FAQs

Answering Your Questions Is a Big Part of What We Do

Here are some of the more frequent questions we receive. If you have further questions and would like to speak with a trust officer, contact us here.

 
We do not specialize in constructing detailed financial plans for clients; however, we can assist you in locating a Certified Financial Planner. We work closely with your financial planner, CPA, and attorneys to develop a well-thought-out plan that meets your long-term goals and needs.
At First Financial Trust, we recognize that your money is important to you no matter how much it is. We do not have a minimum dollar amount for accounts, but due to our fee arrangements, accounts smaller than $50,000 generally are not advised.

View a list of Types of Investment Accounts We Manage.

We offer Trust Management, Estate Management, Investment Management Services, Company Retirement Plan Management Services, along with services in Oil & Gas and Real Estate Management.

We have a wide selection of accounts to meet your needs, such as, revocable trusts, living trusts, irrevocable trusts, investment management agencies, insurance trusts, testamentary trusts, estates, and retirement accounts (including IRAs, 401(k)s and profit sharing plans).

Each office maintains a competitive fee schedule for their service area. Our fees are generally based on the value of the assets under management and the authority you give us as Trustee or Agent. Additionally, we may charge fees based on the income produced from assets we manage (mineral income or real estate income, for example). All of our fees are fully disclosed in a simple and understandable manner. Please contact us for specific questions on our fees or for a fee schedule for your area.

The primary differences are found in our Company's corporate status as a Trust Company (rather than an individual broker or agent) and fee structure.

We are not saddled with a product line to sell and we do not generate sales commissions based on our business relationship. Our trust company is a corporate fiduciary and has a legal obligation to put our client’s interest above our own. This structure allows us to manage your assets without any undue influence of product quotas or commissions on specific products.

Click to read more about What Makes Us Different here.

No. We provide each client with a separately managed account. This enables us to customize your portfolio to meet your objectives and constraints.
The investment services we offer at First Financial Trust are not FDIC insured. In the extremely unlikely event that something happens to our firm, your assets will remain intact because your money is held at an outside, independent firm separated from First Financial Trust. Also, we do not use any of your assets as collateral or reserves in banking operations. In today’s uncertain economic environment we know you want to feel secure and protected. Rest assured, we undergo frequent audits and are held to high regulation and reporting standards.
We internally manage all of our portfolios based upon the many years of knowledge and experience of our investment team. We do subscribe to outside investment research to assist our investment team in developing their strategies; however, the ultimate decisions in investing your money are based upon the views and opinions of our investment team, along with the policies and oversight of our Investment Committee and Board of Directors.
All of the investment advice we provide to you is independent and unbiased. We are not affiliated with any outside firms.

There are many reasons to set up trusts.

  • Married couples can realign the ownership of their assets to save substantial federal estate taxes and pass more on to their heirs.
  • If the time comes that you are no longer able to handle your own affairs, trusts can ensure that there will be someone who is experienced and objective to handle your needs.
  • If there is a serious illness or disability, a trust ensures that a plan is in place to take care of your needs and those of your loved ones.
  • When the trust is managed by a full-service trust company, other professional services can be provided, such as bill paying.
  • Business owners can use trusts to save on estate taxes when passing along businesses to heirs.
  • Trusts are also useful for blended families with spouses or children from previous marriages.
  • Naming an independent trust company removes the emotional element often associated with friends or family members. By naming First Financial Trust, you can replace the burden of administration from friends or family members during a highly emotional period to professionals with many years of administration experience.
A Special Needs Trust, also called a Supplemental Needs Trust (SNT), is a trust that allows a third party to leave assets to a disabled beneficiary in a manner that both preserves the public benefits available to that beneficiary and enhances the quality of the disabled beneficiary’s life. A SNT is a discretionary trust that allows a trustee to use trust funds to supplement a beneficiary’s government entitlements.
Yes. In fact more than half of our accounts are simply investment management accounts. There are many accounts for which we serve as asset manager.
If you need to initially set up access or have lost or forgotten your existing username or password, please contact your Relationship Manager or call us at 325-627-7100. For access to your retirement plan account, please contact Ed McGowan at 325-627-7662.