The new partnerships highlight how helping with areas such as children's education choices can be seen as a distinct service offering from banks.

Citigroup is partnering with education consultancies, Crimson Education and Onwards Education Consultancy, to provide Citigold Private Client customers with access to international education planning services for entry to international schools and universities.

The partnership is an example of private banks’ strategies for engaging with clients and retaining their business extending beyond the confines of traditional areas such as credit and investments. It also comes at a time when the cost of sending offspring to private schools and elite universities is very high.

The partnerships started on 4 March and will run until 31 December 2027. These are the first in a series of enhanced value propositions in 2026 that will see the US bank broaden its benefits for clients to include lifestyle and wellness services alongside its core wealth proposition. 

Through these alliances, clients will have access to expert consultants who can guide families through the complexities of international education planning, including identifying the right schools and programmes and navigating the competitive and complex university admissions processes at institutions. (This also begs questions of where this leaves ideas around meritocracy and opportunity.) To see an article from sister news service Family Wealth Report about this topic, click here.

As school fees rise, and the question of whether investment in expensive schools and colleges justifies the outlay, HNW parents need more guidance on how to avoid costly mistakes and set realistic expectations.

"Planning for a child's education is one of the most significant and profound investments parents make. Our commitment to our clients is to journey alongside them, enabling them to achieve their diverse aspirations that extend far beyond financial investments,” Gourab Kundu, head of digital growth and wealth continuum for Asia South at Citi Wealth, said.

Crimson Education is a global university admissions consultancy supporting students to gain admission to top universities across the US, UK and European Union.

Crimson delivers a personalised, team-based mentoring model, pairing each student with a team of advisors to support every stage of the admissions process, from strategy and profile building to essays and interviews.

Selected Citigold Private Clients will enjoy a complimentary one-hour consultation, and special discounts on full Crimson university admissions consulting programmes, the bank said. 

Onwards Education Consultancy offers a personalised profile assessment and academic guidance for international students planning to study in Singapore, including expert admissions support and tuition services. Citigold Private Clients will receive a complimentary one-hour consultation, and special discounts on all academic programmes with Onwards Education Consultancy, the bank said.