Trust Department Policy and Procedures
INTRODUCTION
The board of directors has the overall authority and responsibility for operating the trust department and administering fiduciary accounts. This administrative responsibility begins with the acceptance of an account and continues until the closing of the account. In discharging its authority, the board of directors may delegate duties and responsibilities to such committee(s), director(s), officer(s), employee(s), or legal counsel as it deems appropriate. However, the board retains ultimate responsibility for delegated matters and must maintain the proper degree of control and supervision.
The board of directors and management of [insert the name of your bank] adopt the following trust department policy and procedures.
POLICY STATEMENT
The board adopts this statement to further sound banking practices in the operation of a trust department and to provide safeguards for the protection of depositors, fiduciary beneficiaries, creditors, stockholders, and the public.
The trust department will operate separate and apart from every other department of the bank, with trust assets separated from other assets owned by the bank, and the assets of each trust account separated from the assets of every other trust account; and will maintain separate books and records for the trust department in sufficient detail to properly reflect all trust department activities.
The board of directors may act as the trust committee and/or appoint additional committees and officers to administer the operations of the trust department. When delegating duties to subcommittees and/or officers, the board and the trust committee continue to be responsible for the oversight of all trust activities. Sufficient reporting and monitoring procedures should be established to fulfill this responsibility.
The board of directors of [insert the name of your bank] appoints [insert the name and/or title] as the senior trust officer to be responsible for and administer the activities of the trust department.
The board further appoints the following directors to the trust committee:
• [insert the name of the director]
• [insert the name of the director]
• [insert the name of the director]
The committee will be responsible for and supervise the activities of the trust department.
The trust committee will meet at least quarterly and will:
• Approve and document the opening of all new trust department accounts
• Approve and document all purchases and sales of and changes in trust assets
• Approve the closing of trust accounts
• Provide for a comprehensive review of all new accounts after acceptance
• Provide for a review of each trust department account, including collective investment funds, at least annually
• Keep comprehensive minutes of meetings
• Report to the full board periodically
The trust committee and the full board of directors direct trust management to develop and implement comprehensive written policies which address all areas of the trust department activities. The trust committee will also engage competent legal counsel to advise trust officers, the committee, and the board on legal matters pertaining to fiduciary activities.
The [insert either your internal audit department or an external firm] will conduct an annual trust audit. The results of the audit and corrective action, if necessary, will be reported to the trust committee and then by the committee to the full board of directors.
Only through its written records can the board demonstrate that it has satisfactorily delegated duties to duly appointed committees.
ACCEPTING NEW TRUST ACCOUNTS
Formal acknowledgment of new accounts should be noted in board or committee minutes. Management should delineate standards for the acceptance of new business to control potential risks. The standards should define criteria for accepting or declining new business, given management’s administrative capabilities. The ability of the trust institution’s staff, systems, and facilities to handle the proposed duties must be considered when accepting new accounts.
Other areas for consideration include, but are not limited to:
• Purpose of the account
• Identity of principals and beneficiaries
• Existence of, or potential for, conflicts of interest
• Complexity of provisions
• Composition and nature of assets
• Existence of administrative problems
• Profitability
APPROVAL OF CLOSED ACCOUNTS
Closed accounts should be reviewed to determine if the responsibilities under the instrument have been properly discharged and account administration was in accordance with the department's policies and procedures. The improper administration of an account can potentially expose the bank to reputation risk and financial liability. A significant increase in the number of closed accounts may be indicative of other underlying operational or administrative issues. Formal acknowledgement of closed accounts should be noted in the board or committee minutes, along with the reason the account was closed. Furthermore, trust department records must contain receipt for assets transferred from the successor trustee, administrator, or beneficiaries.
