As a fiduciary financial advisor in Bluffton, Holland Capital helps family members who have just become trustee of a parent’s trust understand the investments, plan the distributions and keep clear records, working alongside the trust’s attorney. We work with clients in Bluffton by video and phone, and meet in person by appointment at a Regus meeting room on Hilton Head Island.
You were named trustee. Now the job is yours.
About 33,200 people live in Bluffton, based on Census figures for 2020 to 2024. Close to a quarter are 65 or older.
A parent may have set up a trust years ago and named you to manage it later. When that day comes, you may face accounts you have never seen, beneficiaries who have questions and a document written in legal language.
The attorney explains what the trust requires. You still have to decide how the money is invested, how payments are made and how the records are kept.
First, Understand What the Trust Holds
We start with the trust document and the attorney’s guidance. Then we gather the account statements and list what the trust owns, where it is held and how it is invested today.
We also note any income the trust receives, any bills it pays and any cash it will need soon.
Investing the Trust’s Money
A trustee generally has a duty to invest prudently and consider the interests of the trust’s beneficiaries. What that means depends on the trust and on state law, so your attorney is part of the discussion.
With investment management, Holland Capital can manage the trust accounts for you as trustee, based on the goals the trust sets out.
Planning the Distributions
Some trusts pay income on a schedule. Other trusts give the trustee discretion over distributions. Your attorney tells you what the document allows.
Our part is the cash. We plan where each payment will come from, so the money is there when it is due and long-term investments are not sold in a hurry.
Keeping Clear Records
Beneficiaries may ask what the trust holds and what it has paid out. We provide regular statements and reports you can share with your attorney and your tax preparer.
A trust may need its own tax return. Your tax preparer handles the return, and we send the investment information they need. For more on how a trust fits into a family’s wider plan, see estate and wealth transfer planning.
How We Work with Clients in Bluffton
Holland Capital Management is an independent registered investment adviser and a fiduciary. M. Chad Holland, CFA, CFP® works directly with clients and is responsible for the planning and advice.
Bring a copy of the trust document, the most recent statements for each trust account, the name of the trust’s attorney and tax preparer, and any letters you have received about the trust.
You leave with a list of what the trust owns, a plan for its investments and a process for handling upcoming distributions.
The first conversation is free. If there is work worth doing after that, we will define the scope and cost before you decide whether to move forward.
Our offices are in Charlotte, North Carolina and Winter Park, Florida. We work with clients in Bluffton primarily by video or phone. When an in-person meeting makes sense, we meet by appointment at a Regus meeting room on Office Park Road on Hilton Head Island.
For clients whose investments we manage, accounts are held directly at Charles Schwab in the client’s own name. Holland Capital manages the investments but does not take custody of client assets. If a client ever needs in-person assistance from Schwab, the closest branch is in Savannah, Georgia, at 7150 Hodgson Memorial Drive.
We work with clients throughout South Carolina. You can see the other South Carolina communities we serve here.
Our what we do page explains how a planning engagement works.
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Frequently Asked Questions
Will Holland Capital Serve as Trustee?
No. You remain the trustee. Holland Capital advises you on the investments and helps you plan the cash and records. The attorney advises you on what the trust requires.
Why Work with a Fiduciary When You Are a Trustee?
Holland Capital acts as a fiduciary when providing financial planning and investment advice. As a trustee, you also have duties to the beneficiaries, so it helps to have advice that starts from those duties.
You see our fee in writing before any work starts.
How Far Is the Meeting Room from Bluffton?
About 22 minutes by car. We meet in a reserved room on Hilton Head Island, and trustee questions can often be handled by phone or video in between.
Photo: Townofbluffton / Wikimedia Commons / CC BY-SA 3.0, cropped.
