Tax Services
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Preparing your own income tax return can be a task that leaves you with more questions than answers. According to a study released by the US Government's General Accounting Office, most taxpayers (77% of 71 million taxpayers) believe they benefited from using a professional tax preparer.
Whether we like it or not, today's tax laws are so complicated that filing a relatively simple return can be confusing. It is just too easy to overlook deductions and credits to which you are entitled. Even if you use a computer software program there's no substitute for the assistance of an experienced tax professional.
Here's what you get...
Your tax return will be checked and rechecked by our computer software identifying potential problems the IRS may look at more closely and reviewing the math to limit IRS contacts.
Your tax return can be filed electronically so you will get a refund back quicker.
Our staff will show you how to adjust your payroll withholding to get more money back each week. Why give the IRS an interest free loan for up to 16 months.
We will show you potential deductions to limit your tax liability for next year. In addition, we will give you a sheet of commonly overlooked deductions to limit the following year's tax liability.
Books a Mess? No Problem!
If you own a small business and haven't kept up your bookkeeping, don't worry. We can help you. We'll prepare your bookkeeping for the year, prepare a full Schedule C, as well as your personal income tax return. Then we'll help you set up an easy system that allows you to keep your books in tip-top shape next year.
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Planning is the key to successfully and legally reducing your tax liability. We go beyond tax compliance and proactively recommend tax saving strategies to maximize your after-tax income.
We make it a priority to enhance our mastery of the current tax law, complex tax code, and new tax regulations by attending frequent tax seminars.
Businesses and individuals pay the lowest amount of taxes allowable by law because we continually look for ways to minimize your taxes throughout the year, not just at the end of the year.
We recommend Tax Saving Strategies that help you...
grow and preserve assets by keeping Uncle Sam out of your pockets.
defer income so you can keep your money now and pay less taxes later
reduce taxes on your income so you keep more of what you make.
reduce taxes on your estate so your family keeps more of what you've made.
reduce taxes on your gifts so you can give more.
reduce taxes on your investments so you can grow your wealth faster
reduce taxes on your retirement distributions so you can retire in style
Here's just a few of the Tax Saving Strategies we use...
Splitting income among several family members or legal entities in order to get more of the income taxed in lower bracket
Shifting income or expenses from one year to another in order to have them fall where it will be taxed at a lower rate
Deferring tax liabilities through certain investment choices such as pension plans, contributions and other similar plans
Using certain investments to produce income that is tax exempt from either federal or state or both taxing entities
Finding tax deductions by structuring your money to pay for things you enjoy, such as a vacation home.
Remember, we work for you not for the IRS. Many of our clients save many times the fee in reduced tax liability through careful planning and legitimate tax strategies.
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Are you having problems with the IRS?
We're here to help you resolve your tax problems and put an end to the misery that the IRS can put you through. We pride ourselves on being very efficient, affordable, and of course, extremely discreet. The IRS problems will not just go away by themselves; they just keep getting worse with penalties and interest being added each day.
If you owe the IRS, you have a very serious problem. It may take the IRS several years to catch up to you, but they're relentless and have no mercy in collecting all the money that is owed. When the collection process starts, they'll make your life miserable and literally ruin all aspects of your life.
Please take a look through our complete IRS problem resolution services by clicking on the links below.
Non-Filed Tax Returns
If you do not file, you can be prosecuted and punished with potential jail time, one year for each year not filed. Why risk potentially losing your freedom for failing to file your tax returns?
Payroll Tax Problems
The IRS views failing to pay payroll taxes as the cardinal sin of tax delinquency because a large portion of the payroll taxes are your employees' withholdings.
IRS Payment Plan
If you don't qualify for the IRS Offer In Compromise program, a Payment Plan may be the way to resolve your problem.
Bankruptcy
Your back taxes, interest and penalties can be wiped out by filing bankruptcy. If you qualify, bankruptcy can be the best solution to resolve your crushing tax problems.
Innocent Spouse Relief
Innocent Spouse Relief was designed to alleviate unjust situations where one spouse was clearly the victim of fraud perpetrated by their spouse or ex-spouse.
