Advisor Directed Trust®

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A Smart Plan Today Can Mean a More Secure Tomorrow

You've spent years building wealth and security for yourself and your family. Your lifetime of accomplishments can have a lasting impact into the future, and trusts can play an integral role in achieving your wealth management plan. (see Why establish a trust)

Advisor Directed Trust, offered by Franklin Templeton Bank & Trust, is an innovative corporate trustee program that allows you to retain your own financial advisor to oversee and manage your trust assets while relying on our team of seasoned and knowledgeable professionals to handle the trust administration functions.

With Advisor Directed Trust, you enjoy the peace of mind that comes from knowing the financial advisor you rely on today will help you meet your family's goals tomorrow.

View Grantor Guide

Advisor Directed Trust vs.
a Traditional Corporate Trustee
Advisor Directed Trust ® Traditional Corporate Trustee
Separate Fiduciary Duties You, as the grantor of the trust, appoint your own financial advisor to assume fiduciary responsibility over managing the investment of the assets held in the trust.

Franklin Templeton Bank & Trust is separately appointed as trustee to manage the trust administration functions and safekeeping of assets.

The corporate trustee assumes responsibility for both the administration of the trust and the management of the trust investments.
Comprehensive Investment Management You'll be able to leverage your established relationship with your own advisor, who knows your history, risk tolerances and goals. In managing your comprehensive portfolio, your advisor can take your entire financial situation into account when making investment decisions for your trust. The corporate trustee assigns their own trust investment manager who will need to become acquainted with your history, risk tolerances and needs, and may not have a view of your entire financial picture.
Investment Flexibility Your advisor has the flexibility to select investments that best meet the trust's investment objectives, including stocks, bonds, mutual funds and other marketable securities. The corporate trustee may not have such flexibility, and the range of available investments may be more limited.
Service You continue to benefit from the level of service you have enjoyed from your advisor. Smaller accounts may not get the desired level of service and attention.

How You Benefit from Advisor Directed Trust

By retaining your advisor as manager of the trust assets, you'll enjoy his or her investment management expertise across your entire portfolio, alongside the benefits of a corporate trustee. Incorporating your trust assets into your overall financial plan can enable your portfolio to be managed to its greatest potential—taking advantage of tax efficiencies, creating a truly diversified portfolio and best meeting your risk and return objectives.

Advisor Directed Trust allows your advisor the investment freedom necessary to select the assets that he or she believes best meet the trust's objectives. Conversely, a traditional corporate trustee may be limited to their institution's investment offerings.

Also, with a traditional corporate trustee the new manager will need time to learn and understand your history, risk tolerance and specific financial needs—details your advisor already knows well based on your existing relationship.

You may be more likely to also get a higher level of service and attention by allowing your advisor to manage the assets in the trust, as he or she can deliver the same level of care they provide for the rest of your portfolio.

Getting Started with Advisor Directed Trust

Your first step is to speak to your financial advisor about Advisor Directed trust and your legacy planning needs.

Your financial advisor will coordinate with Franklin Templeton Bank & Trust and your estate planning attorney to identify the appropriate trust solution and establish your trust in the Advisor Directed Trust structure.

Once your trust is established and funded, your advisor begins managing the assets. Your advisor will have full discretion to choose investments that best meet the trust's objectives including stocks, bonds, mutual funds and other marketable securities. An experienced Franklin Templeton Bank & Trust trust officer handles all the administrative functions, such as evaluating discretionary requests and making trust disbursements. Other administrative responsibilities include:

  • retaining cost basis information
  • collecting dividends and other trust earnings
  • paying bills
  • generating quarterly statements
  • preparing required annual accounting
  • filing tax returns (or working with your tax preparer to file)

Contact your financial advisor for more information about using Advisor Directed Trust as part of your long-term wealth-management plan.

FRANKLIN TEMPLETON BANK & TRUST, F.S.B.
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