Investment Advice for Trustees
August 18th, 2010 August 18th, 2010 Posted in Aid, Commerce, Doing Business, Internet FinanceComments Off
Since the introduction of The trustee Act 2000, trustees now have unique responsibilities relating to the services and administration of trust funds. The responsibility applies to professional and lay trustees. However higher standards are expected from professional trustees.
A statutory duty of care applies to the trustee investments that are contained within the trust. For existing and new trusts, the trustees must take into consideration the trusts aims and the suitableness of the investment funds to be held.
Trustees have a duty to protect the asset value of the trust fund, whilst providing income for the beneficiaries. It is essential for trustees to take into account the suitability of the investment funds in the trust, funding, the type of trust in place and the demands of the beneficiaries.
A varied portfolio of assets should be used to meet the trusts special targets.
This type of approach can help to reduce the risks within the trust investment by vesting across different asset classes. It is critical to take into account risk any specific requirements of the trustees. This could also include consider investing in an ethical or sociably responsible style.
Trustees have an administrative duty to review the assets held within the trust on a regular basis. This can be a long-term and lengthy process, particularly if the trust executives are not knowledgeable investors.
Trusts and Financial Advice
It is fundamental to seek unbiased and unprejudiced advice on the assets held inside any form of trust arrangement. We regularly advise existing and new trustees on suitable asset allocation investment strategies.
Trustees often engage the investor services of a bank or stock-broker. Occasionally the service is not unique to the demands of the individual trust. A one size fits all approach may not take into consideration the individual needs of the trust. For Instance, the prerequisites of a large educational trust should be different to a small family trust.
The costs to administrate the investment funds are an important element. The admin costs charged by banks and stockbrokers for trust investment funds management can be expensive. This will have an affect on the returns the trust can attain.
Our investment funds process takes into account the costs, as this is a recognized element when we recommend specific investment funds.
If as trustees you are looking at investing it is fundamental to remember that the value of the trust investment funds and the income given could possibly fall as well as rise. There is no guarantee you will get back more than you vested.
Consilium Asset Management are based in Chipping Sodburychipping Sodbury and offer a unique Trustee investment management service for individual and corporate trusts.