Get Your IRS File
Most people would be surprised to learn how much the IRS knows about them. Obtaining a copy of your IRS file is critical in analyzing the options available to resolve your tax problems.
Tax Problems
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Every day the massive computer center at the IRS is getting more sophisticated, it's just a matter of time before they catch up with you.
This is not a situation to take lightly, failing to file your tax returns is a criminal offense. If you do not file, you can be prosecuted and punished with potential jail time, one year for each year not filed. Why risk potentially losing your freedom for failing to file your tax returns?
Let us give you the peace of mind you deserve by helping you get in compliance with the law. If you voluntarily file your delinquent returns you'll likely avoid further problems other than having to pay the interest and penalties.
If you wait for the IRS to file your returns for you, they are filed in the best interest of the government, usually with little or none of the deductions you are entitled to.
Before anything can be done to extract you from this predicament all the returns must be filed. You must be current. In most cases, you will likely owe taxes, interest, and penalties after the returns are filed. Once we see how much is owed, we'll set a course of action to get you off the hook!
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The IRS views failing to pay payroll taxes as the cardinal sin of tax delinquency because a large portion of the payroll taxes are your employees' withholdings. Not paying your company's payroll taxes is tantamount to stealing your employees' money in the eyes of the IRS.
As a result, penalties for failing to pay your payroll taxes and filing your payroll tax returns on time are much more severe than other types of penalties. They can drastically multiply the amount you owe in a very short time.
If you are behind on paying payroll taxes for your company, WATCH OUT!!! The IRS is extremely aggressive pursuing collection of this type of tax. They would rather seize your business assets, close you down, sell your assets at auction, and put you out of business than allow you to continue amassing additional payroll tax liabilities.
If you are behind on your payroll taxes, DO NOT meet with the IRS on your own. How you answer their initial questions can determine whether you stay in business or not. It is critical you hire a professional representative who knows how the IRS operates.
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If you don't qualify for the IRS Offer In Compromise program, a Payment Plan may be the way to resolve your problem. Setting up a payment plan with the IRS gives you a little more time to pay off your tax debts.
Unfortunately, penalties and interest will continue to be charged on your outstanding balance as you pay the debt off. You are required by law to pay the interest on your tax debt.
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Your back taxes, interest and penalties can be wiped out by filing bankruptcy. If you qualify, bankruptcy can be the best solution to resolve your crushing tax problems.
Unfortunately, not everyone qualifies to wipe out their tax debt in bankruptcy. Certain rules have to be met first. If you file bankruptcy and don't meet the rules, the IRS will still be in hot pursuit after your bankruptcy is over. Proper pre-bankruptcy planning is key to determining if bankruptcy is or can be a viable solution.
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Did you know that you can get out of the tax debt due to the misdeeds or fraud committed by your spouse? Innocent Spouse Relief was designed to alleviate unjust situations where one spouse was clearly the victim of fraud perpetrated by their spouse or ex-spouse.
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Did you know that you can obtain a copy of your IRS file? Most people would be surprised to learn how much the IRS knows about them. Obtaining a copy of your IRS file is critical in analyzing the options available to resolve your tax problems.
Requesting copies of your IRS file is best done by a professional who understands how to obtain them without raising any red flags as well as how to interpret the information in your file.
Business Services
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As a small business owner you have more important things to do than to keep your own books. We take care of your books for you, so you can get back to the job of running your business and generating profits. We provide training and support for Quickbooks users.
Each month or quarter we'll do the following things for you...
Reconcile your bank account
Generate an income statement
Generate a balance sheet
Clean up your general ledger
Provide unlimited consultations
These tasks form the solid foundation of your small business accounting system. You can customize the package of services you receive by adding payroll, tax planning, tax preparation, or any of our other services.
Bank Reconciliation
Reconciling your business checking account each month allow us to keep your bank account, accounting, and taxes up-to-date.
Having us reconcile your account each month allows you to...
Identify lost checks, lost deposits and unauthorized wire transactions.
Detect and prevent excess/unjustified bank charges and ensures transactions are posted correctly by your bank.
