Trusts and estates

Wealth structuring

Leaving a legacy is about more than minimizing taxes and designating heirs. It's about passing on important values, helping heirs become effective stewards of wealth and implementing your vision for the future.

Our Approach

We start by helping bring your most important personal goals into focus. Understanding your goals, however diverse or potentially conflicting, allows us to identify strategies to address them.

Your private wealth advisor, together with a private wealth strategist, work with your team of legal and tax advisors to identify an overall wealth transfer plan and the individual elements that may be needed to address your specific goals. 

Working with partners across the enterprise, which may include specialists in trust, insurance, and philanthropy, your private wealth advisor and team will help implement the elements of your wealth transfer plan—whether it’s creating one or more trusts to minimize taxes, establishing vehicles to address your philanthropic goals or using life insurance to provide liquidity to offset estate taxes or fund a legacy of known value.

We understand the complexities that wealth brings, as well as the complications that can arise once the founding generation is no longer able to take an active role in providing direction and preserving a common family vision. We’ll work with you to identify and address the communication, planning and family governance issues that can help keep future generations unified around the goals that are important to you.

What could a trust do for you?

Trusts are a very flexible planning tool that can be structured to address a wide range of needs.

To find out more about the role a trust can play in your wealth management strategy, watch the video below. Although it was filmed earlier in the year, the potential benefits of establishing a trust remain equally as important.

 

Services

Trust solutions

Whether simple or complex, personal or charitable, you can rely on Bank of America Private Bank's fiduciary experience. We provide an independent view, along with continuity across generations, to help avoid potential conflicts among beneficiaries.

Specialty asset management

With experience in private business, investment real estate, oil and gas, timberland, farm and ranch land, Bank of America Private Bank can assist with integrating your nonfinancial assets into your wealth transfer plan. Specialized knowledge, strategic advice and day-to-day management will prove useful as assets are passed to future generations.

Delaware trusts

Maintain greater financial confidentiality, minimize wealth transfer taxes on assets passed to future generations or transfer economic ownership of assets while retaining the ability to direct investment strategy.

Estate settlement services

With deep technical knowledge, a nationwide estate settlement practice and a network of specialists, Bank of America Private Bank can serve as executor, co-executor or agent, managing administrative details and providing fiduciary insight.

Charitable trusts

A charitable trust may enable you to address important wealth transfer and philanthropic giving goals simultaneously. Bank of America Private Bank has experience with a broad range of charitable alternatives from charitable trusts to donor advised funds and services for private foundations.

A private wealth advisor can help you learn more.

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Investing involves risk. There is always the potential of losing money when you invest in securities. Past performance does not guarantee future results. Asset allocation, rebalancing and diversification do not guarantee against risk in broadly declining markets.

Merrill, its affiliates, and financial advisors do not provide legal, tax, or accounting advice. You should consult your legal and/or tax advisors before making any financial decisions.

This material is not intended as a recommendation, offer or solicitation for the purchase or sale of any security or investment strategy. Merrill offers a broad range of brokerage, investment advisory (including financial planning) and other services. Additional information is available in our Client Relationship Summary. 

This material does not take into account a client’s particular investment objectives, financial situations, or needs and is not intended as a recommendation, offer, or solicitation for the purchase or sale of any security or investment strategy. Merrill offers a broad range of brokerage, investment advisory (including financial planning) and other services. There are important differences between brokerage and investment advisory services, including the type of advice and assistance provided, the fees charged, and the rights and obligations of the parties. It is important to understand the differences, particularly when determining which service or services to select. For more information about these services and their differences, speak with your Merrill financial advisor.

Merrill Lynch, Pierce, Fenner & Smith Incorporated (also referred to as “MLPF&S” or “Merrill”) makes available certain investment products sponsored, managed, distributed or provided by companies that are affiliates of Bank of America Corporation (“BofA Corp.”). MLPF&S is a registered broker-dealer, registered investment adviser, Member SIPC and a wholly owned subsidiary of BofA Corp.

Merrill Private Wealth Management is a division of MLPF&S that offers a broad array of personalized wealth management products and services. Both brokerage and investment advisory services (including financial planning) are offered by the Private Wealth Advisors through MLPF&S. The nature and degree of advice and assistance provided, the fees charged, and client rights and Merrill’s obligations will differ among these services. Investments involve risk, including the possible loss of principal investment.

The banking, credit and trust services sold by the Private Wealth Advisors are offered by licensed banks and trust companies, including Bank of America, N.A., Member FDIC, and other affiliated banks.

Trust, fiduciary and investment management services, including assets managed by the Specialty Asset Management team, are provided by Bank of America, N.A., Member FDIC and wholly owned subsidiary of Bank of America Corporation (“BofA Corp.”), and its agents.

Bank of America Private Bank is a division of Bank of America, N.A.

U.S. Trust Company of Delaware is a wholly owned subsidiary of Bank of America Corporation.

Insurance and annuity products are offered through Merrill Lynch Life Agency Inc., a licensed insurance agency and wholly owned subsidiary of Bank of America Corporation.

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