Trust Management question

[Anonymous]

I am in a position to choose a 3rd party Trustee to manage my mom's Trust. Upon turning age 25, the proceeds will be equally divided for my kids both in MS now - so this will be 10+ years down the line.

1. The crux of my question is philosophically, is it smarter to go with a wealth management or asset management trust investment when choosing a Trust management company to oversee funds for the long-term?

2. Is there a sense from a financial perspective, an approach to trust fund management long-term that is more desirable given our circumstances?

3. Is there something specific I should look at to measure ROI other than the baseline % of growth - I do have both sets of company numbers. I will need to make a decision probably week or by end of month for certain.

Company A - national award winning. Investment banking approach to fund management. High fees but very professional - polish, responsive, flex. ROI is steady but ups and down given their approach. They like to spot hot market trends and go after the companies that seem to be big successes - it's more or less investment banking strategy - highly aggressive.

Company B - regional. Asset management approach - fixed assets/equity approach. Nothing fancy, ROI steady. Market fees. More of an annual setting of what assets we may need but offers flexibility as needed if we tap into the fund for educational expenses as needed during the year.

Totally different approaches, both referred to me by a trusted friend in the industry, both seem to have same outcomes ROI wise. I'm not sure which to choose! My heart likes B but my head says A. I don't want to really pay extra fees and B seems good enough but I feel like A makes me feel a bit more secure somehow.

For what it's worth, the fund will likely total $3M and I have a special needs kid who requires a lot of out of pocket expenses and goes to private school which the fund can legally help with. Obviously, our focus is to grow the fund as much as possible and want our kids to enjoy the most as possible at age 25 but we also want to give them every benefit by way of educational opportunities before then, including funding college.

[Anonymous]

The fees can really add up over time. Do you have a sense of how large the difference is between the two firms? I would lean to firm B based on what you're saying.

[Anonymous]

B. It sounds crazy to say, I know, but $3m is not so high that you should be doing anything creative, especially since you have a SN beneficiary.

[Anonymous]

Definitely not A. Spotting hot market trends is a great way to lose your ass. Boring=effective when it comes to investing. I'm not a boglehead, but that type of strategy is highly effective. Don't think that a complex strategy gives you a higher chance of success.

[Anonymous]

This is all very helpful. I will definitely consider B. Thanks all!