families, ultra-high-net-worth individuals, and family offices.¹

Leadership

Michael Ward, Managing Director, works with clients and their advisors on tax, wealth transfer, financial, charitable, and legacy strategies. He also provides multigenerational family financial education and helps prepare heirs for wealth transitions.¹

Shannon Ward, Managing Director, specializes in income, gift, and estate tax planning, tax compliance, and audit defense. She advises high-net-worth individuals, business interests, trusts, and private foundations on matters including business succession and wealth transfer goals.¹

Services

Forward PWS provides comprehensive financial planning, estate and wealth transfer planning, U.S. federal and state tax planning, and tax return preparation.¹

The firm supports families through education, governance, and continuity planning designed to help sustain family assets. Its trustee services include helping select and evaluate trustees, communicating with beneficiaries, supporting donor intent, and preparing or reviewing trust accounting reports.¹

Forward PWS also advises on family risk management and insurance protection. Its philanthropy services include charitable planning, exempt organization selection, implementation, and maintenance.¹

What the firm offers

• Financial planning
• Tax planning
• Estate planning
• Trust and fiduciary
• Philanthropy
• Family governance and education
• Risk and insurance
• Business owner services

Client Focus

The firm works with privately held business owners, families, ultra-high-net-worth individuals, and family offices.¹

Approach

Forward PWS describes its approach as personalized and highly responsive family-office service, combining implementation, monitoring, and tax reporting to support clients’ financial, tax, wealth transfer, charitable, and legacy objectives.¹

FAQs

Related resources

• LocationMultifamily offices in California

  The California multifamily office page gives families and business owners a way to review firms serving the state and compare service models. It can help a reader place Forward PWS's virtual family office approach alongside needs such as tax planning, estate planning, philanthropy, insurance, and family governance.

• Network siteEstatePlanner.com

  EstatePlanner.com offers plain-language guides on wills, trusts, and estate planning decisions. A family considering Forward PWS can use these materials to frame questions about wealth transfer, fiduciary arrangements, charitable goals, and coordination between an estate plan and broader financial planning.

• Network siteFamilyBusinesses.com

  FamilyBusinesses.com combines a directory with playbooks for family-owned companies. Business owners exploring Forward PWS's services can consult it when thinking about succession, governance, ownership transitions, and the relationship between company decisions, family education, risk planning, and personal wealth strategies.

• GuideMultifamily office fees

  The multifamily office fees page explains common ways these firms may charge and which factors can affect overall costs. Readers evaluating Forward PWS can use that background to prepare fee questions across financial planning, tax work, trusts, philanthropy, insurance, and ongoing virtual family office support.

• Similar firmsConfluence Capital Advisors, LLC
  Arrowroot Family Office
  5T Wealth, LLC

  Profiles for Confluence Capital Advisors, LLC, Arrowroot Family Office, and 5T Wealth, LLC provide additional points of comparison within this site's listings. Reviewing their stated services and client focus may help a family or business owner clarify which capabilities matter, from estate and tax planning to governance and fiduciary support.

Sources

1. Forward PWS

Claim or correct this profile

This profile is a factual summary written in our own words from public sources. It is for information only. It is not an endorsement, rating, ranking or recommendation, and it is not investment advice. MultiFamilyOffices.com is not affiliated with the SEC or with this firm unless stated. Form ADV figures are self-reported by the firm.