VETTED
Santiago Vidales Hildebrandt
Tel: 713-240-0024 4411 San Felipe St. Suite 600 Houston, TX 77027
A unique approach to wealth management
About Santiago Vidales Hildebrandt
Santiago Vidales Hildebrandt is the Founding Partner and Managing Principal of Praestantia Capital, LLC, an independent, fee-only registered investment adviser with offices in Houston and San Antonio, Texas. He works with high-net-worth individuals, families, family offices, and businesses, both in the United States and internationally, delivering personalized wealth management strategies aligned with each client's goals.
Santiago brings roughly a decade of experience across private wealth management and corporate and investment banking. Before founding Praestantia Capital in 2026, he served as a Private Client Manager at Merrill Lynch, Pierce, Fenner & Smith in Houston. Earlier in his career he was an Associate Relationship Manager at HSBC Bank USA, a Senior Wealth Strategy Associate at UBS Financial Services, and a Corporate and Investment Banking Analyst at BBVA Compass.
His areas of focus include cross-border and international wealth management, family wealth and legacy planning, corporate executive services, small business strategies, philanthropic planning, managing new wealth, and tax-efficient investing. He builds personalized portfolios that combine passive and active strategies with access to both public and private markets.
Santiago holds a bachelor's degree from the University of Georgia with an study abroad at the University of Oxford in the UK. He has passed the Series 7, Series 66, and SIE examinations and is registered as an Investment Adviser. As an independent fiduciary, he is committed to transparency and to acting solely in his clients' best interests.
About Praestantia Capital, LLCSantiago brings roughly a decade of experience across private wealth management and corporate and investment banking. Before founding Praestantia Capital in 2026, he served as a Private Client Manager at Merrill Lynch, Pierce, Fenner & Smith in Houston. Earlier in his career he was an Associate Relationship Manager at HSBC Bank USA, a Senior Wealth Strategy Associate at UBS Financial Services, and a Corporate and Investment Banking Analyst at BBVA Compass.
His areas of focus include cross-border and international wealth management, family wealth and legacy planning, corporate executive services, small business strategies, philanthropic planning, managing new wealth, and tax-efficient investing. He builds personalized portfolios that combine passive and active strategies with access to both public and private markets.
Santiago holds a bachelor's degree from the University of Georgia with an study abroad at the University of Oxford in the UK. He has passed the Series 7, Series 66, and SIE examinations and is registered as an Investment Adviser. As an independent fiduciary, he is committed to transparency and to acting solely in his clients' best interests.
Praestantia Capital, LLC is an independent, fee-only registered investment adviser with offices in San Antonio and Houston, Texas. The firm's name comes from the Latin word for "excellence," and we believe excellence is not just a standard but a way of life.
As an independent firm, we operate free from affiliations with traditional financial institutions, allowing us to act solely in the best interests of our clients. This independence empowers us to serve as true gatekeepers of both your wealth and your family's future. With unmatched flexibility and transparency, we ensure that every decision and solution aligns with your unique needs and aspirations.
Our purpose is to simplify our clients' lives by managing the complexities of their wealth, family governance, and business matters. We serve high-net-worth individuals, families, and businesses with financial interests both in the United States and abroad, with particular expertise in cross-border wealth management and multi-jurisdictional financial planning.
Our services include asset management through personalized portfolios that thoughtfully integrate passive and active investment strategies, access to public and private markets, comprehensive wealth management, tailored consulting and financial planning, tax planning, risk management, and trust and estate solutions.
See DisclosuresAs an independent firm, we operate free from affiliations with traditional financial institutions, allowing us to act solely in the best interests of our clients. This independence empowers us to serve as true gatekeepers of both your wealth and your family's future. With unmatched flexibility and transparency, we ensure that every decision and solution aligns with your unique needs and aspirations.
Our purpose is to simplify our clients' lives by managing the complexities of their wealth, family governance, and business matters. We serve high-net-worth individuals, families, and businesses with financial interests both in the United States and abroad, with particular expertise in cross-border wealth management and multi-jurisdictional financial planning.
Our services include asset management through personalized portfolios that thoughtfully integrate passive and active investment strategies, access to public and private markets, comprehensive wealth management, tailored consulting and financial planning, tax planning, risk management, and trust and estate solutions.