DISCRETIONARY DISTRIBUTIONS, REALLOCATION OF PRINCIPAL AND INCOME, EXTRAORDINARY EXPENDITURES, AND OTHER MATTERS
The authority to grant discretionary distributions or reallocate principal and income is one of the most important powers vested in a fiduciary. [This is also dependent on state law. Consult your state’s law in this area.] Documentation of the approval of discretionary distributions or principal and income reallocations and denials shouldbe retained in the individual account file to support ongoing administrative responsibilities. In the same manner, extraordinary expenditures should be approved by the board or a delegated committee. The reasons for the expenditures and any communication with interested parties should be documented in the trust files.
The authority to grant discretionary distributions or reallocate principal and income are two of the most important powers vested in a fiduciary. The exercise of power is delegated to the bank’s trust committee, and approval or ratification of significant discretionary or reallocation actions will be noted in the committee minutes and reported to the full board at their regular meetings. Documentation of the approval of discretionary distributions or principal and income reallocations, and denials should be retained in the individual account file to support ongoing administrative responsibilities. In the same manner, extraordinary expenditures will be approved by the trust committee. The reasons for the expenditures and any communication with interested parties should be documented in the trust files.
INVESTMENTS
To the extent the bank has investment discretion, the board and trust committee delegate trust purchases and sales to senior trust department management. Management is directed to review investments weekly or monthly, depending on the volume of trades and the trust accounting system utilized. The suitability of assets held by each individual account should be incorporated into the account’s annual investment review.
REGULATION R — BANK AND TRUST DEPARTMENT SECURITIES ACTIVITIES UNDER THE GRAMM-LEACH-BLILEY ACT OF 1999 (PL 106-102 GLBA)
It is the policy of this bank to comply with Regulation R (12 CFR 218) so that we can conduct securities transactions in a trustee or fiduciary capacity and not be considered a broker/dealer. In order to be exempt, management is directed to ensure that we are “chiefly compensated” for those transactions on the basis of specifically enumerated types of “relationship compensation.” Management must maintain records and documents to establish and support our internal “chiefly compensated” calculation. We may choose one of two methods. Both methods use a two-year rolling average comparison, beginning on the first day after the end of our fiscal year. If we choose the bankwide approach, “relationship compensation” must be at least 70 percent of total fiduciary compensation. If we use the account-by-account approach, “relationship compensation” must exceed 50 percent of total compensation for each account.
“Relationship compensation” consists of the following:
• An administration or annual fee
• Revenues based on a percentage of assets under management
• A flat or capped processing fee that does not exceed the cost the bank incurs in executing such securities transactions
• Any combination of such fees
Safekeeping and Custody Exception
We can continue the duties and services in connection with safekeeping and custody arrangements. Regulation R provides two exemptions under which banks can continue to accept orders for securities transactions from customers. One exemption applies to orders for securities transactions that are received from employee benefit accounts, IRAs, and similar accounts. Another exemption is provided for accepting orders from other custody customers on an accommodation basis. For employee benefit, IRA, and similar accounts, the bank may accept orders if we:
• Do not advertise order taking
• Do not compensate any bank employee based on whether or not a securities transaction is executed, or on the quantity, price, or type of the security
• Are not a trustee or a fiduciary other than a directed trustee
• Are not a carrying broker
• Comply with the trade execution requirement in 12 CFR 218.760
When a third party bank is an employee benefit and/or IRA custodian, if we act as a non-fiduciary administrator/recordkeeper we may rely on the exemption if:
• Both the custodian bank and the administrator/recordkeeper bank comply with the exemption, and
• The administrator/recordkeeper bank does not execute cross trades other than those specified in the regulation
For all other accounts, a bank may accept orders only as an accommodation to the customer if:
• Any fee charged does not vary based on whether or not the order is accepted or on the quantity or price of the security
• Advertisements and sales literature do not state that the bank accepts orders except as part of describing other aspects of its custodial services
• The bank does not provide investment advice or research, make recommendations, or solicit transactions
• The bank complies with the trade execution and compensation requirements that apply to employee benefit, IRA, and similar accounts
INSURANCE COVERAGE
Although insurance does not compensate for poor operational controls or the absence of proper oversight, the board has a responsibility to maintain sufficient coverage for the risks inherent in the fiduciary business. Furthermore, the board directs management to periodically review the policies for continued suitability and report to the board and trust committee at least annually.
