Higginbotham Addresses a Challenge as Old as Wealth Itself: Keeping It in the Family

New book by Managing Partner Warren Barhorst introduces the Total Family Balance Sheet by Higginbotham™, a coordinated approach to risk management across every asset a family owns

"Shirtsleeves to shirtsleeves in three generations." The phrase exists in nearly every culture and every language, a universal acknowledgment that building family wealth and keeping it are two entirely different challenges. Yet for most families, the focus remains overwhelmingly on the building. Higginbotham, the 16th largest independent insurance brokerage in the U.S. in 2026 according to The Hales Report, is addressing the other side of that equation with the release of Opportunity at Risk: A Generational Approach to Wealth Preservation Through Comprehensive Risk Management, authored by Managing Partner Warren E. Barhorst with co-authors David A. Goldberg and David K. Hollingsworth.

At the center of the book is the Total Family Balance Sheet by Higginbotham™, a proprietary framework developed and trademarked by the firm. The framework addresses a coordination problem that Barhorst argues cuts across income levels: families typically hold wealth across six distinct asset classes — investment portfolios, real estate, family operating businesses, private equity investments, personal assets and family human capital — but tend to manage risk in each area separately, with different advisors and no unifying strategy. Taxes, legal exposure, market shifts and family dynamics can each quietly erode what took decades to build when no single advisor is watching all of it at once; what Barhorst calls financial gravity.

"It shouldn't be so hard to pass your wealth on to the next generation," said Barhorst. "But it is, in every culture and every income bracket. A family that worked and saved a million dollars faces many of the same challenges as a family with $100 million or even a billion. The risks are generally the same. Most people just aren't thinking about it in a coordinated way."

The Total Family Balance Sheet by Higginbotham™ seeks to position a single trusted advisor or designated risk manager as the coordinating point across all six asset classes, with a goal of aligning risk management, insurance, financial and legal strategies so that a decision made in one area doesn't create unintended exposure in another.

Barhorst and his co-authors are using the book as a working resource in client conversations, a way to introduce the framework and open planning discussions that more traditional materials often don't reach.

"The families navigating wealth transfer aren't just looking for products. They're looking for someone who can see the whole picture," said Goldberg. "That's the problem this framework is built to solve, and the book gives us a way to walk clients through it in a tangible, accessible way."

Higginbotham supported the development and production of Opportunity at Risk as part of its family office and comprehensive planning practice, which serves families and business owners seeking a single, coordinated approach to protecting what they've built.

Opportunity at Risk is available now on Amazon and through major booksellers.

About the Authors Warren E. Barhorst is a Managing Partner with Higginbotham and has over 35 years of experience in risk management, insurance, financial services, distribution strategy and consulting. He founded Iscential, a Houston, Texas-based Risk Management, Insurance and Financial Service firm in 1993, serving over 140 insurance and financial carriers across 30 states before partnering with Higginbotham in May of 2023. Beyond insurance, Warren is a serial entrepreneur starting or investing in over 30 businesses and has served as a consultant to more than 125 companies, spanning startups to large corporations, where he helped with mergers and acquisitions, business valuation, process improvement, distribution strategy and training. He has authored three books: Game Plan: The Definitive Playbook for Starting or Growing Your Business and Game Plan: The Definitive Playbook for Selling in The Connection Culture, which draw on his experience building client relationships and scaling businesses, and now Opportunity at Risk.

David A. Goldberg brings a rare operator's perspective to estate and business financial planning, shaped by a career building and scaling ventures across complex industries. As an entrepreneur, he has led or contributed to teams that have raised eight figures in venture funding, with successful exits to companies including Penske Media and AOL. Most recently, he founded an AI-powered telehealth platform in the integrative medicine space, then transitioned to financial services, channeling his experience as a business builder and investor to solve complex financial challenges for his clients. David currently serves as Managing Director at Higginbotham.

David K. Hollingsworth brings four decades of insurance industry experience to the intersection of leadership, strategy and risk, including a career as Senior Vice President at Nationwide Insurance, one of the largest insurers in the country. He has served as Chairman of the Board at Iscential and spent more than 20 years working directly with agency owners and financial advisors, helping them navigate succession and growth. He holds multiple professional designations, including CPCU, CLU and FMLI, alongside an MBA from Drake University, and currently serves on the boards of several businesses while running his own consulting practice.

About Higginbotham Higginbotham is an employee-owned leader in insurance, financial services and employee benefits. Since 1948, the company has combined national reach with local expertise, ranking as the 16th largest independent insurance brokerage in the U.S. in 2026 according to The Hales Report. Higginbotham delivers customized programs supported by its Day Two Services®, designed to ensure that clients receive proactive guidance and support throughout the life of every policy.

Guided by a values-driven culture, the company is committed to its employees, clients, carrier partners and the communities it serves. Learn more at higginbotham.com.