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Death isn’t something many want to think about, but estate planning is a complex topic with consequential decisions. Tolleson Wealth Management President Richard Joyner discusses what to think about and how to select a trustee in this episode. Listen to the next episode to learn about the five principles families should conside...

A trustee’s job is to carry out the intent of the trust creator, using the trust document as a roadmap. Trustees and beneficiaries must work to build a mutually beneficial relationship to ensure long-term success. In the latest Tolleson Insights podcast, President Richard Joyner provides a road map on the five principles families should consi...

Also known as a family trust company, a private trust company (PTC) is an entity that allows families to unbundle fiduciary services in furtherance of family and financial goals. In this overview and primer, learn more about the elements of the PTC structure, board roles and responsibilities, and when it makes sense to form a PTC.

Trusts are valuable tools frequently used to transfer wealth within families, preserve and protect wealth, and reduce taxes. Understanding trusts and the role of the trustee is important for the people establishing trusts and the beneficiaries of those trusts. Building on this foundation, answers are provided to some questions about trusts and trus...

Following the enactment of the Corporate Transparency Act (CTA), the U.S. Department of the Treasury's Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (FinCEN) explained that the CTA and FinCEN regulations "would help protect the U.S. financial system from illicit use by making it more difficult for bad actors to conceal their financial activities through ent...

As families and their advisers begin to prepare for U.S. entities in their succession planning structures to comply with the Corporate Transparency Act (CTA), consideration should be given to U.S. holding companies and the requirement to report a business street address. This "Supplementary Information" section of the final regulations issued by th...

Being asked to oversee a family trust is a big deal. It’s a huge responsibility, and one you may not feel prepared to accept. Even if you’ve participated in or been exposed to the world of trusts, you may not have the knowledge or skills to be an effective trustee right now. The first step in deciding whether to accept this role is to learn more ab...

If you’ve been thinking that a prenuptial agreement might be a nice precautionary measure to have in your back pocket, you’re not alone. Romantic notions are increasingly giving way to pragmatism in recent years. Among the reasons to implement a prenup will vary, including protecting your children’s inheritance in the event there is a divorce. If y...

Simply because the instrument governing your trust states that it is irrevocable and cannot be amended does not mean it cannot be modified to serve your family’s needs in a better fashion. Delaware law offers an array of options—administrative amendment, decanting, a nonjudicial settlement agreement, consent modification, trust merger, and judicial...

Rather than viewing trusts as a mechanism to protect beneficiaries from the dangers of wealth, what if trusts were viewed as vehicles to “ignite a fire” within the next generation? Imagine a trust structure that is designed to cultivate a spirit of entrepreneurialism by making beneficiaries active participants rather than passive recipients of thei...

Beginning with the trustee fiduciary duties to the beneficiaries of a trust, attorney Abbey Magnuson of Foley & Lardner’s Estate & Trusts Practice Group discusses ways to mitigate trustee liability in this 10-minute interview with Brian Lucareli. Abbey also emphasizes the role Family Offices play in the administration of trusts and how they...

If you’re a first-timer to the prenuptial conversation, having apprehension around talking about a prenuptial agreement is normal and to be expected. There may even be fear that raising the topic with the spouse-to-be will put a brake on the relationship. As you consider the best way to reach out to a loved one on the difficult topic, here are 7 ti...

Choosing a trustee is a major decision—one that may impact you and your family in many ways for generations to come. Essentially, when you establish a trust for the benefit of others, you are handing down your values through the terms of the trust and your contributed financial assets. And with an increasing number of trusts lasting for multiple ge...

No matter your role – whether you’re a family business leader, family office executive, family member – how are you preparing your family for significant wealth transfer or liquidation events? Said differently, how can you make inheriting wealth less like being hit by a comet?

Your fellow FOX members have contributed these death and estate settlement tools and samples. Please note that these samples have been provided for illustrative purposes only, and may not represent the latest versions. If you have developed sample planning tools, templates, or practices that you think will be of interest to other families, pleas...