TRUST OFFICER DUTIES AND MANAGEMENT SKILLS
Administrative duties of the trust officer include, at a minimum, the following:
• Represent the institution in all fiduciary matters
• Oversee administration of trust department accounts
• Report all matters requiring its attention to the trust committee
• Execute policies and instructions of the directors and the trust committee
• Maintain adequate records, such as entries, settlement sheets, and follow-up systems
• Maintain adequate documentation to ensure all assets are properly safeguarded
The managerial skills of the senior trust officer/trust department manager will be evaluated in consideration of the following areas:
Planning. A trust officer should establish a predetermined course of action. This includes setting both short-term and long-term objectives and establishing policies, procedures, and programs to reach these objectives.
Organizing. A manager, along with the directorate, should establish an organizational structure designed to achieve the department's goals. The grouping of these activities, delegating of authority to perform these activities, and providing for coordination of relationships in the organizational structure should be analyzed.
Staffing. Management should employ a sufficient number of qualified employees. This involves effectively recruiting, training, and retaining employees.
Directing. Management should provide ongoing guidance and supervision of trust personnel to achieve the trust department's stated objectives.
Controlling. Management should review, evaluate, and regulate the work in progress to ensure the activities meet established plans.
RISK MANAGEMENT
The board of directors directs management to prepare and present a formal risk management program established to identify and control fiduciary risk. An effective risk management program guards against liability that can result from lawsuits or poor administrative practices and identifies those areas where there is potential for exposure. Risk tolerance levels should be clearly set and monitored by both senior management and the trust committee. The program should be reviewed continuously and revised to capture current and anticipated business risks. It will be presented to the full board for approval at least annually.
At a minimum, an effective risk management program should:
Establish the level of risk that management is willing to assume. Emphasis should be placed on reviewing the planning process, policies related to the process, and underwriting standards of accounts and new products.
Identify the various risks associated with the institution’s key products and services, and its operating environment. This includes an analysis of methods employed in determining fiduciary insurance coverage, loss reserves, and the impact of fiduciary risk on capital adequacy. Litigation concerns should also be analyzed.
Implement adequate controls and monitoring systems. This includes establishing a system of checks and balances, reviewing audit coverage, the compliance management system, and the overall scope and reliability of existing management information systems.
Supervise operations and the implementation of procedures when new accounts are obtained. Guidelines should provide information as to day-to-day management offiduciary activities, operating systems, and internal controls.
WATCH LISTS
Management will develop a written watch list of accounts and assets meriting special attention, which provides a measure of control that can assist the department in limiting contingent liability and mitigating loss. The watch list will be comprehensive, well documented, and periodically reviewed by the trust committee. Management actions, including decisions made, contacts with interested parties, and legal discussions, should also be noted and documented in writing.
At a minimum, the watch list will:
• Identify trust accounts, groups of trust accounts, or assets that warrant the special attention of management
• Provide a summary of each account or asset identified, indicating the reason(s) why the particular account or asset merits special attention, and to the extent feasible, quantify the amount of risk
Accounts or assets that involve pending or threatened litigation, customer complaints, waived fees, criticisms by regulatory authorities at prior examinations, large overdrafts, default or bankruptcy, or other situations may warrant inclusion on the department’s watch list.
Finally, watch lists also serve as a valuable reference point for examiners who can compare the findings of their own account review with the accounts identified by management as warranting special attention. This should assist examiners in assessing the adequacy of the risk management program. Finally, reliable watch lists can be used by examiners to determine the scope of account review.
ACCOUNT REVIEW
The trust committee should review each trust account initially upon acceptance and at least annually thereafter. The annual review should incorporate an administrative review, and a review of investments, when the department exercises investment discretion. The scope of the annual review will be addressed in appropriate written policies which give consideration to the department's fiduciary responsibilities, the type and size of accounts, and other relevant factors.