Types of Trusts
Our trust advisors have the experience and expertise to provide the guidance you need in making these significant decisions. Because establishing a trust is a highly personal process, we will first work with you to determine what your particular objectives are. Then we’ll bring together the most respected money managers and accounting professionals in the state to develop the proper plan for you. Our trust advisors will be here for you every step of the way, ensuring your distinct needs are met.

To learn more about any of these trust services simply call us at (864) 942-1569 or e-mail us at trustservices@ecountybank.com.

Personal Trusts
A personal trust can be a very important tool in the estate planning process. There are many different options, and our trust advisors can outline the differences for you. Here are some basic definitions that may be helpful:

A trust created in your will that goes into effect after your death is called a testamentary trust. A trust that takes effect during your lifetime is a living trust.

A living trust can be either revocable, giving you the right to change or cancel the trust provisions, or irrevocable, meaning the trust cannot be amended or revoked.

Just about anyone with assets can benefit from a revocable living trust — those with large estates and those with more moderate estates. If you have children and/or grandchildren or have title to assets or property, this is one type of trust you might want to consider. A revocable living trust is not a tax-saving vehicle. However, certain types of living trusts can be structured to include provisions to help reduce or eliminate estate taxes.

Irrevocable trusts, on the other hand, may shelter assets from estate taxes. This is a very technical area, and you need to obtain the very best advice. Our trust advisors are uniquely qualified to work with your legal and/or tax advisor(s) to develop the plan that best meets your needs. Since we have full fiduciary powers, we can help you execute that plan by acting as your trustee.

Investment Services
We can help invest your cash by offering funds as well as individually managed investment accounts.

Historically, our investment performance record is outstanding. As custodian of your account, we will place your securities in safekeeping and perform duties established in a written agreement. We then:

• Collect and distribute income
• Transfer and consolidate assets
• Buy and sell securities
• Collect maturing and called bonds
• Maintain complete records and generate quarterly statements
• Provide tax statements for year-end processing

You benefit from having a safe, professional financial institution maintaining your accounts. You will enjoy the convenience of a consolidated report of all investments and properties. And you’ll gain the expertise of a personal account manager who actively manages your portfolio, providing the kind of attention to your investments you know they deserve.

Individual Retirement Accounts
Whether you are considering a career move or looking at retirement, you may need an individual retirement account (IRA) to protect your retirement assets. Our trust advisors can help you sort through the options so you may make decisions that are best for you. We offer funds, as well as individually managed investment accounts, for IRAs of $20,000 or more.

You will benefit from having a personal trust administrator who can answer questions, make investments for you, and establish a tailored portfolio designed to reach your financial goals and maximize your returns. Our cost effective fee is directly related to the overall investment performance.

Estate Planning and Administration
Estate planning is the process of structuring a plan that protects your assets and passes them on to heirs according to your wishes. This is a very personal decision that can affect a family for generations to come, and it requires experienced estate-planning guidance. We’re here to help you make decisions that involve establishing a will and/or trust to protect your loved ones, structuring an estate plan to reduce estate taxes or funding charitable gifts for maximum tax benefits.

We can also act as your Personal Representative, carrying out wishes as expressed in your will. This can be an enormous task, involving investment of assets and working closely with the Probate Court. It's nice to know that when that time comes, your estate will be overseen by trust professionals with the experience to handle this often complicated and emotional task.

Employee Benefit Plans
Our employee benefits professionals are trained to provide administrative and investment services for qualified and non-qualified employee benefit plans including:

• Trustee services for employee benefit plans such as 401(k), profit-sharing and money purchase pension plans
• Plan administration services such as allocations and non-discrimination testing
• Income collection, participant distributions and tax reporting
• Asset safekeeping and accounting

Our trust advisors are ready to meet with you to discuss your employee benefit needs. Business is moving faster and faster; there are great advantages to working with a single-source provider whom you can trust.