National Advisors Trust launched a program on Monday to put a dedicated trust officer in registered investment advisor offices in order to create opportunities for more long-term trust business with high net worth clients.
This new Trust Marketing Office (TMO) program is an expanded version of the firm’s existing Trust Representative Office (TRO) program. The TRO program provides RIAs with trust services and a marketing program to grow their trust business. The new program places a dedicated Trust Officer in the RIA’s office to manage the TRO program and market trust services to high net worth clients.
“RIAs realize that in order to grow a sustainable business, trusts need to be in their future,” said Ronald G. Ferguson, CEO of National Advisors Trust, in a statement. “Even with the recent tax law changes, over 70% of families with net worth exceeding $1 million use trusts in their estate plans. The TMO program puts the sponsoring RIA in the driver’s seat and helps the RIA build a stronger, more sustainable market position and business model for the future.”
As part of its new TMO program, National Advisors has hired Janet Bandera as Senior Vice President and Trust Officer to be based in the St. Louis, Missouri, area. Bandera, an estate planning attorney, will serve as Trust Officer for the newly created Moneta Trust, a division of National Advisors Trust that was established late in 2010. Bandera will be responsible for implementing the TRO program, working with Moneta’s investment advisors to consult on trust and estate planning services with clients, and to help in marketing and positioning trust services.
“Janet Bandera’s experience and expertise in estates and trusts make her an ideal candidate to implement the TRO program for Moneta Trust and establish a repeatable model,” said Ferguson. “With the growing opportunities available to RIAs for trust related services, we expect Janet to be the first of many to come as we continue to expand our TRO and TMO programs.”
