I talk a lot about all the things that go horridly wrong for trustees and all the mistakes they make and how they can do better, try harder. But the difficulty for many trustees is that even if they know they are not doing a great job, they don’t actually know how to pick up their game. Or even what the rules of the game are.
For those trustees, help is at hand in the form of trustee support. While this service is targeted at professional trustees, the resources are relevant for any trustee looking not only to avoid the pitfalls of trusteeship but also to better appreciate the skills required to be a good trustee.
I have just bought a family farm and have put it in a trust with my 2 and 3 year children beneficiaries. I have one other trustee who is a accountant friend. I am wondering what questions to raise when we have our trust meetings, I have scheduled two per year. Taxes, financial budgets, operating budgets cashflow, goals, risks, opportunities, etc these are some I think should be discussed and I’m sure there is a lot more, any help or references to literature that can help with how to run it correctly would be apprieciated cheers.
You may find the following text helpful:
Trustees Handbook. See https://books.wolterskluwer.co.nz/items/1551ZS