Wealth Management
We are first and foremost a fiduciary
– fully committed to the highest standard of care in the management and oversight of client assets. In our fiduciary capacity, we always strive to act in our client’s best interests. We have a long history of fulfilling the legal duties and obligations of a fiduciary on behalf of our clients, understanding that they have placed their utmost trust and confidence in us.
We focus on wealth preservation, income generation, global asset allocation and broad diversification to minimize downside risk while providing reasonable growth. A global asset allocation plan (consisting of the major asset classes) is developed from client meetings and other communications to produce a risk/return investment profile that objectively establishes a structure and discipline for portfolio management.
With investment research and asset allocation guidance from Northern Trust(overseeing a total asset base of $1.1 trillion), client portfolios are invested in high quality, income-producing stocks and bonds; institutional stock, bond and real asset funds, and ETF’s. Client portfolios are rebalanced parallel with the asset allocation plan and carefully monitored for risk and investment performance against applicable benchmarks.
We also work with outside investment specialists with expertise in active management strategies such as tax free bonds and equity income, value, mid cap, growth and international stocks. These specialized active investment management services are delivered at a lower cost than would be available on an individualized basis.
Trusts and Estates
Counsel Trust provides a broad range of fiduciary services to individuals, families and institutions
– (on a directed or private label basis), including revocable (living), irrevocable, testamentary, insurance, gift, charitable, dynasty, asset protected and guardianship trusts.
A trust ensures that your estate plan is protected and well-managed. A trust can minimize income, estate and inheritance taxes; avoid probate costs (attorney and executor fees); maintain privacy and avoid estate administration delays; provide investment management during life; your spouse’s life and your beneficiaries’ lives (pursuant to your special instructions).
A properly drafted will and trust can address difficult family issues such as caring for a family member unable to deal with financial matters, an orderly and reasonable transfer of a family business and other assets, gift giving, charitable trusts/foundations/legacies and minimizing taxes and administrative costs.
Counsel Trust also offers the flexibility of interfacing with an outside ‘trust manager’, usually a family member, to provide advice and guidance concerning interactions with your beneficiaries and the preservation and distribution of your assets. With years of specialized experience in estate settlements, and trust administration, Counsel Trust (together with your legal counsel) can customize a trust to fulfill your planning needs and goals.
Employee Retirement Plans
Counsel Trust Company offers a variety of defined contribution and pension plans.
The most common types of defined contribution plans are profit sharing and 401(k) plans.
After years of experience administering ‘investment choice’ kinds of plans (especially 401 (k) plans), we have learned that employee benefit plans are often not appreciated by employees who are typically confused with too many fund options. Plan participants don’t need more choices; they need more help.
Counsel Trust offers an ‘open architecture’ retirement plan program that is not the typical mass-market, one-size-fits-all purveyed by large financial providers. With open architecture, each element of plan management can be separately priced and negotiated, from legal documents to record keeping to plan administration/reporting and investments. As a result, you enjoy lower costs and more attentive service.
Our team has the expertise and experience to help you determine what type of employee retirement plan is the best fit for your company or organization. Learn more about our retirement plan services in the Retirement Plans section of the website.
Comprehensive IRA Services
Counsel Trust offers all varieties of IRA’s
– such as Rollover IRA’s, Traditional and Roth IRA’s, SEP and Simple IRA’s and Inherited IRA’s. Rollover IRA’s can accept distributions from 401(k) plans, 403(b) plans, pensions and other qualified retirement plans to provide individualized investment management and ensure continued compounding tax deferral of your savings.
Counsel Trust’s IRA services can assist you in transferring an existing IRA or consolidating multiple IRA’s to improve the investment process and achieve cost and management efficiencies. We can also assist in calculating and explaining the required minimum distribution (RMD) rules and establishing a customized IRA distribution plan at retirement.
