With more than a century of trust services expertise, BOK Financial Advisor Trust Services stands out as a steadfast partner for financial advisors. Unlike some trust companies that seek to replace advisors, BOK prioritizes collaboration, ensuring advisors remain at the center of client relationships. The firm’s institutional stability, commitment to service excellence, and deep understanding of trust structures help advisors retain and grow their businesses while seamlessly integrating trust services.
In an interview with The Wealth Advisor’s Scott Martin, Rosemary Hueser, Senior Vice President and Manager of Advisor Trust Services at BOK Financial, highlighted how the firm’s focus on advisor relationships, operational efficiency, and education sets it apart in the competitive trust services landscape.
Keeping Advisors at the Center
While some trust companies have a history of taking over family accounts, sidelining advisors in the process, BOK takes a different approach, providing trust administration while allowing advisors to continue managing investments and maintaining direct client relationships. By keeping investment management and trust administration separate but collaborative, BOK empowers advisors to deliver a seamless and comprehensive wealth management experience.
“We encourage when a family has a trusted advisor already in their midst and their relationship to continue that,” Hueser says. “Or for an advisor, we work with them in that relationship to secure that trust in their world to continue to manage those trust assets while we can do the trust administration services for them.”
The model preserves multigenerational client relationships, ensuring continuity and stability. Advisors can expand their services without fear of displacement, reinforcing their role as a central pillar in their clients’ financial planning.
Flexible Trust Structures
To accommodate varying state requirements and client needs, BOK provides both directed and delegated trust models. The firm’s expertise in both areas offers significant advantages for advisors and sets them apart in their deep understanding of state-specific trust requirements and ability to seamlessly operate across different jurisdictions.
“We work in both [models],” Hueser says. “That’s nothing new. In fact, we were probably one of the initiators of communication in the advisor world about the differences between delegated and directed.”
Under the directed model, trust documents specifically name the investment advisor as responsible for investments, while BOK focuses solely on administration. The clean separation of duties, supported by most state statutes, allows advisors to maintain complete investment control without interference.
In the delegated model, BOK remains responsible for investment oversight but delegates the investment management to the advisor. “The trustee still retains that oversight of the investments,” Hueser explains. “So, we need to do a Reg. 9 investment review. We monitor it for the investment objectives, but we’re not making the selection of investment A is better than investment B. That’s the role of the advisor.”
By offering both models, BOK ensures that advisors can maintain the most advantageous position for their practice, regardless of their clients’ unique situations or jurisdictional requirements. Whether transitioning existing trusts or structuring new ones, BOK provides advisors with the tools to remain fully engaged in wealth management.
Service Excellence That Drives Advisor Loyalty
In an industry where trustee services can feel impersonal, BOK differentiates itself through responsiveness and execution. Hueser emphasizes that service quality is a key reason advisors and clients switch from other trust companies to BOK.
“That response and service—and then doing it correctly—is really what sets us apart in the industry, and that’s why trusts tend to move from other trust companies to us,” Hueser explains. “That’s the majority of our business, moving it from other trustees where the advisor and their clients aren’t happy.”
Quick response times to distribution requests, consistent availability of trust officers, and prompt attention to client inquiries demonstrate the firm’s commitment to service excellence, and have built BOK’s reputation for delivering the same high level of service that advisors provide to their own clients.
Institutional Stability for Multigenerational Trusts
With more than 100 years of experience in trust administration, BOK provides the steadfast expertise that many newer firms may lack.
“We have that stability that I think other trust companies who have just popped up in the last 10, 20 years don’t necessarily have,” Hueser notes. “And in a trust, when you’re dealing with multigenerational planning, that stability of your trustee is absolutely crucial.”
The longevity translates into deep industry expertise and strong talent retention. Many of BOK’s trust administrators and officers have been with the firm for decades, providing continuity that prevents disruptions in client relationships. Advisors can be confident that BOK’s institutional presence will endure, safeguarding trust structures for generations to come.
Technology That Enhances Efficiency
BOK has modernized the traditionally paper-intensive trust process through digital solutions that streamline administration. From onboarding to discretionary distributions, the firm’s electronic systems reduce delays and enhance oversight.
“Pretty much everything from an onboarding process is electronic at this point,” Hueser explains. “We’re reviewing things within our systems, our committees, our discretionary distribution. All of that is done through a system. It’s not the meet once a week face-to-face and make a decision. It happens in a same-day type of process.”
This technological efficiency not only translates to faster service for advisors and their clients but also ensures consistent oversight and compliance standards across all trust relationships. Automated workflows that enable same-day processing for many requests help eliminate bottlenecks, providing a more efficient experience for all stakeholders.
Helping Advisors Expand Their Business
BOK’s platform not only helps advisors retain assets but also creates opportunities for growth. By proactively reviewing estate planning documents and existing trust relationships, advisors can identify gaps and position themselves as a key resource for their clients.
Many clients are unaware they’re trust beneficiaries, as distributions flow automatically into their accounts. Without proper trust planning, assets can unintentionally leave an advisor’s oversight when a client passes away. Hueser shares a cautionary example of a junior advisor who lost client assets due to inadequate trust structuring. To prevent such issues, she recommends advisors:
- Discuss estate planning documents with clients regularly.
- Work directly with estate attorneys rather than relying on referrals.
- Help clients understand complex legal terminology.
- Ensure trust language allows for advisor continuity.
- Ask clients if they are beneficiaries of existing trusts.
Most trust documents include removal and appointment language, allowing trustees to be changed if beneficiaries are dissatisfied with service or fees. This opening creates an opportunity for advisors to introduce BOK’s services.
“If they are unhappy with their current trustee service performance fees, we’re now a solution,” Hueser explains.
By taking an enterprising approach, advisors can both safeguard client assets and reinforce their role as a trusted long-term partner. The engagement doesn’t just protect existing relationships—it opens doors to new business, as clients recognize the advisor’s expertise in preserving wealth across generations.
A Commitment to Advisor Education
BOK Financial emphasizes advisor education as a cornerstone of its partnership approach, with Hueser noting that it’s a “fundamental aspect” of the firm’s strategy, helping advisors confidently navigate trust complexities. “We spend probably 80% of our conversations and communications in education,” Hueser says.
Through webinars, continuing education credits, and one-on-one consultations, BOK equips advisors with the knowledge they need to integrate trust services into their practice and maximize the value of the partnership. Even for advisors who aren’t current partners, BOK is willing to offer guidance.
“Even if advisors aren’t getting that from other trustees, please give me a call. We’ll be more than happy to help out,” Hueser says.
The BOK Advantage
For advisors looking to incorporate trust services into their practice, BOK offers an unmatched combination of institutional strength, service excellence, and advisor-centric solutions. By prioritizing advisor relationships, leveraging modern technology, and maintaining a commitment to education, BOK ensures advisors can confidently provide trust solutions while keeping control of their client relationships.
As more advisors recognize the importance of trust services in multigenerational planning, BOK Financial’s century of experience positions it as a premier partner in the space.
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