Estate Settlement

When settling an estate, trustees and executors are faced with tax and legal complexities that can be quite involved. Even a typical estate settlement can be a cumbersome and time-consuming responsibility to place on a loved one.

Exchange Bank’s capable and experienced trust officers can lift the burden of estate settlement. When Exchange Bank is named as successor trustee or executor for estate settlement, a trust officer assumes personal charge of the estate, executing tasks on your behalf with unbiased expertise.

In an estate of even modest proportions there are a multitude of tasks that must be completed.

What are the typical duties involved in Estate Settlement?

• Locate, inventory and safeguard all estate assets; establish values for tax and accounting purposes.
• Inventory, appraise, sell or distribute decedent’s personal property as necessary.
• Provide continuing management for income producing real estate and business interests.
• Pay expenses related to the administration of the estate, including the decedent’s funeral expenses and legitimate claims against the estate.
• Collect debts owed to the decedent and be prepared to defend the estate against invalid or improper claims.
• Assume responsibility for all income, estate, gift or generation skipping transfer tax returns required under state or federal law.
• Maintain detailed records of income, expense and estate transactions and provide accountings to the beneficiaries and/or court.
• Distribute estate in accordance with the provisions in the decedent’s trust or will.

Supported by a team of trust and investment professionals, our trust officers possess a strong technical competence along with a caring, sympathetic understanding of the family dynamic during a period of mourning—a valuable combination which is hard to find elsewhere.

Our team is comprised of a group of certified individuals in the areas of trust administration, estate settlement, retirement plan management and investment management. With combined financial experience of over 250 years, our team has the capacity and expertise to provide personal services tailored to your financial needs. We have offices located in Santa Rosa, Roseville and Silicon Valley.