CUSTOM SERVICES TO FIT YOUR PREFERENCE

Our Service Offerings

Family Office

Administration of
Deceased Estates

Specialised Drafting of
legal documents

Administration of Trusts with Special Needs

OUR SERVICE OFFERINGS

What Sets Us Apart – Where Expertise Meets Passion

At Trustees for the Future, we are committed to ensuring that these values are achieved. We are passionate about forming a trusted relationship with our clients’ family that will stand the test of time, protect their legacy, and advise and support our clients’ loved ones when our clients are no longer capable of doing so themselves.

  • Our Legacy: Multiple generation client relationships (spanning over 24 years).
  • Expertise: 136 years of collective experience, with 48 years shared among three fiduciary advisors.
  • Qualifications: 19 formal qualifications among 3 advisors and a total of 12 employees.
  • Professional Accreditations: Tax practitioners, Certified Financial Planners, Corporate secretaries, FISA members and Attorney, Notary and Conveyancer.

Our View on Estate Planning

Our focus is not to set up wills and administer deceased estates. Our focus is on creating executable estate plans and ensuring their regular review and refinement thereof for our client’s direct family and generations to come.

1. Craft a Comprehensive Estate Plan

  • Ensures assets are distributed in accordance with your wishes, minimising legal and financial issues for loved ones.

 2. Beyond Just a Will

  • While a will is crucial, estate planning goes beyond that. It considers factors like marriage contracts, various taxes, and even death expenses to minimise burdens on your loved ones.

3. Liquidity Needs

  • Many South African estates lack liquidity to settle debts, causing financial strain. Proper planning for death taxes is crucial for asset distribution to heirs.

4. Business Ownership

  • For business owners, estate planning can protect personal assets from business creditors upon death.

5. Offshore Assets

  • Consider how changes in South Africa’s tax protocols may impact your offshore assets and investments.

Myths About Estate Planning

Estate Planning is Only for the Wealthy

  • Estate planning is essential for everyone, regardless of asset size. Proper planning ensures your loved ones are well-cared for and minimises potential losses.

It is a “Once Off Exercise”

  • Don’t underestimate the power of keeping your estate plan up-to-date. Regular reviews ensure your family structure and assets are accurately reflected, minimising confusion and potential disputes. This also guarantees your beneficiaries are named correctly. But the most significant benefit lies in the ease of administration. With current information on record, your wishes can be carried out smoothly, saving your loved ones stress and confusion during an already difficult time.

SERVICE OFFERING 1

Family Office

Welcome to Trustees for the Future, a fiduciary company that offers exceptional services to clients who are serious about wealth creation and management. We understand that every family has unique needs and challenges, which is why we offer an individual approach to tailor financial solutions to fit the needs of you and your family. Our team gains an understanding of your entire family and business structure, including all supporting entities and persons. With a big-picture view, we filter it through tax, wealth, risk, compliance, succession, finance, governance, and everything we know or ought to know. This way, we can generate a tailor-made solution to streamline and manage your cohesive entity. We are the indispensable first line of approach on all important decisions and work with other advisers to ensure that your cohesive entity makes the best possible decisions.

Our services include family governance and generational transition planning, wealth management and planning, together with select financial advisors, auditors/accountants, and other professional advisors, and independent trustee services.

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Read an insightful article by Sydney Eckley on the evolving concept of family offices and how TFTF approaches it differently, here.

SERVICE OFFERING 2

Administration of Deceased Estates

Losing a loved one is undoubtedly one of the most challenging situations you will ever face. At Trustees for the Future, we understand the immense emotional toll this can take on you and your family. That’s why we offer our expert services in the Administration of Deceased Estates, so you can focus on what really matters during this difficult time.

Estate administration can be a complex and confusing process, which is why choosing the right executor is crucial. The executor plays a vital role in managing the deceased’s assets, protecting and preserving them, identifying heirs, fulfilling legal requirements, paying debts and administrative expenses, and handling final tax returns. Our team of professionals can provide you with the necessary guidance and support to ensure that this process is handled efficiently and with the utmost care.

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It’s essential to choose an executor whom you trust implicitly and who has the experience and knowledge to handle the task effectively. At Trustees for the Future, we understand that your family may be going through a difficult time, and choosing a family member who is bereaved may not always be the best decision. That’s why we encourage you to discuss your options with your loved ones and make an informed decision that will give you peace of mind.

Access to funds is a common concern when it comes to estate administration. If you were married in a community of property to the deceased person, your account may be frozen until the executor is confident that the estate is solvent. However, access to funds can be arranged in the meantime. The Master of the High Court oversees the executor’s work and ensures that all assets are secured for the correct beneficiaries.

At Trustees for the Future, we have the expertise and diligence to ensure that the administration of your loved one’s estate is handled with the utmost care and professionalism. We understand the importance of choosing your nominated executor wisely and can assist you and your family every step of the way

SERVICE OFFERING 3

Specialised drafting of legal and/or supporting documents pertaining to Fiduciary Advice and Estate Planning

The specific documents a fiduciary would set up will depend on the nature of their fiduciary relationship and the assets or services they are managing. Here are some examples of documents that a fiduciary may set up:

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Trust agreements: Legal documents that establish a trust, which is a legal entity created to hold and manage assets on behalf of beneficiaries.

Power of attorney documents: Legal documents that grant another person the authority to act on your behalf in financial or legal matters.

Will and Testament: A will is a legal document that outlines how a person’s assets will be distributed after their death. It can also appoint a guardian for any minor children and name an executor to manage the estate.

Trust Resolutions: A trust resolution is a written document that outlines the decisions or actions taken by the trustee(s) of a trust. This document serves as an official record of the trustee’s actions and decisions and can be used to demonstrate compliance with the terms of the trust.

Trust resolutions may be used for a variety of purposes, such as:

  • Investment decisions: A trustee may use a trust resolution to document their decisions regarding investment strategy, asset allocation, or individual investment decisions.
  • Distributions: A trustee may use a trust resolution to document their decisions regarding distributions to beneficiaries, such as the amount, timing, and method of distribution.
  • Administrative matters: A trustee may use a trust resolution to document their decisions regarding administrative matters, such as the appointment of a successor trustee or the sale of trust assets.

Trust resolutions should be drafted and executed in accordance with the terms of the trust and any applicable law. It’s important to keep thorough and accurate records of all trust resolutions, as they may be subject to review by the courts or other interested parties.

SERVICE OFFERING 4

Administration of Trusts with Special Needs

(Mentally incapacitated Beneficiary or Minor Children)

At Trustees for the Future, we provide professional administration services for Trusts with special needs beneficiaries, such as mentally incapacitated individuals or minor children. Our experienced Trustees take complete responsibility for managing the Trust, including investments, budgeting, allocation of payments and income, and other related tasks.

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Parents who want to ensure that their minor children are taken care of in the event of where either one should pass or their simultaneous demise can also benefit from our Trust administration services. Our team of experts will manage the Trust to ensure that the legacy of the founder is preserved and decisions are aligned with the Trust’s objectives.

Trust administration is not limited to cases involving minor beneficiaries. We also offer our services to beneficiaries who are not capable of making sound financial decisions due to physical and/or mental special needs.

Our goal is to maintain the special needs beneficiary’s well-being through the Special Trust. To achieve this, our Trustees understand the beneficiary’s unique requirements, know how to budget and invest appropriately, and are well-versed in the legal aspects related to Special Trusts. Trust in our fiduciary company to provide the necessary care and diligence for the administration of your Trust with special needs beneficiaries.