You & Your Firm Work Hard for Each Client

You work hard to ensure your client gains the best settlement possible. And we work hard to help them keep what is rightfully theirs. Additionally, by design, our services help protect your client’s settlement money from being drained by unscrupulous family members or acquaintances.

As an attorney there are many situations where you may be seeking a corporate trustee to administer your clients trust. Whether you are a personal injury lawyer, a special needs trust legal firm or an education law attorney, it’s critical to have a SNT trust fiduciary that has expertise and comprehensive experience with a variety of trust administration applications.

ACT can Help

As the experts in our field, the following are ways we work with you to achieve desired results. Relieving you of some of the tedious workload and assuring you that you place your client in the best hands possible.

  • Assisting in settlement planning by helping you or your staff determine what may be the best option for your client. Utilizing our resources and contacts can ensure you have a comprehensive look at each specific case. As ACT’s Legal Counsel, George Reitnour offers a wealth of knowledge and experience for attorneys and beneficiaries. George’s background provides you the perspective, knowledge and language to enable your team to establish a trust that will enhance your client’s life without impacting their public benefits.
    • For example, means-tested programs such as Medicaid and SSI will often play a central role in providing healthcare and maintaining financial security. While structured settlements are meant to ensure a steady stream of income throughout the plaintiff’s life, they could jeopardize public benefits if not paid into a special needs trust (SNT).
    • Special Education Settlement Agreements can also be complex and require careful consideration. Families have gone through a complicated and stressful experience and finally see the end of a challenging situation as well as the beginning of a new journey.
  • ACT takes over the fiduciary responsibility so that you are free to move on to what you do best. As you may have experienced, many SNT settlement agreements and estate plans accommodating for an individual with special needs, do not meet the minimum financial requirements of many Trust Companies. As a charitable Trust, ACT is able to accommodate any size trust, providing the valued care and fiduciary standards you desire for your clients.
  • ACT’s staff takes care of all paperwork, education and intake calls allowing you and your staff to concentrate on other areas of the case.
  • We offer fast turn-around time on trust set up so if a case is determined to need a SNT last minute, ACT can accommodate those needs.

Although we do not offer legal advice, we leverage various trust attorneys in drafting client trust documents. We also offer feedback on trust documents for a variety of trust planning situations. In addition, we regularly refer business to attorneys where we have an active relationship.

ACT’s here to Help!

In effort to assist school district and their attorney(s) in establishing an educational settlement trust for a student/family, ACT has created the following list of items we require. The information and documents listed will enable ACT to establish the trust as well as administer the trust properly over the life of the trust. If you have questions regarding any of the information below please contact us

Ardent Community Trust of Pennsylvania (ACT) has an extensive history in administering First Party, Third Party and Pooled Special Needs Trusts. Since 2001 when ACT was established, our trust administrators have endeavored to enhance the lives of beneficiaries while protecting their governmental benefits.

From the beginning the vision of ACT was to provide individuals and their families a charitable organization which understood their issues, shared the vision of independence and worked to provide a safe vehicle to preserve resources, safeguard individual’s governmental benefits and provide families the security of knowing their loved ones financial interests would be cared for by a compassionate charity.

The following are the policies ACT follows in an effort to provide beneficiaries and those who care for them the security and peace of mind they desire in selecting a Trust.

Trust Policy

In effort to assist school district and their attorney(s) in establishing an educational settlement trust for a student/family, ACT has created the following list of items we require. The information and documents listed will enable ACT to establish the trust as well as administer the trust properly over the life of the trust. If you have questions regarding any of the information below please contact us.

  • Settlement Agreement
  • Trust Agreement (Please be sure the following data is incorporated in the trust agreement)
    • Add date of birth of student in opening paragraph
    • Include School District address and Tax ID in opening paragraph
    • Trust should be named Third Party Education Trust for the Benefit of Student’s Name.
    • Termination of the trust
      • The date of termination should be an actual date even if the trust terminates at a certain age
    • Language that ACT will send quarterly statements to both the School District and parents (ACT will not provide monthly detailed accountings)
    • Language allowing Trustee to pay for legal services if needed to administer the trust
    • Language stating that grantor (School District) is required to sign a release acknowledging they have reviewed the accounting prior to ACT returning remaining funds to grantor
    • Language stating which agreement (settlement or trust) is the governing document.
    • Language regarding Trustee Compensation
      • ACT prefers to deduct fees from the trust rather than invoicing grantor (school district) to pay fees.

We thank you for considering ACT as the Trustee for your educational settlement trusts.

Complete the form below and submit prior or with the Joinder Agreement and Fee Acknowledgement Agreement.

New Trust Information Form

*This document is offered as a fillable PDF.  If you wish to fill out the form using a computer, you must first save the form to your computer (e.g. Desktop) and then open it in Adobe Reader  (If needed, download Adobe Reader here)  All fields can then be completed on your computer and the document can be saved.

Below are both the Fee Schedule and Agreement. The Agreement must be signed and returned.

Ed Trust FEE

Fee Agreement Fillable Form

*This document is offered as a fillable PDF.  If you wish to fill out the form using a computer, you must first save the form to your computer (e.g. Desktop) and then open it in Adobe Reader  (If needed, download Adobe Reader here)  All fields can then be completed on your computer and the document can be saved.

Below are both the Fee Schedule and Agreement. The Agreement must be signed and returned.

