Paul Fensom

My Summer Vacation

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One of my favorite routines on my annual summer vacation is to read the local news. Regular readers of this Blog may not be surprised that the story which caught my eye this summer was about an Estate.   Richard M. Grant, a life-long farmer, known as the “The Corn King” and “The Bean Baron of Maine”, passed away in February 2017. According to the Portland Press Herald (“the Herald”), Grant’s….

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Contested wills, Estate Litigation, Family Conflict, In the News, Uncategorized

2017 – Fake News & Fidget Spinners

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This is my 8th annual year end investment review for Trusts. As I have indicated in the past, Trustees are accountable for a prudent investment policy. This includes a review of the performance of the investments in the Trust. For Trusts that hold a portfolio of marketable securities, a fundamental element of the review includes a comparison of the performance of the investments in the Trust against relevant benchmarks. For….

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Estate Administration, Investments, Uncategorized

What’s more American than a Norman Rockwell painting – perhaps a Court hearing?

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In my Blog last week I talked about how much I like some of the American traditions like Thanksgiving. What could be more American than a beloved Norman Rockwell painting. Earlier this month the Massachusetts Court of Appeal blocked the auction of 2 Norman Rockwell paintings, which had a combined value of over $25mil. The plaintiffs included Rockwell’s sons as well as the office of the Massachusett’s attorney general. The….

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In the News, Philanthropy/Charitable Giving, Uncategorized, Wills

Some American Thanksgivng Day Advice

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I love the traditions of the American Thanksgiving Day holiday – spending time with family and friends, enjoying a great food and watching football. In the lead-up to Thanksgiving, the American papers are filled with all kinds of tips on how to prepare for and enjoy the big day. Whether folks are battling chaos at the airport trying to get home or struggling to defrost a turkey in record time,….

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Estate Planning, Family Conflict, Uncategorized

The Society of Trust & Estate Practitioners (STEP) Annual Conference

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Earlier this week I attended the 19th annual National Conference of the Society of Trust & Estate Practitioners (“STEP”). I must congratulate Michael Dodick, Janis Armstrong and their whole team for putting on another very successful conference. The success of the conference is easily measurable, there were 720 attendees, making it the largest STEP conference in the World. STEP Canada continues to grow and now has 2486 members in 11 branches….

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Estate Planning, In the News, Practice Management, Uncategorized

Knowledge: The Inheritors’ Perspective

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RBC recently released their Wealth Transfer Report 2017. Some of results confirm what we have read for years about the percentage of people who have proper Wealth Transfer Plans in place. What caught my eye, were the survey results about the inheritor experience and educating the next generation. By way of context, this survey was comprised of 3,105 respondents from across Canada, U.S.A. and the U.K. with average investible assets….

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Estate Planning, In the News, Uncategorized
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