Trust Management

Choose our team as a fiduciary advisor for estate and financial planning affairs and as a portfolio manager over diverse assets including real estate. We tailor each relationship to address your core objectives and concerns, as well as specific planning matters.

Having Bell Bank act as your fiduciary helps guard your legacy to facilitate tax savings, protect assets and offer greater financial security, while preserving important family relationships.

Services

• Estate planning – Family and personal considerations require an individualized approach, weighing many factors. Careful planning helps you make sure your assets are distributed as you intend, helping prepare for your family’s financial security, secure necessary asset management for beneficiaries, and save on estate settlement costs and taxes. Our trust advisors will be happy to assist you in implementing an estate plan suitable to your situation.
• Administration of trusts – Bell is an excellent choice to serve as trustee if you are considering a living trust or testamentary trust. We can also serve as back-up or co-trustee for others named as trustee.
• Investment management – We manage clients’ securities, real estate and unique assets in a “quarterback” role.
• Asset management – We serve as asset manager in either agency or trust structures, meaning those with or without trust documents.
• Business succession guidance, estate planning review and coordination – We coordinate with your legal and tax advisors; our team does not replace clients’ existing advisors, but rather serves as fiduciary advisors.
• Custom financial planning – We help ensure sufficient income and cash flow management, wealth preservation and distribution planning.

Let us help you navigate the complexities of trusts and estates. Just call us to start the conversation.

Investing and wealth management products are not FDIC insured, have no bank guarantee, may lose value, are not a deposit and are not insured by any federal government agency.

Estate and Conservatorship Administration

Work with Bell to ensure your estate, trusts and assets are in order.

By serving as a personal representative for an estate, we make sure the estate assets are properly inventoried, valued and distributed according to the decedent’s wishes. As conservator, we protect and manage the assets of an individual who can no longer manage their own financial affairs.

Conservatorship Services (incapacity):

• Protect and manage assets
• Collect income and pay monthly expenses
• Work with guardian regarding individual’s needs
• Assist with the sale of real estate and personal property

Estate Services (after death):

• Arrange for probate of will
• Inventory and value, protect and manage estate assets
• Pay debts, file tax returns and pay taxes
• Distribute assets to beneficiaries

Administration of Estates

An executor collects assets, pays debts and distributes the remainder to heirs. In an estate of even modest proportions, the executor must:

• Notify all appropriate heirs and beneficiaries
• Locate, inventory and safeguard estate assets
• Provide continuing management for income-producing interests
• Pay legitimate claims of creditors and administration expenses
• Collect all debts owed
• Sell estate property on the most advantageous terms
• Assume responsibility for all tax returns
• Keep detailed records of all income, expenses and transactions
• Distribute the estate in accordance with the provisions in the will

Investing and wealth management products are not FDIC insured, have no bank guarantee, may lose value, are not a deposit and are not insured by any federal government agency.

Philanthropic Solutions

Bell Wealth's philanthropic solutions team also helps nonprofits, foundations and endowments by serving as a trustee or in an agency capacity for nonprofits, endowments and foundations. These professionals help your institution or organization through services including:

• Investment management
• Development and maintenance of a customized investment policy
• Liquidation of donated assets (including real estate, farmland, publicly traded securities and unique assets)
• Administration of grant money
• Disbursement, custody and record-keeping for regulatory purposes
• Guidance on charitable giving and planned giving strategies
• Serving as an extension of your board and/or finance committee

Investing and wealth management products are not FDIC insured, have no bank guarantee, may lose value, are not a deposit and are not insured by any federal government agency.

IRAs and Rollovers

Plan now for a secure retirement. See if an IRA is the right plan for you.

Individual retirement accounts (IRAs) help clients plan for a secure stream of retirement income. If you have changed jobs, retired or need to consolidate previous retirement funds, a rollover into an IRA can provide you with important investment and tax benefits.

If you have retired or undergone a job change, you should consider rolling your existing retirement funds from your previous employment into an IRA. A direct rollover to an IRA provides you with important benefits:

• No immediate taxes or penalties
• Continued tax-deferred investment returns
• Expanded investment choices

Bell Bank Wealth Management makes it fast and easy for you to roll over retirement funds into an IRA. Once you sign the paperwork, we take care of the rest. Let us help you decide the right IRA choice for you.

Services

• Roll over funds from an employer retirement plan
• Establish new IRAs – Roth, Traditional, Simple or Simplified Employee Pension (SEP)
• Tax-deferred method of saving
• Continued tax-deferred investment returns
• Expanded investment choices

When you open an IRA with us, you'll receive additional benefits as well: 

• Personal consultations on new IRAs, rollovers and consolidating accounts
• Low-cost asset allocation if you wish to delegate daily oversight to our professional money managers
• Quality mutual funds if you prefer to manage your IRA yourself
• Online account access with financial calculators and tools to project future balances
• Optional electronic contribution from your checking account
• Full fee disclosure, with no surprises down the road
• Free, informative quarterly investment newsletter
• People who are accessible – we actually answer the phone!
   

Investing and wealth management products are not FDIC insured, have no bank guarantee, may lose value, are not a deposit and are not insured by any federal government agency.

Farm Management Services

• Proper tenant selection and rent collection
• Assessment of regional's fair market rental rates
• Negotiation of farm leases
• Periodic visits to ensure proper farming techniques
• Knowledge of required farm program paperwork
• Real estate tax payments
• Marketing and sale of land
• Marketing of crops (crop-share only)
• Management of specialty assets (sugar beet limited partnerships, mineral interests, other closely held businesses)
• Farm succession planning

Choose Bell to manage your farm property, and you will be able to stay on top of the financial management of these valuable assets. We are experienced enough to understand the agricultural industry as well as your personal concerns, whether they have to do with your family farm or a larger ag-related business.