Detect and prevent embezzlement of funds from within your company.
Know how your business is doing? You can't really know unless all accounts are reconciled and properly accounted for on your financial statement.
Manage your cash more effectively. Proper management of funds not only saves money, it makes money for you.
Protect yourself. By timely reconciling and promptly objecting to your bank about any unauthorized, fraudulent or forged checks presented to your bank and paid by that bank, you can relieve your agency of responsibility for the shortfall and transfer the risk to the bank. This reason to reconcile alone should be enough. Crime exists.
Sleep Better. You will sleep more peacefully at night knowing your bank accounts are reconciled, in balance and that all escrow funds, accounts, checks and disbursed funds are properly accounted for.
Income Statement
An income statement, otherwise known as a profit and loss statement, basically adds an itemized list of all your revenues and subtracts an itemized list of all your expenses to come up with a profit or loss for the period.
An income statement allows you to...
Track revenues and expenses so that you can determine the operating performance of your business
Determine what areas of your business are over-budget or under-budget.
Identify specific items that are causing unexpected expenditures. Like phone, fax, mail, or supply expenses.
Track dramatic increases in product returns or cost of goods sold as a percentage of sales.
Determine your income tax liability.
Balance Sheet
A balance sheet gives you a snapshot of your business' financial condition at a specific moment in time.
A balance sheet helps you:
quickly get a handle on the financial strength and capabilities of your business
identify and analyze trends, particularly in the area of receivables and payables. For example, if your receivables cycle is lengthening, maybe you can collect your receivables more aggressively
determine if your business is in a position to expand
determine if your business can easily handle the normal financial ebbs and flows of revenues and expenses
determine if you need to take immediate steps to bolster cash reserves
determine if your business has been slowing down payables to forestall an inevitable cash shortage
Balance sheets, along with income statements, are the most basic elements in providing financial reporting to potential lenders such as banks, investors, and vendors who are considering how much credit to grant you.
Maintaining a Clean General Ledger
The general ledger is the core of your company's financial records. These records constitute the central "books" of your system. Since every transaction flows through the general ledger, a problem with your general ledger throws off all your books.
Having us review your general ledger system each month allows us to hunt down any discrepancies such as double billings or any unrecorded payments. Then we'll fix the discrepancies so your books are always accurate and kept in tip top shape.
Unlimited Consultations
We are always available to spend time with you so you fully understand how to interpret and utilize the financial information we provide. Our consultations are already included in our price, so please feel free to call us whenever you have a question or concern.
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When it comes to paying employees, laws and the IRS have made the payroll function a time consuming nightmare for the small business owner.
Small business owners spend an average of eight hours a month performing payroll functions. That's 12 full days a year that could be spent generating sales, prospecting new business opportunities, improving products or services, or servicing customers.
We offer payroll solutions that meet your business's needs and enable you to spend time doing what you do best--running your company.
Why Outsource Your Payroll...
It's Cost Effective: Use your staff more efficiently by letting us handle payroll and the associated legal details. Reduce overhead by removing the need to hire specialized employees.
It's a Time Saver: Our payroll service eliminates the burden of customizing, updating and maintaining your own payroll system--no more data entry, no more researching updates or new laws, no more worries.
Worry Free Payroll Tax Filing: Eliminate the risks of calculating and filing your own payroll taxes by having professionals do it for you. Federal, state and local payroll tax laws are frequently changing and becoming more complex. How much time do you want to spend learning all the rules and keeping your information up to date?
Allows You To Focus On Core Competencies: Our professional staff allow you to focus on the core competencies of your business. We are accounting professionals--you get the experts working for you and with you.
Comprehensive Reports: You get a wide variety of user-friendly and accurate payroll reports. For a nominal fee, we will include union reports, certified payroll, workers' compensation reports and much more.
Get the Payroll Solution That Best Fits Your Needs.
We know that when it comes to payroll service - no one size fits all. That's why we offer the following 3 custom payroll processing options.
1. Comprehensive Payroll Services
Our Comprehensive Payroll Service takes care of all of the payroll processing for you, so that you won't have to. You get...
