The 7 Biggest Mistakes Trustees Make: And How to Avoid Them

"Whatever your connection with a trust or an estate plan is, either as a trustee,beneficiary, trust grantor, attorney, or financial advisor, this book opens your eyes wide to the seven mistakes that can sink financial dreams and tear apart a family."

The 7 Biggest Mistakes Trustees Make…And How to Avoid Them is based on my 18 years of experience and research as a financial advisor. It highlights in detail the case of Norman and Margaret Sample and their children, who sued each other over their inheritance money and my subsequent crusade to determine what could have been done to avoid their painful and devastating predicament.Over the years I’ve witnessed peoples’ estates diminish due to taxes, legal fees, nursing home expenses, and mismanagement. I’ve seen many trusts unravel due to family greed, lack of communication, improper advice, and mistrust. I’ve been appalled at the incredible amount of ill advice given to clients by inexperienced professionals and further shocked by the abuse and manipulation that occurs at the hands of disgruntled heirs. Many clients have had wishes that were never fulfilled.

All of these circumstances could have been avoided and yet, were not. Citing the Sample case and many others I’ve clearly identified the seven biggest, most common mistakes that you must avoid. Whether you’ve already established a trust or not, this book provides the framework of how to effectively develop an estate planning strategy and how to open up lines of communication about difficult planning issues between your family members and your other beneficiaries. You’ll have in your hands the information you need to make your wishes a reality and ensure that your estate transitions smoothly.

As a financial advisor for over 18 years Sandeep Varma has made it his goal to help families plan for their futures.In 1995 he created the 7 Biggest Mistakes Trustees Often Make seminar to help trustees plan properly. Since then he has devised additional educational tools to assist clients and advisors in the complicated area of financial planning.His strategies have not only helped clients to achieve their goals but have also resulted in over $50 million being gifted to local and national charities such as the American Red Cross, Boy Scouts of America, Children’s Hospitals of Oakland and San Diego, and Blood Bank.In 2007 he was named one of the "Top 100 Independent Financial Advisors in America"" by Registered Rep. Magazine. In addition Sandeep took part in the invitation only Barron’s Top 100 Financial Advisors conference in New York.