WEALTH MANAGEMENT FOR INDIVIDUALS AND FAMILIES
TRUST AND ESTATE ADMINISTRATION
A trust is a legal arrangement whereby a trustee holds legal title to property for another person or persons, called beneficiaries. The trustee has a duty to follow the terms of the trust and manage the trust in the beneficiaries' best interests. Choosing the right trustee is crucial to making sure the grantor's wishes are carried out. You want to name some-one who is trustworthy, experienced, and who knows and understands you, your goals, and the nuances of your family dynamics. You want someone who can carry out the grant-or's intentions and balance fairly the interests of current and future beneficiaries.
CONTINUITY OF THE TRUST TEAM
The principals of our firm accept fiduciary appointments to serve as trustee, co-trustee, or successor trustee of trusts, as well as executor of wills to probate estate assets. From the time our firm was founded nearly 50 years ago, the members of our firm have faithfully administered hundreds of trusts and estates. Malcolm Butler is the Chief Trust Officer of The Fiduciary Group, and among the most experienced professional trustees in this region. Malcolm has a law degree and has served as a private fiduciary and professional trustee for 35 years. A seasoned team of administrators handle the day-to-day tasks of paying bills, processing distributions, and coordinating the preparation and filing of tax returns. We personally know and have a deep understanding of the beneficiaries we serve. We are highly accessible and responsive, and we are in it for the long-term. Continuity in managing trusts is provided through successor ship in the office of Chief Trust Officer.
INTERGENERATIONAL ADVISORS
Many clients choose to name our Chief Trust Officer as trustee because they know that we develop and maintain long-term relationships with the grantor and his/her named beneficiaries across generational lines. It is very common for us to manage the investment assets of clients during their life-times, then carry on the professional management of the assets as trustee for the lives of the next generation and the generation after that.
TRUST ACCOUNTING AND REPORTING, DISTRIBUTIONS, AND TAX FILING
We keep track of all income to, distributions from, and expenditures by the trust, including tracking and reporting on principal and income. We pay the bills for which the trust is responsible, and protect and manage all trust assets. When beneficiaries have a distribution request, we typically can handle it the same or next day. We report regularly to the beneficiaries, and handle the preparation and filing of the trust's tax returns by an independent CPA.
PRUDENT INVESTMENT MANAGEMENT
A trustee is held to the highest standard of care in investing the trust assets. Responsibility for investing trust assets is assigned to the investment team of The Fiduciary Group, comprised of 4 analysts who hold the Chartered Financial Analyst® designation, considered by many to be the gold standard of investment analysis. For nearly 50 years, the investment managers at The Fiduciary Group have provided expert investment management of trust assets.
HELPING FAMILY MEMBERS NAMED AS TRUSTEE
Sometimes, a trust names a family member or other non-professional as trustee, who may not have the requisite skills or resources to fill that role. We can help. Not only can we handle the investment responsibilities of trustee, we can do the heavy lifting for trust administration (trust accounting, re-porting, distributions, bill pay, and tax filing). In this way, we serve as the outsourced fiduciary partner to named trustees.