Franklin Templeton Bank & Trust, the San Mateo, California-based banking group, is now offering its trust services in conjunction with a nat...

Franklin Templeton Bank & Trust, the San Mateo, California-based banking group, is now offering its trust services in conjunction with a national estate planning team which is geared to helping high net worth individuals manage their assets. Franklin's new Advisor Directed Trust approach eschews the traditional institutional trust services where the management, administration and safekeeping of trust assets are consolidated under the control of a single institutional trustee. The new service enables advisors to manage the investment of their clients' trust assets, while Franklin Templeton Bank & Trust separately handles the administration and safekeeping of those trusts. By allowing financial advisors to retain responsibility for investment decisions related to their trust clients' assets, Advisor Directed Trust will help Estate Planning Team advisors build loyalty and confidence among their clients, said Franklin. Robert Binkele, president & CEO of the Estate Planning Team, said: "Clients need to be assured that both the investment decisions as well as the administration of their trust assets are being handled properly. This new relationship with Franklin Templeton Bank & Trust offers our 2,200 financial service representatives and banks access to a respected trust company with a national reputation for servicing trusts on behalf of the grantors and beneficiaries." The firm's Estate Planning Team advisors - a nationwide association of licenced financial advisors, insurance agents, licenced attorneys, certified public accountants - will continue to have full discretion to choose and manage investments that best meet the investment objectives of their clients' trusts, including stocks, bonds, mutual funds and other marketable securities.