Question 1

When should I get an independent business valuation?

Accepted Answer

The most common triggers are an M&A transaction (buy-side or sell-side), a capital raise, a shareholder or partner exit, succession planning, and estate or tax planning. For family offices, a recurring valuation is relevant any time you need to report fair value to family members, LPs, or auditors on a defined cadence. If you're unsure whether your situation warrants a valuation, the 30-minute discovery call is the right place to start — we'll give you an honest answer.

Question 2

How long does a valuation engagement take?

Accepted Answer

Most engagements are completed in three to five weeks from the date we receive your complete information package. Timeline depends primarily on the complexity of the business, the quality and completeness of financial records, and how quickly information is provided. We confirm a realistic timeline at the start of every engagement so there are no surprises.

Question 3

What information do you need to get started?

Accepted Answer

After the discovery call, we provide a prioritized information checklist tailored to your situation. Typically this includes three to five years of financial statements, ownership and corporate structure documentation, any existing forecasts or projections, key commercial contracts, and debt and financing details. We structure this as a data room checklist so the process is straightforward from day one.

Question 4

How do I start an engagement with Verum?

Accepted Answer

Every engagement begins with a 30-minute discovery call. We use that conversation to understand your situation, assess fit, and confirm whether an engagement makes sense. If it does, we outline scope, timeline, and fee structure before anything moves forward. There is no pitch, no pressure, and no commitment required for the discovery call.

Question 5

What valuation methods do you use?

Accepted Answer

We use three primary methodologies in every business valuation engagement: Discounted Cash Flow (DCF), market comparables (trading and transaction multiples), and — where applicable — precedent transactions. We do not rely on a single method. Instead, we triangulate across all three, reconcile the results, and document every assumption that drives the final conclusion. This is what makes the number defensible in a boardroom, a negotiation, or an audit file.

Question 6

What is the Valuation Confidence Rating?

Accepted Answer

The Confidence Rating is Verum's signature deliverable — an explicit score from 1 to 10 that tells you how much weight to put behind the valuation result, and why. It is built from seven weighted factors: data quality, assumption supportability, methodology fit, business complexity, market comparability, forecast reliability, and time sensitivity. No other valuation firm gives you this. Most valuations tell you what a business is worth. The Confidence Rating tells you how much to trust it.

Question 7

Are your valuations compliant with ASC 820 and IFRS 13?

Accepted Answer

Yes. Every Verum business valuation is prepared in accordance with ASC 820 (US GAAP) and IFRS 13 (International) fair value measurement standards — the frameworks required for PE portfolio reporting, family office financial statements, and cross-border audit compliance. Our reports are structured to meet the documentation requirements of your auditors from day one.

Question 8

How is Verum different from a Big 4 firm or a generalist CPA?

Accepted Answer

Big 4 firms typically assign junior staff to valuation work, charge institutional rates, and produce reports designed to satisfy compliance requirements rather than inform decisions. Generalist CPAs often lack deep M&A and capital markets experience. Verum is a boutique: senior professionals on every engagement, a proprietary Confidence Rating that no large firm offers, and a process built around understanding the business first — not plugging numbers into a template. We also operate across the Americas, which matters for cross-border transactions and multi-jurisdictional portfolios.

Question 9

What is a recurring valuation retainer and who is it for?

Accepted Answer

The retainer model is designed for family offices and institutional investors who need ongoing fair value assessments of private company and real estate holdings — not just a one-time number. We work on a defined cadence (monthly, quarterly, semi-annual, or annual) and produce a full deliverable package each cycle: updated valuation, Confidence Rating delta versus the prior period, IC Memo, and Risk & Scenario Report. Over time, our assumptions sharpen, our understanding of the portfolio deepens, and the Confidence Rating improves — making each successive valuation more reliable than the last.

Question 10

How often should a family office have its portfolio valued?

Accepted Answer

The institutional standard for active portfolios is quarterly — synchronized with reporting calendars, audit requirements, and LP or beneficiary obligations. For more stable, mature holdings, semi-annual or annual cycles are appropriate. The right cadence depends on the nature of the assets, the governance requirements of the family, and whether there are external reporting obligations. We help you map holdings to the right cadence in the discovery conversation.

Question 11

Can you value both private companies and real estate in the same portfolio?

Accepted Answer

Yes. Verum provides independent valuations for private operating companies and real assets — commercial, residential, and mixed-use real estate, including multi-property portfolios. For family offices with both types of holdings, we can cover the full portfolio under a single retainer engagement, delivering a consistent methodology and a unified reporting standard across all asset classes.

Question 12

What is a Confidence Rating delta and why does it matter?

Accepted Answer

Each recurring cycle, we report not just the current valuation but how the Confidence Rating has changed versus the prior period — and why. If data quality improved because audited financials became available, the rating goes up. If market volatility increased uncertainty, it may move down. This delta gives family office investment committees and governance boards a transparent, comparable view of how conviction in the portfolio's reported values is evolving over time.

Question 13

What do I receive at the end of an engagement?

Accepted Answer

Every Verum engagement delivers four documents: a Valuation Report (the full, documented conclusion of value), an IC Memo (an executive summary written for investment committee use), a Risk & Scenario Report (optimistic and adverse scenarios with full assumptions), and the Valuation Confidence Rating. All deliverables are issued through a secure client portal with version control and a permanent audit trail — no email attachments.

Question 14

Can I use your valuation report in a legal, tax, or regulatory context?

Accepted Answer

Our reports are prepared to meet the documentation standards required for M&A transactions, investment committee decisions, financial reporting under ASC 820 and IFRS 13, estate and succession planning, and audit support. If your specific context has particular evidentiary or regulatory requirements, we discuss those at the start of the engagement to ensure the report is structured appropriately.

Question 15

Who can see our valuation report?

Accepted Answer

Valuation reports are prepared exclusively for the client named in the engagement letter. Distribution to third parties — including lenders, counterparties, or advisors — requires prior written consent from Verum. All information shared during an engagement is treated as strictly confidential, consistent with the professional standards applicable to independent valuation advisory firms.

Question 16

Do you sign NDAs?

Accepted Answer

Yes, without exception. We execute a mutual NDA at the start of every engagement before any confidential information is shared. Confidentiality is foundational to how we operate.

Frequently Asked Questions

Getting Started

Methodology & Quality

Family Offices & Recurring Valuation

Deliverables & Confidentiality

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