Any Idea What $5 Million Looks Like?

When you think of "private banking," do you immediately get an image of wood-paneled rooms tended over by elderly men in long black coats?

Actually, this used to apply to handling the very, very wealthy, with such bankers doing rather dismal and mundane jobs to keep the client happy. "Used to" are the key words for today a private banker has to be quite flexible and do almost anything the client wishes such as buying a yacht or Lear jet. This usually happens when a client comes into a great deal of money rather suddenly and they want to see exactly what the sum looks like. I kid you not. I know one banker in Philadelphia who was asked to spread $5 million out on a table in the conference room--surrounded by legions of security guards, of course.