Family Office Resource Center

What is a Trustee?

Learn about the basics of a trust, what a trustee does, and the pros and cons of selecting a family member/friend, a professional, a bank/trust company, or an individual professional as your family’s trustee.

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Fiduciary Duties of Trustees

Learn about the basic fiduciary duties of trustees, including whose interests the trustee must consider and the specific fiduciary duties the trustee has to the beneficiaries.

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Best Practices for Administering a Trust

Serving as a trustee requires sustained and careful attention to the trust, and each trustee should implement a process for keeping track of all administrative issues. Consider our best practices for more information.

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Podcast Episode: Choosing a Trustee

In this episode of Choate’s Family Office Podcast Series, Wealth Management Group co-chair Kristin Abati is joined by partner Renat Lumpau to discuss the structure of a trust, the different types of trustees that exist, and how to effectively choose your own trustee.

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Young professionals often encounter a series of milestones that require specific planning considerations at each stage:

Graduating from College & Starting a Career

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Getting Married & Thinking Through the Pros and Cons of Combining Assets

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Starting to Save for Retirement & Other Long-Term Goals

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Podcast Episode: Long-Term Planning: A Guide to GRATs

Renat Lumpau and Jes Lambert, members of Choate’s Wealth Management Group, and Christine Wright, a portfolio manager at Choate Investment Advisors, discuss the compelling role that Grantor Retained Annuity Trusts (GRATs) can play in long-term planning, how they should be structured to maximize the planning benefits, and identify the investment strategies that make the most sense to use in a GRAT.

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What is Probate, and How to Avoid it

Learn about the probate process, why it can be beneficial to avoid probate proceedings, and how to do so.

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Cybercrime threats, including email compromises, confidence schemes, ransomware, and identity theft are on the rise as cybercriminals continue to target individuals – particularly high net worth individuals – and their assets. Therefore, it is important to consider steps that can reduce the likelihood of falling victim to these types of crimes. And because no cybersecurity measures are foolproof, there are a few best practices to keep in mind when responding to incidents that can’t be prevented.

In this episode of the Choate Family Office Podcast Series, Wealth Management Group co-chairs Kristin Abati and Brian Monnich are joined by Adam Bookbinder, a partner in our Government Enforcement & Compliance Group, to discuss best practices for managing cybersecurity risks.

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Download the whitepaper 10 Cybersecurity Tips - Protecting Yourself →

Podcast Episode: Effective Planning for Realizing Capital Gains

With the strength of the recent market performance and uncertainty around future tax policies, now may be a good time to consider re-balancing your portfolio positions (and incurring some capital gains taxes in the process). In this episode of Choate’s Family Office Podcast Series, Lanny Thorndike, president of ChoateIA, and Erin Kerr, a portfolio manager at ChoateIA, discuss the basics of capital gains taxes and how to think strategically about incurring these gains periodically in order to enhance longer-term performance.

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Podcast Episode: Investing in Bitcoin: Opportunities & Risks

Bitcoin continues to generate the interest of investors and its use as an investment asset has recently gained even greater popularity. Although the future of digital currency seems promising, the market is extremely volatile. In this episode of Choate’s Family Office Podcast Series, Tamer Alamuddin, managing director of ChoateIA, and Erin Kerr, a portfolio manager at ChoateIA, explore the broader landscape of blockchain and the basics of Bitcoin, including key advantages and risks for investors.

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Podcast Episode: Market Perspectives from the Industrials Sector

Geraldine Alias, a senior portfolio manager at Choate Investment Advisors, is joined by Chip Grace, a founding partner of private equity firm May River Capital, to discuss May River’s investment philosophy, the types of industrial companies May River believes will outperform in our current environment, and how May River and its portfolio companies are navigating the effects of COVID-19.

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Podcast Episode: Investing in Growth Companies during the COVID-19 Crisis

Erin Kerr, a portfolio manager at Choate Investment Advisors, is joined by Kevin Seth, a partner and portfolio manager at Edgewood Management, to discuss Edgewood’s investment philosophy and process, the types of companies Edgewood believes will outperform in this environment, and how investors should approach the market now.

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Podcast Episode: The Basic Concepts of Municipal Bonds

Henry Dormitzer, senior portfolio manager of Choate Investment Advisors, is joined by Anson Clough, managing director of Appleton Partners, and Nathan Harris, co-director of municipal research of Appleton Partners, to discuss all things municipal bonds.

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Listen to part 2 →

Podcast Episode: Investing in Small Cap Companies

Tamer Alamuddin, a Senior Portfolio Manager at Choate Investment Advisors, and Jim Robillard, Founder and Chief Investment Officer of Spyglass Capital Management, discuss the criteria for investing in small-capitalization companies, Spyglass’ seven-point investment philosophy, and the need for an agile portfolio to navigate the current COVID-19 crisis.

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• 2023 Fourth Quarter Review: Inflation Declined and Unemployment Remained Low
• 2023 Third Quarter Review: The Jury is Still Out on a "Soft Landing" for the US Economy
• 2023 Second Quarter Review: Markets Higher Due to Better Than Expected Data in Still Slowing Economy
• 2023 First Quarter Review: Stock and Bond Relief Despite Bank Collapse