Corporate Trustees: What are They and Should you Get One?
If you created a trust to protect your beneficiaries, then you might want to name a corporate trustee to guard the assets, rather than a family member. Even the family that you love and trust most may not have the ability to manage a trust professionally. On the other hand, a corporate trustee is all about providing knowledgeable, objective, and impartial management to your trust. If you think a corporate trustee might be right for you, you will want to start by investigating the different services offered by a variety of financial institutions. A lot of financial services will have an entire department of corporate trustees who are there to manage your fortune. They will offer confidential services that can focus on the well-being of your future beneficiaries. Often it is too much for a son or daughter to take on the management of your estate, but a corporate trustee can focus on your assets as an occupation. That means that this individual will probably take managing your trust very seriously, whereas a family member might be prone to slough it off.
If you choose to hire a corporate trustee, this worker will provide expert recordkeeping services for you. He or she may be able to do complex accountings of the distributions that are made from the investments of your trust. A trustee will also be able to account all of the disbursements from your income and the principal amounts from your assets. As well, this partner will file all of your income tax returns for you. This can save you or your beneficiaries hours of time. You will want to pick a trustee who is knowledgeable when it comes to trust administration laws. These laws seem to always be changing, and someone who isn’t up to date may make a grievous mistake. Your trustee will be able to help you to make informed decision regarding investments, and will also be able to appropriate all distributions to your beneficiaries when the terms of your trust are executed.
Another benefit to hiring a corporate attorney is that he or she can be an objective third party. This businessperson won’t be involved in the emotions associated with your death or the family drama that might ensue as inheritances are doled out. He or she can make decisions based on how they apply to the terms that you set forth. Another benefit to hiring a corporate trustee is that he or she can carry on your wishes after your passing. This way your beneficiaries will be able to receive the services of this financial advisor for years.
So, you may be wondering whether or not you should hire a corporate trustee to help work through your estate. If you don’t know what to do with your fortune because your spouse used to take care of the finances and has passed away, or if you don’t know where you should invest our money, then a corporate trustee may be the answer to your problems. As well, if you recently sold a business and don’t know where to invest the profits, a corporate trustee can help you to make an educated decision. If you are the recipient of an inheritance, a trustee can also help you to handle that money and generate investment profits for the future. If you are worried about willing all of your estate to a child who is not responsible with money, or want to try and avoid some taxes but aren’t sure how to do so when giving your estate away, a corporate trustee can help with this as well. Explore your options and determine whether or not a corporate trustee is right for you!
Posted on Oct 16, 2012 5:00pm PDT