Curriculum | Wealth and Trust School Level 1

7:00 AM – 8:15 AM

Breakfast

7:00 AM – 8:15 AM

Registration

8:15 AM – 8:30 AM

Welcome and School Overview

8:30 AM – 11:15 AM

Trust Administration Fundamentals

Learn basic trust concepts including trust requirements, roles and responsibilities of the trust parties, common components of trust agreements, types of trust assets, how titling of assets affects ownership, and the duties and powers of the trustee.

• Jennifer F. Galvagna

11:30 AM – 1:00 PM

Introduction to Fiduciary Risk Management and Compliance

Fiduciary risk management and compliance requires due diligence and ongoing monitoring throughout the life of the relationship. We’ll examine the regulations, bank policies and procedures and relationship management responsibilities that affect fiduciary risk management and compliance.

• Kent Lytle

1:00 PM – 2:00 PM

Lunch

2:00 PM – 2:15 PM

CTFA Presentation

2:15 PM – 5:00 PM

Account Acceptance and Termination

Explore the importance of risk management in the account acceptance process. This course identifies account acceptance considerations for fiduciary professionals and describes the steps in the account acceptance process and fiduciary responsibilities. We’ll also explain common reasons for account termination and termination procedures and best practices.

• Sahar Pouyanrad

5:30 PM – 6:30 PM

Welcome Reception

7:00 AM – 8:00 AM

Breakfast

8:00 AM – 11:15 AM

Estate and Gift Tax Planning

Discover how the marital deduction and revocable living trusts can be used as part of an overall estate plan. You will also learn the basics of lifetime giving.

• Steve Goodman

11:30 AM – 1:00 PM

Estate and Probate Administration

Get a comprehensive overview of the estate settlement process, highlighting the critical steps and immediate actions required following a death. We’ll explore the criteria for determining whether probate is necessary, how to identify the key stakeholders involved in the estate, essential documents that need to be filed and the fiduciary duties of estate administrators. Topics include meeting legal deadlines, safeguarding and managing assets, handling creditor claims, fulfilling tax obligations and ensuring the proper distribution of estate property.

• Austin Bertrand

1:00 PM – 2:00 PM

Lunch

2:00 PM – 5:00 PM

Planning for Retirement

This course will describe the steps in the retirement planning process, including strategies to accumulate and then decumulate retirement funds. We’ll explore the beneficiary options available and ways to distribute benefits for qualified plans and IRAs. We’ll also outline the requirements for qualifying for the marital deduction, how to fund a credit shelter trust with proceeds from a qualified plan or IRA, how pecuniary bequests to charities should be funded, and detail the use of charitable remainder trusts as the designated beneficiary of a qualified plan or IRA.

• Robert Dietz
• Tom Lasley

7:00 AM – 8:00 AM

Breakfast

8:00 AM – 9:30 AM

Investment Policy

Understand the role of the investment policy statement (IPS) in the investment management process. The IPS answers questions about client objectives, return expectations, risk tolerance, time horizon and portfolio allocation. You’ll learn how investment constraints affect the construction and management of a portfolio, and why they must be identified in the investment policy.

• Erik Davidson

9:45 AM – 11:15 AM

Behavioral Finance

What does “behavioral finance” mean and how do emotions and behavior get in the way of long-term investment goals? This course will explore how client biases, along with other characteristics, affect investment decisions. We’ll also offer client-profiling tactics used to uncover client biases, risk tolerance and investment goals.

• Erik Davidson

11:15 AM – 12:30 PM

Lunch

12:30 PM – 2:45 PM

Integrated Planning and Advice

Get an overview of an advisor’s role in helping clients achieve their wealth goals and objectives. We’ll explain the steps in the financial planning process and offer tools and an integrated approach to help advisors plan and assist clients using the characteristics of each stage in the financial lifecycle.

• Paul Stark

3:00 PM – 4:00 PM

Fiduciary Ethics

Explore the ethical responsibilities and fiduciary duties essential to professionals in wealth management and trust. Participants will analyze real-world scenarios to understand ethical decision-making, identify potential conflicts of interest, and apply regulatory and legal standards governing fiduciary behavior. You’ll walk away from this course with the tools to build trust, uphold integrity and navigate complex ethical challenges in client relationships.

• Steve Goodman

5:30 PM – 7:30 PM

Mid-Week Celebration

7:00 AM – 8:00 AM

Breakfast

8:00 AM – 10:30 AM

Discretionary Distributions

This course explains specific trust guidance for discretionary distributions, trust language and common discretionary standards. A series of case studies will illustrate how trust beneficiary circumstances and taxes affect discretionary distributions decisions — offering trustees tools to understand their duty and prevent litigation risk. We’ll also explore the documentation requirements associated with discretionary distributions.

• Mark Oller

10:45 AM – 12:00 PM

Relationship Management

Focus on the essential skills and strategies for building and maintaining strong client relationships in the wealth and trust management industry. You’ll learn how to establish a personal brand that reflects trust, credibility and professional value. By the end of this course, you’ll be equipped to foster long-term client loyalty and differentiate yourself in a competitive marketplace.

• School Advisory Board

12:00 PM – 1:00 PM

Lunch

1:00 PM – 1:15 PM

ABA Membership Presentation

1:15 PM – 3:30 PM

Asset Allocation and Diversification

Explore the foundational principles of asset allocation and portfolio diversification within the framework of an investment policy statement. We’ll examine key concepts including risk tolerance, rebalancing strategies and the influence of economic theory on allocation decisions. Gain insight into identifying correlations — both positive and negative — among assets to optimize diversification, as well as investment styles and strategies for constructing balanced equity and fixed-income portfolios.

• Bill Stone

3:45 PM – 5:45 PM

Economics and Markets

Examine the macroeconomic forces that shape financial markets and influence investment decisions so you’re equipped with the knowledge to engage clients in more informed discussions. We’ll highlight the critical relationship between interest rates and inflation, delve into the root causes and effects of inflation, and explain how inflation is measured and interpreted in economic analysis.

• Bill Stone

7:00 AM – 8:00 AM

Breakfast

8:00 AM – 9:15 AM

Client Engagement and Emotional Intelligence

Strengthen your client engagement by understanding the importance of wealth personas and emotional intelligence. We’ll explain how to dive deeper into clients based on who they are, their values, experiences and where they are in their financial lifecycle (building, preserving and transitioning) — and how this awareness informs an advisor’s approach to relationship management. We’ll also examine the principles of emotional intelligence and why the ability to perceive and understand others’ emotions and reactions can help you adapt while engaging with wealth clients.

• Lisa Bittner

9:30 AM – 10:45 AM

Wealth Management and Trust Review

• School Advisory Board

10:45 AM – 11:00 AM

School Wrap-Up