Postgraduate Professional Diploma in Wills and Trust Fund Management

Securing your loved ones' financial future is everyone's dream. That's why it is important to think about how you can continue to protect them financially even beyond your own lifetime. In this case, creating a trust fund can be an effective way to do so. This type of fund is basically a set of documents that say who will receive your assets, who will care for your loved ones, and who can make decisions on your behalf.

However, starting and managing a trust fund is not that easy because of legal requirements, careful financial planning, and ongoing administration. In this case, you need to follow complex laws, choose the right type of trust, and clearly define its purpose. You also need to select a reliable trustee, manage investments wisely, keep accurate records, and ensure that taxes are filed correctly. To do so, you can enrol in a comprehensive learning programme in managing this fund. 

What is the purpose of a trust fund?

A trust fund serves as a legal arrangement for managing and distributing assets. This type of arrangement is made to control and protect beneficiaries, especially when they are unable to manage their finances themselves. Additionally, it allows the grantor to dictate how and when assets are distributed, even after their death. As a result, it potentially reduces the inheritance tax and avoids probate. 

A trust fund allows you to set rules regarding the distribution of assets, including the timing and conditions under which beneficiaries will receive them. You can also specify how and when assets will be distributed, such as at a certain age, upon the completion of education, or for a specific purpose like a down payment on a house. 

Programme Overview

The Postgraduate Professional Diploma in Wills and Trust Fund Management class is an advanced learning programme designed to enhance expertise in wealth management and estate planning. The curriculum goes beyond basic concepts of wills and trusts, diving into complex areas like taxation, global estate planning, succession laws, and asset protection methods. This way, you will be trained to handle real-life, high-value estates and complex trust structures.

These materials can be accessed through a study platform called Moodle. On Moodle, you can access and manage all of our courses, including the information about this session. This information includes class schedules, live sessions, recorded lessons, student discussions, and exam information.

Our team will send you the login details to access our study platform. However, you will receive the credentials only if you have completed the registration process. Moreover, the wills and trust fund management class takes place online on weekend evenings. This way, it gives you chances to choose the time and location you would like to study with us. Also, our interactive lessons let you share your screen and join discussions with classmates.

Programme Outline

This Postgraduate Professional Diploma in Wills and Trust Fund Management class consists of six core learning areas, including the legal framework of trusts and estates, drafting wills and trusts, understanding tax implications, asset protection strategies, trust administration, and estate planning. This way, you can build a complete understanding of how to create, manage, and protect wealth through wills and trusts. To find out more about it, below is the module list of this class, including:

Module 1: Advanced legal frameworks

• Complex state planning laws
• Regulatory compliance and risk management
• Advanced legal drafting skills

Module 2: Complex will drafting

• Advanced estate planning strategies
• Special clauses and contingencies
• Legal compliance and risk mitigation

Module 3: Trust creation and management

• Establishing legal arrangements
• Managing assets for others
• Ensuring compliance and accountability

Module 4: Estate planning strategies

• Advanced asset distribution planning
• Wealth preservation techniques
• Succession and legacy structuring

Module 5: Risk management and dispute resolution

• Advanced risk identification and trust fund assessment
• Strategic dispute resolution techniques
• Compliance and regulatory risk controls

Module 6: Professional ethics and client care

• Ethical standards in practice
• Building and maintaining client relationships
• Confidentiality and compliance

Enrolment Criteria

Our Postgraduate Professional Diploma in Wills and Trust Fund Management session is a level 7 qualification. This means that the course covers material at a postgraduate level, similar to what one would expect from a master's programme. For this reason, the class requires you to meet a few entry criteria, including:

1. Must be at least 18 years old
2. Able to understand and use simple English
3. Hold either a related diploma qualification (level 6) or relevant work background

Types of trusts

A trust fund can be categorised in several ways, but some common types include bare trusts, discretionary trusts, and interest in possession trusts. Each of these trust fund are taxed differently. It is because the tax law treats the purpose, structure, and control of the trust in a unique way

To elaborate, bare trust offers simplicity and direct asset transfer to the beneficiary at a specific age. Meanwhile, the discretionary trusts allow trustees more flexibility in distributing assets. On the other hand, the interest in possession trust provides a beneficiary with the income from the trust assets, but not the assets themselves..

How to start a trust fund?

Starting a trust fund is about setting aside money or assets to be managed according to the rules you establish, for the benefit of someone else. Thus, the process can be stated by deciding the purpose of the trust, choosing the type of trust, selecting a trustee, writing a trust deed, funding the trust, registering and handling taxes, and maintaining and reviewing the trust. However, all can be useless if you don't have a strong knowledge and the necessary skills. 

In this case, you can join a comprehensive learning programme to manage a trust fund. This course, offered by the College of Contract Management, spans 6 months. Within this time, you will be equipped with in-depth knowledge and practical skills necessary to handle various aspects of trust administration, including legal requirements, financial planning, and tax implications.

By the end of the Postgraduate Professional Diploma in Wills and Trust Fund Management course, you will earn a professional certificate that you can use as proof. This proof can help you acknowledge your participation, knowledge, and skills acquisition, as well as the completion of the entire training session. However, you need to complete and submit all the assignments and pass the final exam to earn the achievement.

The Postgraduate Professional Diploma in Wills and Trust Fund Management supports you with the knowledge and skills to manage the complexities of wills, trusts, and estate administration. However, the schedule of this class is still being finalised and will be announced separately. You can contact our team for more details or require further assistance. We are ready to assist you.