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A solid governance structure is critical to any private trust company’s long-term success. Through a thoughtful review that includes useful diagrams and outlines, learn the common elements of the PTC structure; the Board role and responsibilities; the Board attributes, composition, selection process, and succession planning; and addi...

Lawmakers have passed the Corporate Transparency Act (CTA) to help in the ongoing fight against fraud, corruption, terrorism financing, and money laundering. The CTA contains significant new federal reporting obligations, and it may have an especially onerous impact on estate planning for those who accomplish their planning goals through the u...

Once the private trust company’s (PTC) governance structure is designed, the foundational operations and administration elements will be central to bringing the PTC to life. Three key elements toward that end include reducing PTC complexity through documentation and recordkeeping; maintaining the PTC through communications and compliance;...

A private family trust company (PFTC) provides families with intergenerational governance over family assets and a private forum for decision-making. Without proper management, however, a PFTC can be exposed to costly litigation and the potential for significant liability. By developing and implementing policies that take into account the expertise...

FOX’s annual estate planning webcast will lead participants through a thoughtful discussion of some of the most important topics and developments that were addressed at the 57th Annual Heckerling Institute on Estate Planning. Key legislative, regulatory, and case law updates impacting ultra-high net worth families and their family offices will be c...

40% of families now gift their assets through trusts compared to 12.5% in 1995. Directed trusts, special purpose entities, trust protector companies, and regulated and unregulated private trust companies have all played integral roles in the growing popularity of trusts. This session focused on the important reasons families are choosing these popu...

21st century wealth owners and their financial advisors often seek to design trusts that are flexible enough to withstand personal and financial changes yet manage the investment's outcome. Trusts serve the useful purpose of retaining control of funds pending certain events, after which funds may, can or must be transferred to or on behalf of the b...

If you find your family office or growing business suffering from a lack of support in the technology department, then you may benefit from outsourcing IT. While some struggle to find room in the budget to add support staff, there are others continually adding staff only to realize they are unable to keep up with demand. An alternative to those iss...

The Board of Directors plays a pivotal role in the effective governance of any organization, including the private family trust company. Board members fulfill their roles and responsibilities, in part, by holding regular meetings that utilize a comprehensive agenda. One vital tool for an effective Board meeting is the meeting agenda. Here, ten sugg...

A Dynasty Trust is often referred to as a family bank since it serves as a primary resource for the funding of the needs of a family's beneficiaries in successive generations. Given the unsteady economic times and tax uncertainty, there is no better time than now for wealthy families to establish a Dynasty Trust to achieve optimum results...

At some point, your family wealth may be so complex, or a significant transition happens that starts a process to form an independent family office outside of the business. Whatever the reason, separating family wealth management from the business should be considered an evolutionary process and starts with your family gaining consensus to establis...

Tennessee enacted a new trust bill effective July 1, 2024 that made several key changes to Tennessee’s trust laws as well as an important change to the Tennessee general partnership statute. Another highlight includes changes to the Tennessee Revised Uniform Partnership Act, which may enable interests in a family-owned general partnership to qualif...

There are various laws and issues to take into account when considering a state in which to form a Private Trust Company, including requirements around annual reporting, residency of personnel, and capital requirements. This report provides a side-by-side comparison of state PTC laws across key states: Ohio, Florida, Texas, and Tennessee.

As companies and service organizations increasingly use third-party service for outsourced services, there is more demand for a detailed understanding of the processes and controls of these third-party service providers. To show they have the right processes and internal controls in place, it’s crucial to provide a System and Organization Controls ...