Insights
How to Select Trustees, Guardians, and Care Team
by Sequoia Financial Group
by Sequoia Financial Group
An important decision in special needs planning isn’t necessarily one that can be found in textbooks, determined by a formula in a spreadsheet, or governed by laws or regulations. It’s the choice of the people who will surround your loved one when you can no longer.
A well-designed financial and estate plan can help protect your loved one, but its success ultimately depends on the individuals who will carry that plan forward. Selecting trustees, guardians, and a broader support network requires thoughtful consideration of each person’s strengths, willingness to serve, and ability to work together over time.
At Sequoia Financial Group Special Needs Financial Planning, we encourage families to think beyond filling roles. We help them build a coordinated team that can provide continuity, advocacy, and care throughout a loved one’s lifetime.
Build Your “Team to Carry On”
Parents are irreplaceable. But as Sequoia’s Five Factors Checklist explains, your Team to Carry On is the network of trusted individuals who understand your vision and can work together if you are no longer able to advocate for your child.
This team may include:
- A trustee to manage financial assets.
- A guardian (when appropriate) or other decision-maker.
- Family members and siblings.
- Care managers, healthcare providers, and other professionals.
- Advisors who understand your family’s long-term goals.
Just as important as choosing the right people is communicating your expectations. Conversations today may prevent confusion tomorrow and help everyone understand the role they may one day play.
Choosing the Right Trustee
A trustee manages assets held in a Special Needs Trust and ensures that distributions are made in accordance with the trust’s terms without unnecessarily jeopardizing eligibility for public benefits.
The top trustee is not always a close relative. Depending on your family’s circumstances, an individual, professional fiduciary, or corporate trustee may be appropriate. Each option offers different strengths, including personal knowledge of your loved one, investment oversight, administrative experience, or continuity over many years. The right choice depends on your family’s unique needs and the complexity of the trust’s responsibilities.
Understanding Guardianship
If your child will need assistance making personal, medical, or legal decisions as an adult, guardianship may be one option—but it is not the only one.
Families should explore guardianship alongside less restrictive alternatives before age 18 to determine what best supports their loved one’s independence while providing appropriate protections. These decisions should be made carefully and with guidance from experienced disability planning professionals and attorneys.
To learn more about Guardianships, you can download “Ten FAQs about Guardianship.”
Don’t Overlook the Letter of Intent
Legal documents explain what should happen. A Letter of Intent explains how to care for your loved one.
It captures routines, medical history, preferences, relationships, communication styles, and the countless details only family members know. Updating it regularly helps prepare trustees, guardians, caregivers, siblings, and future successors to step into their roles with confidence.
Planning That Brings Everyone Together
Selecting trustees, guardians, and a care team is not about finding perfect people. It’s about building the right team, defining their responsibilities, and ensuring they share your vision for your loved one’s future.
At Sequoia Financial Group Special Needs Financial Planning, we help families coordinate the financial, legal, and personal aspects of these decisions as part of our BUILT FOR YOU approach. By bringing every piece of the plan together, we help families manage complexity today while preparing a trusted Team to Carry On for tomorrow.
Sources
- Sequoia Financial Group. Special Needs Planning. https://www.sequoia-financial.com/special-needs-planning/
- Social Security Administration. Benefits for Children With Disabilities. https://www.ssa.gov/benefits/disability/apply-child.html
The views expressed represent the opinion of Sequoia Financial Group. The views are subject to change and are not intended as a forecast or guarantee of future results. This material is for informational purposes only. It does not constitute investment advice and is not intended as an endorsement of any specific investment. Stated information is derived from proprietary and nonproprietary sources that have not been independently verified for accuracy or completeness. While Sequoia believes the information to be accurate and reliable, we do not claim or have responsibility for its completeness, accuracy, or reliability. Statements of future expectations, estimates, projections, and other forward-looking statements are based on available information and Sequoia’s view as of the time of these statements. Accordingly, such statements are inherently speculative as they are based on assumptions that may involve known and unknown risks and uncertainties. Actual results, performance or events may differ materially from those expressed or implied in such statements. Investing in equity securities involves risks, including the potential loss of principal. While equities may offer the potential for greater long-term growth than most debt securities, they generally have higher volatility. Past performance is not an indication of future results. Investment advisory services offered through Sequoia Financial Advisors, LLC, an SEC Registered Investment Advisor. Registration as an investment advisor does not imply a certain level of skill or training.
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