General Information
Firm Start Year:
2020
No. of Employees:
2-4 Employees
Name of Custodial Firm:
Charles Schwab & Co., Inc.; Interactive Brokers LLC
States Licensed in:
TX
Communities served:
Houston, Austin, Dallas, San Antonio, Miami, New York, Los Angeles
Number of Years with Current Firm:
6
Work Experience:
Praestantia Capital, LLC (01/2020 - Present): Founding Partner, Investment Adviser Representative and Managing Principal Merrill Lynch, Pierce, Fenner & Smith Inc. (11/2021 - 04/2026): Private Client Manager HSBC Bank USA (03/2019 - 11/2021): Associate Relationship Manager UBS Financial Services Inc. (09/2018 - 04/2019): Senior Wealth Strategy Associate BBVA Compass (01/2016 - 09/2018): Corporate and Investment Banking Analyst
Work with the following types of clients:
Businesses, High-net-worth families, family offices, international clients, Individual Investors
Foreign Languages Serviced:
English, Spanish
Advisory Services Provided:
Estate Planning & Trusts, Investment Advice & Management, Financial Advice & Consulting, Financial Planning for Individuals, Financial Planning for Businesses, Tax Advice and Services, Financial Planning, Portfolio Management, Retirement Planning, 401K Rollovers, Risk Management, Money Management, Wealth Management
Services
Investment Types:
Mutual Funds, Commodities, Alternative Investments, Exchange Traded Funds (ETFs), Mortgages & Real Estate, Stocks, Bonds, Options & Futures
I provide a free initial consultation:
Yes
Preferred meeting methods
Can meet clients in the following ways:
Our Office, Your Home, Your Office, Email, Phone, Video Conference
Compensation and Fees
Fee Structure:
Fee-Only
Minimum Portfolio Size for New Managed Accounts:
$500,000
Compensation Methods:
Flat Fee, Based on Assets
Firm Information
Firm's Number of Clients:
22
Firm's Number of Managed Clients:
22
Assets Managed by Firm:
$534,333,350
Total Assets Under Management by Advisor:
$534,333,350
Education
Economics - Economics:
University of Georgia
01/01/2012 - 12/18/2015
Economics - Economics:
University of Oxford
01/06/2015 - 12/18/2015
Financial Planning for Businesses
We work with business owners, corporate executives, and companies on small business strategies, corporate executive services, and the coordination of business and personal wealth.
Financial Planning for Individuals
We provide tailored financial planning for high-net-worth individuals and families, covering investment strategy, tax planning, risk management, legacy and philanthropic planning, and the management of new wealth, including planning for clients with financial interests in more than one country.
Financial Advice & Consulting
Through our tailored consulting services, offered on a standalone basis or bundled with asset management, we provide independent, unbiased advice on complex financial decisions, business matters, and family governance.
Portfolio Management
We build personalized portfolios that thoughtfully integrate passive and active investment strategies, with access to both public and private markets. Portfolios are managed on a discretionary or non-discretionary basis, reviewed at least annually, and rebalanced as needed to stay aligned with each client's objectives and risk tolerance.
Estate Planning & Trusts
We offer trust and estate solutions to help families preserve and transfer wealth across generations, including legacy planning, family governance, and coordination with clients' estate attorneys.
Tax Advice and Services
We provide tax planning guidance as part of our wealth management process, with an emphasis on tax-efficient investing and tax minimization strategies, including for clients with cross-border considerations. We coordinate with clients' CPAs and tax advisors as needed.
Investment Advice & Management
As an independent fiduciary, we provide investment advice and management free from affiliations with traditional financial institutions. Our portfolios draw on public markets, private and alternative investments, options and derivatives, real estate, and passive strategies. Assets are held with independent custodians Charles Schwab and Interactive Brokers.
Wealth Management
Our comprehensive wealth management combines investment management with planning across tax, risk, and estate matters. We simplify our clients' lives by managing the complexities of their wealth, family governance, and business interests, with particular expertise in cross-border and multi-jurisdictional planning for families with domestic and international ties.
Risk Management
We help clients identify and manage the risks to their wealth, from portfolio concentration and market exposure to the broader risks facing families and business owners, and design strategies to protect what they have built.
Disclosures
WiserAdvisor provides referrals to financial professionals. WiserAdvisor is not a current client of advisor or advisory services. Financial professionals pay cash compensation for these referrals, which creates the incentive for WiserAdvisor to make these referrals, resulting in a conflict of interest.
Additional Detailed Disclosures
Disclaimer
Praestantia Capital, LLC is a registered investment adviser. Advisory services are only offered to clients or prospective clients where Praestantia Capital, LLC and its representatives are properly licensed or exempt from licensure. The information provided is for informational purposes only and does not constitute investment advice. Past performance is no guarantee of future returns. Investing involves risk and possible loss of principal capital. No advice may be rendered by Praestantia Capital, LLC unless a client service agreement is in place.
10 Years of Experience
Compliance
Registered Investment AdvisorYes
Investment Advisor RepresentativeYes
Acknowledged fiduciaryYes
Compliance Disclosures in Last 5 yearsI have a clean record
Criminal Disclosures in Last 5 yearsI have a clean record
Office Hours
Monday9:00 AM - 6:00 PM
Tuesday9:00 AM - 6:00 PM
Wednesday9:00 AM - 6:00 PM
Thursday9:00 AM - 6:00 PM
Friday9:00 AM - 6:00 PM
Compensation Arrangements
CheckBank Transfer
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