Dear Garden State Trust Company: I have a child with autism, and I’m thinking about the child’s financial future. I’ve heard about special needs trusts, which can provide for financial support without jeopardizing public benefits. What is the difference between a first-party special needs trust and a third-party special needs trust?—Caring Parent Dear Caring: A…
Month: July 2016
12 reasons to review your will
Creating a will and an estate plan is not a “one and done” event. Many events can cause a plan that made perfect sense when it was drafted fail to meet expectations and the needs of the family. Life happens. As a rule of thumb, a will and estate plan should be reviewed every five…
Should your investment program be a trust?
Investors with $50,000 portfolios have stockbrokers, it has been said, while those with $5 million have trust officers. That may be true, but it’s also misleading.The fact is, few of our customers are in the truly high-wealth category. A good number of business or professional people, active or retired, count on us to maintain and…
Brexit fallout
One thing is certain about financial markets—investors hate uncertainty. They hate being surprised. And the biggest surprise of the quarter was the decision by a slim majority of Britons to leave the European Union. The next day Japan’s Nikkei dropped 8%; France’s CAC fell 10% in two days; and the S&P 500 lost 5% in…