National Advisors Trust Company recently received authority from the Office of Thrift Supervision to offer estate administration and guardianship services in addition to the trustee, employee benefit, IRA, and custodian services that National Advisors Trust has offered since its original chartering. The new estate administration and guardianship services are now available to clients of advisory firms that are National Advisors Trust shareholders.
The decision to begin offering these new services was at the request of several shareholder RIA firms and client attorneys. These estate planners were worried that some clients that created trusts naming National Advisors as Trustee might have assets titled outside of their trust at time of death requiring probate of those non-trust assets. Rather than involving other professionals in the probate process, these planners wanted National Advisors Trust to fill the service void.
Planners and attorneys can now draft wills that name National Advisors Trust as Personal Representative for their clients. While National Advisors Trust retains the right to accept such appointments on a case-by-case basis, the Trust Company now has the authority necessary to serve when in the best interests of the client. Appointment of the Personal Representative remains, as always, in the discretion of the local Probate Court.
National Advisors Trust now also has the authority to serve as Guardian of the estate of an incompetent or minor, if necessary. Guardianship appointments are made by the applicable Probate Court per application to the Court on behalf of the disabled party.
Questions concerning National Advisors Trust’s estate and guardianship services should be directed to Tom Linhoff, Senior Vice President. Email: tlinhoff@nationaladvisorstrust.com.