SERVICES

SPECIAL NEEDS TRUSTS

Special needs trusts are traditionally established for beneficiaries who may face physical, emotional, or mental challenges, who may rely on government assistance, and who may also have needs beyond the scope of services provided by those governmental programs. 

The careful and cautious management of special needs trust  funds ensures compliance with the complex and varying rules that surround governmental programs, including Medicaid and other public sector agencies. Our professional staff  has extensive experience in managing special needs trusts and the related challenges of our beneficiaries.

If you need an attorney to assist in drafting a special needs trust or have questions about our special needs trust services, please contact us.

ESTATE ADMINISTRATION

A professional Executor or Estate Administrator can carefully and efficiently assist in the transition of your estate to your loved ones. ATG Trust Company has the experience and knowledge to navigate the oft-complicated estate probate process and to ensure the safe and timely delivery of your assets to your rightful heirs. Working with your estate attorney, and the court if necessary, ATG Trust will assist with locating important documents, the payment of final expenses, the collection and distribution of estate assets, determining if probate is necessary, filing the Will and identifying appropriate beneficiaries. You can be assured that your legacy is preserved with ATG Trust as your professional fiduciary.

If you have questions about naming ATG Trust Company as Executor in your estate plan, please contact us.

GUARDIANSHIPS

A professional Guardian is a court-appointed entity responsible for the care and protection of individuals, and their financial assets, who may be unprepared or unable to manage on their own. This may include minor children, disabled adults or persons with cognitive limitations. ATG Trust Company works with the court to provide thoughtful, caring and specialized Guardianship services. These services include preparing and presenting court accountings, setting personalized budgets, managing monthly bills, coordinating caregiving, and planning for future needs.

If you are interested in having ATG Trust Company act as a professional guardian for a loved one, please contact us.

ILLINOIS DIRECTED TRUSTS

A directed trust is a trust that gives one or more responsibilities traditionally held by the trustee to another fiduciary. These duties may include the investment and management of trust assets or the discretionary authority over asset distribution. The Illinois directed trust statute was signed into law on August 10, 2012 and became effective on January 1, 2013. ATG Trust Company will serve as trustee of directed trusts when the trust incorporates the language of the Illinois directed trust statute. As directed trustee, ATG Trust will take direction on investment management and/or discretionary distributions from an Investment Trust Advisor or Distribution Trust Advisor as named in the document. This flexibility allows the client  to maintain an existing relationship with  a trusted advisor while utilizing the expert administrative services of a professional trustee.

If you have questions relating to your unique situation, please contact us.

CHARITABLE TRUSTS

A charitable trust offers a grantor the opportunity to make donations and gifts to causes they wish to support. Through a charitable trust, a charity may receive ongoing support in the donor’s name. By creating a charitable trust, the cause important to the grantor can receive a series of donations as opposed to a one-time donation. This can help ensure that an important cause has financial support for years to come.

These trusts are often irrevocable and designed to comply with IRS rules to make the best use of charitable tax credits and reductions. If you need an attorney to assist in drafting a charitable trust or if you have questions about our charitable trust services, please contact us.

IRAs

Retirement Accounts are usually part of an overall estate plan where ATG Trust Company may be asked to assist in the current or future management of retirement savings. While IRAs are readily available accounts from an array of providers, including banks, insurance companies, and investment houses, ATG Trust is unique in that we understand and have the experience in assisting clients and their advisers through the highly complex tax maze these accounts can create when moving from generation to generation. Our investment expertise is a valuable component of keeping the entire plan working in concert, both for retirement and non-retirement assets.

If you would like more information, contact us today.

IRREVOCABLE LIFE INSURANCE TRUSTS

Irrevocable Life Insurance Trusts are specialized tools used to plan for estate taxes, business protection, and a wide variety of other needs. Changes in the law and creative planning by attorneys that specialize in these areas have greatly enhanced the flexibility of these trusts so that they can act as a fortress to protect assets---yet have the ability to be amended as situations change. Your attorney is the best source of information about these powerful planning tools.

If you would like more information, contact us today.

INVESTMENT MANAGEMENT

ATG Trust utilizes a holistic investment management approach to develop fiduciary based investment solutions for individuals, trust and guardianships.  We align the investor’s short and long term goals, time horizon, terms of the governing document(s) and their behavioral risk profile with the appropriate investment objective and asset allocation strategy. ATG Trust is very cost conscience with investment vehicles (ETFs/Funds) utilized and implements tax-efficient investment strategies whenever possible.  ATG Trust takes a strategic asset allocation approach to investing; we don’t react to short term volatility in the market.  We analyze relevant economic news and its impact long term when developing our asset allocation strategies.  Our investors receive an investment policy statement which outlines our diligent investment process, the investment objective, asset allocation, rebalancing and review strategies and ATG Trust fiduciary duties and responsibilities.  If you are interested in working with ATG Trust Company or have any questions about our investment process please email Chris LaPorta.

If you would like more information, contact us today.

LAND TRUSTS

This is a general explanation of land trusts. For more detailed information, visit the Land Trusts page.

Land trusts can hold residential, commercial, personal, or investment property.

What are the advantages of holding title in a land trust through ATG Trust?

• Ownership: Beneficiary retains control of the property while maintaining privacy of ownership.
• Probate Avoidance: A land trust is a low-cost alternative to a living trust.
• Judgment to Lien Protection: Liens against the beneficiary do not attach to real estate held in a land trust.
• Convenience: Land trusts make it easier to transfer interests or to use the property as collateral.

How does it work?

The current owners deed the property into the land trust, naming a trustee such as ATG Trust Company, and perhaps a beneficiary or succession of beneficiaries, much like they would for an insurance policy or retirement account. 

The trust agreement, a long standing form that is generally the same throughout Illinois, will name a holder of the “beneficial interest,” usually the owners deeding the property but not limited to that. The trust is there to protect the beneficiary from most public records searches other than those allowed by law to governmental agencies.

The owners will also name someone, perhaps themselves or others, as the holder of a “power of direction” allowing them to act on behalf of the trust for financing or other purposes.

The holder of the power of direction can be changed by the beneficiaries, and the beneficiary can also be changed. The land trust is a way of dealing with real estate as a financial asset, creating a flexible process to pass ownership to future generations, or implementing other planning ideas.

If you would like more information, contact us today.