Your payroll checks prepared and printed on-time, every-time.
All of your payroll checks are laser printed on "blank" check stock to ensure maximum security and meet the micro encoding standards as set forth by the Federal Reserve System.
Free Direct Deposits
Worry Free IRS and State tax reporting as well as EFTPS tax deposits.
User friendly, and easy to understand monthly, quarterly, and annual payroll tax reports, including W-2, W-3 and 1099 forms.
Detailed reports on your employee's vacation, sick days, and personal days accruals.
Creation and filing of the required new hire reports
Your payroll records maintained in tip top shape.
2. After-the-Fact-Payroll Services
We will take your manually-prepared payroll records and other payroll information and post this information to our data files, so you get...
Worry Free IRS and State tax reporting as well as EFTPS tax deposits.
User friendly, and easy to understand monthly, quarterly, and annual payroll tax reports, including W-2, W-3 and 1099 forms.
Detailed reports on your employee's vacation, sick days, and personal days accruals.
Creation and filing of the required new hire reports
Your payroll records maintained in tip top shape.
3. Online Payroll Processing
You can enter your employee's hours and earnings securely online and get...
The ability to instantly print payroll checks on your own printer.
Free Direct Deposits
Worry Free IRS and State tax reporting as well as EFTPS tax deposits.
User friendly, and easy to understand monthly, quarterly, and annual payroll tax reports, including W-2, W-3 and 1099 forms.
Detailed reports on your employee's vacation, sick days, and personal days accruals.
Creation and filing of the required new hire reports
Your payroll records maintained in tip top shape.
Custom Payroll Reports Service
There seems to be an endless amount of special reports Government agencies require. We can prepare the following reports for you.
Worker's Compensation Audits
Unemployment Claims
Social Security Audits
Child Support Audits
W-2 and W-3 processing
1099 and 1096 processing
Preparation/assistance with Federal and State registration forms
How much do we charge?
In order to give you an accurate price for our payroll services we need to know a little more about your business and what services you're interested in. Our prices are very affordable.
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Growing businesses often reach a point where they need professional financial advice, but can't afford a full-time CFO or controller.
If you're fortunate enough to be in this position then we have the perfect solution for you. Our Part-Time CFO service gives you a professional financial manager who works with you to help guide your business to success.
The cost of hiring a full-time CFO can range from $60,000 to over $100,000 per year plus bonuses and benefits. Our Part-Time CFO services provides you with experienced support at a small fraction of that cost.
Here's what you get with our Part-Time CFO services...
More time to focus on new services, new customers and other core business issues.
Better understanding of the financial side of your business. So you have less surprises and more control over the money.
Improved decision-making capabilities from clearly seeing the hard and true numbers of your business.
A readily available sounding board to help you with those tough business decisions and help you clarify your business plans.
The comfort from knowing that a professional is overseeing, protecting and constantly improving the financial side of your business.
A professional who establishes strong financial controls in your business to reduce employee theft and increase profits.
Training and managing your accounting staff.
Improved quality and timeliness of financial information.
Budget preparation and monitoring.
Profitability analysis by service or product line.
Tax saving strategies.
Trend analysis.
Assistance in defining long-range plans and the quantification of goals.
Cash management.
Liaison with bankers, attorneys, vendors, insurance agents, etc.
Assistance in obtaining financing from banks, including assistance with negotiations.
Review/negotiation of insurance policies.
Development of company accounting procedure manuals.
Analysis of equipment purchases, expansions, etc.
Mergers and acquisitions assistance
Custom designed collection policies and procedures
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A wise business owner once said, "Happiness is a positive cash flow." As a business owner, I'm sure you agree. Everything is better when your cash-in exceeds your cash-out.
A cash crisis can be emotionally devastating and it can even kill your business. If you've ever had to beg, borrow and steal to cover tomorrows payroll you know what I mean.
Our cash management service allows you to...
know when, where, and how your cash needs will occur.
know what the best sources are for meeting your additional cash needs.
be prepared to meet these needs when they occur, by keeping good relationships with bankers and other creditors.
