At Archford Trust Services (ATS), we provide bespoke trust solutions, focused on helping you and your family realize your financial goals. Backed by experience and commitment to service, we aim to deliver peace-of-mind for you and those you care about.
The Value of a Trust
A well-structured trust does more than manage your assets:
- Avoid Probate: Avoid lengthy and potentially costly court proceedings held to oversee the collection, appraisal, and distribution of your assets
- Protect Your Well-Being: Put a plan in place designed to help ensure your financial affairs are managed according to your wishes if you become incapacitated.
- Safeguard Beneficiaries: Help your heirs make wise choices with their inheritance, reducing the chances of mismanagement
- Guard Against Financial Abuse: Shield yourself from potential elder financial exploitation
- Preserve Family Harmony: By appointing a corporate trustee—an impartial entity staffed with legal and financial professionals bound to act in the best interests of your beneficiaries—you can minimize conflicts and ensure every decision prioritizes their well-being
What a Trustee Does
- Notify Creditors: Notify creditors of decedent’s death; pay debts
- Secure & Sell Property: Change locks on trust properties; prepare for sale
- Ongoing Communication: Keep beneficiaries informed about the trust’s administration
- File Taxes: File income taxes and federal death taxes if necessary
- Collect & Appraise Assets: Collect assets; conduct appraisals to determine value
- Provide Accountings: Provide accounting to beneficiaries
- Distribute Assets: Distribute remaining assets to beneficiaries
Benefits of Designating Archford as Your Trustee
One of the most important decisions you can make is the selection of a trustee. Archford Trust Services provides professional trust administration designed to help relieve your family of the complex responsibilities of administering a trust, with a focus on thoughtful stewardship and sensitivity to your family’s needs. Trusteeship is a serious fiduciary responsibility that takes time and understanding of tax, legal and investing implications. Entrusting these responsibilities to Archford Trust Services can help reduce the administrative burden on those you care about while providing professional management guided by the terms of the trust and applicable fiduciary responsibilities.
