Trustee Investing
Since the introduction of The trustee Act 2000, trustees now have specific obligations relating to the services and admin of trust funds. The responsibility is applicable to professional and lay trustees. Even So higher standards are expected from professional trustees.
A legal 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 objectives and the suitability of the investment funds to be held.
Trustees have a responsibility to protect the value of the trust fund, whilst providing income for the beneficiaries. It is crucial for trustees to think about the suitableness of the investments held, funding, the type of trust arrangement and the demands of the beneficiaries.
A wide-ranging portfolio of assets should be used to meet the trusts special aims.
This approach can help to limit the volatility within the trust investment by placing across individual asset categories. It is important to take into account risk any particular prerequisites of the trustees. This could also include vesting in an ethical or sociably responsible way.
Trustees have an administrative obligation to re-examine the assets contained within the trust on a regular basis. This can be a time-consuming and protracted process, particularly if the trust executives are not experienced investors.
Trusts and Independent Financial Advice.
It is fundamental to seek unbiased and unprejudiced advice on the assets held within any form of trust agreement. We regularly advise new and existing trustees on suitable asset allocation investment strategies.
Trustees often engage the investor functions of a bank or stockbroker. Sometimes the service is not specific to the needs of the individual trust. A one size fits all philosophy may not take into account the specific needs of the trust. For example, the requirements of a large educational trust would be totally different to a small family trust.
The costs to administrate the investments are an all-important element. The admin costs charged by stockbrokers and banks for trust investment funds advice can be high. This will impact on the investment returns the trust can accomplish.
Our investing process takes into account the fee, as this is a recognized element when we advocate special investments.
If as trustees you are deliberating about investing it is essential to remember that the value of the trust investment funds and the income generated could possibly rise as well as fall. There is no guarantee you will get back more than you invested.
Consilium Asset Management are based in Chipping Sodburychipping Sodbury and offer a unique Trustee investment management service for individual and corporate trusts.