The starting point for avoiding a cash crisis is allowing us to develop a cash flow projection for you. We can help you develop both short-term (weekly, monthly) cash flow projections to help you manage daily cash, and long-term (annual, 3-5 year) cash flow projections to help you develop the necessary capital strategy to meet your business needs.
We also prepare historical cash flow statements to help you gain an understanding about where all the money went.
Creating an accurate cash flow projection is just one of the many cash management services we provide. You also get...
Help obtaining an appropriate line of credit
Cash collection acceleration techniques
Proven effective collection policies
Proven effective payment policies
Help obtaining the maximum rate of return on your idle cash
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Need money to grow your business?
Requesting a business loan without adequate preparation sends a clear message to the lender: High Risk! Therefore, it pays to be prepared and organized in your approach for financing.
Put your best foot forward by allowing us to prepare a winning loan proposal for you. Our proposals have a high likelihood of success because they're created from the lender's perspective.
You get the money you need because we know exactly what banks want to see. Even more importantly, we know how to prove to them that you'll be able to pay them back.
Our winning loan proposals come complete with...
Executive Summary: Where we concisely state the purpose of the loan, the exact amount of money required, an explanation of what the loan will be used for and why it's needed.
Pro-forma Cash Budgets and Financial Statements: We use your data and underlying assumptions to prepare information that your banker can easily read and buy in to.
Owners Personal Financial Statements: We make copies of the last 3 years of personal tax returns for the bank as well as identify the collateral being pledged as security for the loan.
Representation: We help substantiate your financial needs/position to your banker in person.
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A Strategic Business Plan is much more than a tool to obtain financing. If you still have all your plans and ideas locked up inside your head, preparing a strategic plan can help you clarify your company's direction. It can ensure that your key leaders are all on the same page, and keeps both management and staff focused on the tasks at hand.
A Strategic Plan is often needed when...
Starting a new venture, product or service
Expanding a current organization, product or service
Buying a new business, product or service
Turning around a declining business
The Strategic Plan provides a blueprint, describing your company, its products, the competitive environment, management team, financial health, and business risks.
The plan allows you to...
Identify and describe the target customer profile, features, advantages and benefits of your new venture, product or service.
Justify that your plans are credible by fully researching the need being filled with your new venture.
Develop marketing plans including full descriptions of targeted promotional campaigns with implementation timelines. You also get to examine market conditions, the nature of your customers, as well as your competitors, sales potential, and projected results of your promotional campaigns.
Develop staffing plans including identifying the key players, skills, attitudes and expertise needed to build the venture.
Develop management plans including full descriptions of management systems and timelines for implementation.
Develop financial plans including projected startup costs, operating costs, revenue, profits, and break-even analysis for the first 3 to 5 years.
Projected financial plans allow you to effectively predict upcoming problems, or prevent them. In other words, the perspective gained through your Strategic Business Plan can make a significant contribution to your company's success, and help you get the funding you require. In fact, most lending institutions and private investors will not even talk to you without a solid financial plan.
Identify building and equipment needs including vendors and cost estimates.
Formulate company milestones including timelines for upcoming products and services in development.
Remember: Failing to plan is planning to fail.
Let us help you develop a powerful Strategic Business Plan that drives your business to the level of success you deserve.
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Thinking of owning your own business?
Opening your own business is exciting and thrilling. It's everything that comes after the excitement and thrill has worn off that dictates whether a small business will make it or not. It's up to you to maintain and stretch out the "thrill and excitement" period forever.
A methodical plan of action is needed to fulfill your dream or goal of being your own boss and running a successful business. Success lies in the approach you choose to take. We help you avoid the common pitfalls that many new small business owners make when starting their new venture.
We help you...
Prepare an initial business plan to clarify your marketing, management, and financial plans.
Determine your start-up capital needs.
Identify sources of start-up capital and backup sources if needed.
Evaluate and quantify your borrowing power so you know how much money you can get your hands on if needed.
Select a business structure that best fits your needs by evaluating tax advantages, legal exposure, ease of operation and portability should you need to relocate.
Select the right accounting software by evaluating your budget, needs and hardware.
