Independent Helping Hands

10881 Lowell Avenue, Suite 100

Overland Park, Kansas 66210

Phone: 913-498-8159; Fax: 913-498-0798; Web site: www.nationaladvisorstrust.com

NATCO bills itself as “the first advisor-owned, federally chartered trust company of the 21st Century,” and received its operating charter in October 2001. Its membership, the majority of which were founders, consists of 82 advisory-firm shareholders, located in 38 states scattered across the nation. Together they manage more than $20 billion in total client assets–assets that at one time were maintained at brokerage firms and bank trust departments. Services were created by and for these shareholders, and include custodial trust accounts. “We receive all our clients from the direct referral and recommendation of the shareholder group,” explains president and CEO David Roberts. NATCO is considering expanding “by a limited number of shareholders,” he says.

NATCO’s Mission To provide “outstanding trust and custodial services; account security and confidentiality; trust, earned through hard work and attention to your individual trust and custodial needs.”

NITC National Independent Trust Company

Launched in 2000, NITC (or NITCO) is a trust-only national bank, chartered by the federal Office of the Comptroller of the Currency. NITC consists of “divisions,” which operate out of 17 offices in six states for six trust operating groups. In effect, NITC is a back-office cooperative for the independent trust companies with whom NITC develops partnerships. According to president Tom Batterman, NITC’s goal is to improve the operating efficiencies of existing independent trust companies, and provide a cost-effective industry entry point for new entrants to the trust industry without compromising the independence of those groups on client service issues.

For more information, contact one of the six NITC operating groups. Florida area (Winter Park): Balliett Trust, 800-624-8961, www.balliettFS.com . Louisiana (Ruston) & Texas (Houston): Argent Trust, 800-375-4646, www.argentmoney.com. Minnesota (Northfield): Carlson Trust, 800-418-9989, www.ccm.us.com. Oregon (Portland): Allen Trust, 503-292-1041, www.allentrust.com. West Virginia (Charleston): Kanawha Trust, 304-346-0594, www.kanawhatrust.com. Wisconsin (Wausau): Vigil Trust, 800-950-8110, www.trustvigil.com.