 |
WHAT WE DO
American Funeral & Cemetery Trust Services (AFCTS) is a Master Trust Program for the death care industry dedicated to providing its clients with the most comprehensive management service available. AFCTS offers more features and services than any major trust program available to the industry today.
Charter Management Associates, Inc., the administrator of AFCTS, has become a benchmark in the industry for performance and service. Charter Management Associates, Inc. is a service-oriented company serving a service-oriented industry and provides the type of attention to detail funeral directors and cemeterians have come to expect.
AFCTS is not simply a depository for industry monies. It is a full-service program that provides an array of amenities to help industry executives manage their preneed and endowment care funds. AFCTS is unlike any other master trust offered before. It is designed with industry professionals in mind and built upon the anticipation of the needs of industry professionals. The very strength of AFCTS is its vision for the future, backed by the depth of experience of the Charter Management team.
As committed as we are to designing and offering the finest Master Trust for the death care industry, we are no less committed to making the experience of using AFCTS as functional as possible. Our turnkey program furnishes supplies (such as state-of-the-art contracts and related forms), materials and manual to provide assistance in understanding every phase of our program. Our trained and knowledgeable staff members are available daily through our direct toll-free telephone number to guide you through any situations you may encounter that require assistance.
The outstanding features of AFCTS will make your preneed and endowment care programs substantially more flexible for you and attractive to the families you serve. The AFCTS program will assist you in providing the high-quality program you desire and the ability to capture the market share available within your market boundaries. Perhaps most important, the preneed and endowment care funds you invest will achieve the highest possible returns to enhance cash flow and profitability for your firm.
The Promise of Service and an Abundance of Features
Let us begin by presenting a list of features available to all AFCTS clients.
COMPLIANCE
Compliance is always first and foremost in the AFCTS protocol with state and federal statutes. We conduct compliance audits on a regular basis to make sure all trust accounts comply with each state's requirements. AFCTS provides the data necessary for most annual reports required by their respective states. In some instances, AFCTS can produce the entire annual report.
COMPLETE TURNKEY OPERATION
AFCTS provides all the necessary contracts, deposit transmittals, postage-paid envelopes, and all other forms and materials necessary for the success of your preneed trust program. In addition, toll-free numbers to the necessary departments of AFCTS are provided for your convenience. On-site training is provided to all staff members and preneed advisors on the use of these materials and the structure of the program.
HIGHLY COMPETITIVE RETURNS
AFCTS has consistently yielded attractive returns. Our asset managers make all investments in accordance with state statutes. Fixed income, as well as balanced accounts, is managed with the safety of the funds utmost in the minds of our investment counselors while maintaining an excellent record of competitive returns.
DETAILED MONTHLY REPORTS
Meaningful and comprehensive detailed monthly reports are provided to maximize the management of the preneed and endowment funds. Our contract-to-date feature provides consistent accounts receivable information, as well as other information of importance.
TRUSCHEK® CLAIMS SYSTEM
This "instant" claims service is perhaps the most appreciated feature of AFCTS. By simply calling our 800 toll-free claims desk, you can obtain a claim number and issue yourself a check from a supply given to you when you become a participant with AFCTS. There are no lengthy claim forms to complete or waiting for your account to be paid. You can usually have the receivable paid in full the day a death occurs, creating that all-important instant cash flow for your firm.
TRUST-O-MATIC®
AFCTS Trust-O-Matic® payment plan allows your client to pay their monthly preneed installments directly from their checking accounts by automatic bank debit. There are no checks to write, no missed payments, resulting in more accurate accounting of your client's account. There is no chance of a family losing a guaranteed service because of a missed payment. The results? Satisfied families.
AUTOMATIC MONTHLY BILLING SYSTEM
This optional billing system will remove the drudgery of your in-house monthly billing to clients. Our system will automatically send your client a monthly statement of account with a return envelope direct to our administrator for credit to his/her account. A report showing the billing activity will be sent monthly to the AFCTS participants.
PROMOTIONAL BROCHURES
Promotional brochures are supplied for consumer information.