Prepare a Cash Flow Budget so you know exactly how much money you need to keep the business alive each month for the first few years. Unplanned cash requirements are always emotionally painful.
Establish billing and collection procedures to maximize your cash flow.
Establish procedures to monitor and control costs.
Setup a home office so you can maximize your tax deductions.
Prepare and file all federal and state forms.
Prepare and file your application for your Federal Employer Identification Number.
Provide payroll and payroll tax filing when you bring on your first employee.
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At times you may need a trained outside professional to evaluate your company's operations to determine if the appropriate controls are in place to ensure proper handling of resources and to protect yourself from employee theft.
We assess your internal control systems to determine the efficiency and effectiveness of your operating procedures. Then we make recommendations that help your company become stronger and more profitable by correcting any inefficient or ineffective operating procedures we find.
What we do for you...
Implement segregation of duties so that duties are divided, or segregated, among different people to reduce risk of error or inappropriate actions. No one person has control over all aspects of any financial transaction.
Make sure transactions are authorized by a person delegated approval authority when the transactions are consistent with policy and funds are available.
Ensure records are routinely reviewed and reconciled, by someone other than the preparer or transactor, to determine that transactions have been properly processed.
Make certain that equipment, inventories, cash and other property are secured physically, counted periodically, and compared with item descriptions shown on control records.
Provide employees with appropriate training and guidance to ensure they have the knowledge necessary to carry out their job duties, are provided with an appropriate level of direction and supervision, and are aware of the proper channels for reporting suspected improprieties.
Document policies and procedures and making them accessible to employees. The documented policies and procedures provide day-to-day guidance to your staff and continuation of duties in the event of prolonged employee absences or turnover.
Review operations to ascertain whether results are consistent with established objectives and goals and whether the operations are being carried out as planned.
Other Services
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As your cherished family member gets older, they may need some help with their day-to-day financial tasks. Ordinarily simple tasks such as balancing a checkbook and paying household bills become increasingly difficult for the elderly.
You could take care of their day-to-day financial tasks yourself, if you have the time and live close. But if you don't, you may want to consider hiring a professional to help.
With our elder care services, you get the help of a caring, honest and knowledgeable professional. Someone on your team, looking out for your loved one's best interest.
Your loved ones get assistance with their daily finances and business duties and you are kept informed of every step we make. That way, you always know that your family member's needs are being met.
Whether your loved one is no longer entirely independent or simply needs extra help to enjoy their lives, you get help in any of the following areas...
Reviewing and paying household bills, budgeting, and record keeping.
Assistance with check writing and checkbook balancing.
Making sure money is received, receipted, and deposited.
Offering second opinions regarding household issues and unexpected situations.
Handling day-to-day financial transactions such as home repairs, routine maintenance, and emergency medical expenses.
Planning retirement account distributions and safeguard against improper disbursements.
Organizing and reviewing personal, financial, and legal documents to determine what needs to be addressed.
Preparing an inventory of personal assets and investments.
Identifying and planning their retirement income, needs, and goals.
Determining current and long-term cash flow needs by analyzing income and expenses.
Addressing questions about lifestyle, Social Security, pensions, Medicare, and long-term insurance.
Monitoring investment portfolio and other assets in conjunction with their investment advisor.
Preparing, planning and filing income, trust, gift and estate tax.
Providing referrals to local services and agencies.
Arranging proper level of care, transportation, and caregiver assessment.
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It is extremely important for you to select a trusted and credible trustee to manage your affairs after you have passed. And sometimes, the process can be overwhelming for beneficiaries. We work diligently with you and/or your family members or legal representative to insure that your wishes are clearly documented and we can assist you by serving as your trustee or co-trustee should your estate need financial guidance.
Our services include:
Serving as trustee or co-trustee.
Managing a wide variety of trust assets, selecting investment advisors and managers, and overseeing trust investments.
Making and implementing decisions called for by the trust instrument, including decisions requiring exercise of discretionary powers relating to distributions of income and corpus, the exercise of powers of appointment and subdivision and termination of the trust.
When appointed as successor trustee, we will provide a seamless transition.