SNT FEE

Fee Agreement Fillable Form

*This document is offered as a fillable PDF.  If you wish to fill out the form using a computer, you must first save the form to your computer (e.g. Desktop) and then open it in Adobe Reader  (If needed, download Adobe Reader here)  All fields can then be completed on your computer and the document can be saved.

Ed Trust FAQ

Get Connected Today!

If you have questions, need  guidance or would like to speak to ACT’s In-house Counsel about a specific issue, please send us an email through our contact form. ACT also is able to provide organizations and groups speakers on a variety of Trust and Trust related topics. Simply contact us and we are happy to make the appropriate arrangements. We look forward to hearing from you!

Contact ACT Today

More ways ACT can help

In your fast paced environment you want to have resources, connections and professional trustees that you can depend on when needed. The least cost effective activity you can do is spend valuable time searching for . . .  well anything!

Search no more! ACT can help by offering you access to a Charitable Trust that has experienced professional trust administrators, an expanding knowledgeable support staff, network of caring case management professionals and vast experience supporting all types of SNT’s.

When settling a personal injury case, or working through an estate plan, the value that public benefits will bring to the individual’s quality of life should be carefully assessed. Means-tested programs such as Medicaid and SSI will often play a central role in providing healthcare and maintaining financial security. While structured settlements are meant to ensure a steady stream of income throughout the individual’s life, they could jeopardize public benefits if not paid into a special needs trust (SNT). Integrating a structured settlement with an SNT is complex, especially with unique and continually changing areas of individual benefits and disability law. ACT has an extensive history in administering First Party, Third Party and Pooled Special Needs Trusts. Since 2001 when ACT was established, our trust administrators have strived to enhance the lives of beneficiaries while protecting their public benefits.

As you may have experienced, many SNT settlement agreements and estate plans accommodating for an individual with special needs, do not meet the minimum financial requirements of many Trust Companies. As a charitable Trust, ACT is able to accommodate any size trust, providing the valued care and fiduciary standards you desire for your clients.

As ACT continues to strengthen and expand our team, we are pleased to announce the promotion of George Reitnour to ACT Trust Counsel.  George has over 35 years of experience as an attorney administering fiduciary matters. As ACT’s Legal Counsel, George offers a wealth of knowledge and experience for attorneys and beneficiaries. George’s background provides you the perspective, knowledge and language to enable your team to establish a trust that will enhance your client’s life without impacting their public benefits.

When you have questions regarding specific SNT issues or are seeking a trustee for a SNT to serve with integrity and in a manner that exceeds best-practice fiduciary standards, contact ACT.

Administrator Overview

George F. Reitnour, ACT – Trust Counsel

ACT – Ardent Community Trust of Pennsylvania is equipped with a diverse and experienced team of Trust Administrators working with a variety of trust beneficiaries. ACT’s team provides a balanced and professional approach to trust administration, focused on enhancing the lives of beneficiaries and providing peace of mind for their families and those responsible for their welfare.

ACT is pleased to have George Reitnour serving as our Trust Counsel and we believe you will find George and our other TA’s to be valued resources for your firm and those you serve.

George was admitted to the Pennsylvania Bar Association in 1982 after completing his J.D. at Duquesne University of Law in 1982. For seventeen years, George practiced law in southeastern Pennsylvania emphasizing estate planning and administration. During that time, George also focused on elder law, real estate and business law as well as work with non-profit organizations. While practicing law, George co-founded Reitnour, Mumma & Schwartz in 1984, then incorporated Cornerstone Lawyers, LTD in 1985.

These initial seventeen years laid the foundation for the next seventeen years of George’s career as Vice President with National Penn Investors Trust Company and Branch Banking & Trust Company (B.B. & T.). George administered over $250 million in accounts and provided expertise on a variety of trust-relate areas including: retirement planning and tax law; fiduciary law; charitable gifting; real estate and business law; as well as elder law. George was influential in the development of power to adjust and unitrust in order to deploy total return investing. He also provided advice to co-workers on macro level issues such as the Principal and Interest Act, Medicare D and the Uniform Trust Act.

In 2017, George joined ACT as a Trust Administrator and quickly became a critical and valued Trust Administrator. His legal and trust related experience has provided both ACT and our beneficiaries with a well verse and seasoned TA. George works with some of the most challenging and diverse trusts, where his experience is vital. His knowledge and practice has been a valued resource for attorneys seeking to establish trusts for clients, especially for those with complicated funding mechanisms. Today, as ACT Trust Counsel, George provides his extensive legal and trust experience in support of those we serve.

George’s passion is to positively impact and enhance the lives of individuals with special needs, mental health issues and those who have been impacted by catastrophic events. His compassion and dedication is apparent in his work with beneficiaries and their attorneys as he seeks to establish vehicles that will provide financial stability and peace of mind for caregivers and families.

George and the team of outstanding TA’s here at ACT look forward to working with you in establishing and administering trusts that will provide a financial platform to enhance your client’s life.

Get Connected Today!

If you have questions, need  guidance or would like to speak to ACT’s In-house Counsel about a specific issue, please send us an email through our contact form. ACT also is able to provide organizations and groups speakers on a variety of Trust and Trust related topics. Simply contact us and we are happy to make the appropriate arrangements. We look forward to hearing from you!

Contact ACT Today