NO START UP COSTS, DUES OR MEMBERSHIP REQUIREMENTS
There are no dues requirements and there are no charges for becoming a participant in the AFCTS program. AFCTS is a privately run Master Trust Program that does not require membership in any trade association to reap the benefits of the Trust.
SIMPLE ROLLOVER PROCEDURES FROM PRESENT PROGRAM
AFCTS will complete a rollover from your present program in a simple and uncomplicated manner, providing all the necessary forms and most of the labor necessary to accomplish the transfer in a timely manner to the complete satisfaction of your present clients.
LOW MANAGEMENT FEES
Charter Management Associates, Inc. provides the AFCTS Master Trust Program to their clients for very competitive fees. Included in the contracted fees are the costs of administration, computer services, asset managers and depository costs. Fees cannot be increased without a 60-day notification to the participant.
PERIODIC NEWSLETTERS
Our Client Services Department will periodically keep the participants of AFCTS informed on new legislation, procedural changes, current events on trust services and other items of interest for our clients. They will be kept informed of any issues related to the operation of their preneed and endowment care trust program and updated on all information of importance as received in our office.
STATEMENT OF ACCOUNTS DISTRIBUTION
AFCTS provides a great tool by supplying a monthly statement to the industry participant on each trustor account with the following information:
- Contract date and original amount of the contract
- Deposits (Monthly and YTD)
- Death claims and/or cancellations
- Accounts payable/receivable
- Earnings/Expenses: Monthly and YTD
- A trailing 12-month annual return percentage
- Total number of active trust accounts
- Number of closed accounts
- Number of new accounts
- Total dollar amount in the account
REPORTING REQUIREMENTS
Each year, in January, AFCTS will mail or file all required 1099s, Grantor Tax Advice Letters or QFT Tax Returns to the appropriate people or agencies.
AFCTS is becoming the overwhelming choice of discriminating funeral directors and cemeterians who are seeking a powerful Master Trust tool that will secure the financial future of their company.
PERFORMANCE, NOT PROMISES
NOW FOR THE BEST PART
We've kept one of our best features for last….our busiest department of all…
CLIENT SERVICES DEPARTMENT
With hundreds of funeral providers, cemeterians, cremation specialists and monument providers in our system, we have a lot of work to do…and a lot of people to satisfy. That is one reason we established our Client Services Department. Included in the above is over 100,000 individual trustor accounts in the funeral and cemetery preneed categories. Let us give you an overview of what this important part of AFCTS can do for you!
In addition to the administrative and investment expertise, AFCTS recognizes the importance of providing comprehensive and relevant service to its contracted firms. The department's foundation is built upon TEAMWORK; which includes our asset managers, depositories, client firms, consumers and prospective clients. It is the mission of the department to respond to all communiqués with fast, friendly and relevant information; no query is too big or too small!
AFCTS CLIENT SERVICES INCLUDE BUT ARE NOT LIMITED TO:
- Technical assistance plus comprehensive and relevant information provided to Funeral Directors, Cemeterians, Family Counselors, Consumers, Depositories, Asset Managers, Regulators and Prospective Clients.
- In-house training for Management and Family Service Counseling staff. Sales manuals are provided for sales personnel and managers. All forms are printed and distributed by this department while new forms are continually being researched, developed and implemented to better serve the industry.
- Managing the Trust-O-Matic® and Truschek® accounts.
- Overseeing death claims and cancellations.
- Supplying monthly trust verification and death claim/cancellation reports with appropriate distribution.
- Providing monthly financial reports including investment earnings and growth.
- Supplying quarterly financial reports to regulators per state statutory requirements.
- Distributing all endowment care maintenance checks per firm authorization
- Supervision of the distribution of the statements of accounts for each firm.
- Handling of all informational calls from AFCTS participants.
- Handling of all billing inquiries and applications.
- Our proprietary software assists our clients in dealing with challenging and complex issues, such as additional FTC requirements, as well as other concerns of the industry.
- And many, many other services.
GO WITH THE ONE WITH EXPERIENCE:
AMERICAN FUNERAL & CEMETERY TRUST SERVICES
Back to Top
| |
