Trust & Wealth Management

About Home State Bank Trust & Wealth Management

For over 60 years, our Trust & Wealth Management Group has been a trusted local provider of wealth management and fiduciary services for individuals, families and businesses throughout McHenry County and Northern Illinois. Building on the foundation of integrity and experience, Home State Bank Trust & Wealth Management offers a full range of administrative and fiduciary trust services. These services include corporate and personal trustee services as well as estate settlement and guardianship.

No matter what stage of life you are in, whether you are just starting up, well established, or somewhere in between, Home State Bank is committed to providing outstanding and quality services. We can meet your needs today and for generations to come.

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Why Home State

Local Trust & Wealth Management Relationship – We are deeply rooted in the local community, ensuring you get personalized service and advice right here. You are our priority.

Expertise – Founded in 1915, we have been serving our customers’ financial needs for over a century. As corporate trustee, we leverage our experience, specialized expertise, and knowledge to professionally administer your trust with impartiality and objectivity.

Integrated Plan – Whether you are building a portfolio or choosing a trustee, we will consider all areas of your wealth to ensure you are making the most effective financial decisions.

Objectivity – As Corporate Trustee, we are obligated to act with confidentiality, integrity, and good faith, prioritizing the best interest of all beneficiaries and adhering to the directives outlined in the legal documents. Most importantly, we follow the instructions outlined in your will.

Continuity – As Corporate Trustee, our team will ensure continuous, uninterrupted service throughout the term of the appointment, unaffected by relocation, incapacitation, retirement, or death of a sole trustee. You can be assured your plans are executed as directed for the duration of the trust.

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Meet Our Team

Mark Weber
Sr. Vice President & Sr. Trust Officer

Elvira Guerrero
Vice President & Trust Officer

Jill Heffron
Trust & Client Relationship Officer

Matilda Botian
Sr. Trust Administrator & Operations Team Supervisor

Trust Operations

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Investment Services

Investment Management

With an investment account, our relationship begins with the first meeting. After discussing your goals and examining your circumstances and preferences, we will develop an appropriate investment strategy. The investment decisions represent the best course of action for your portfolio, given your objectives, risk tolerance and market outlook, designed to meet your financial goals. With your approval, we assume responsibility for managing your portfolio.

Custodial and Agency Accounts

Home State Bank offers a variety of custody and agency plans customized to your specific needs. We provide you with record-keeping and safekeeping services for all types of assets. We can collect, disburse, or reinvest income as you direct, while you retain complete management control of your portfolio. You will receive statements that track balances and activity for tax preparation purposes.

Escrow Services

Our team can act as an intermediary to escrow funds due to the sale or purchase of an asset, or to facilitate a 1031 exchange.

IRA and ROTH Management

Traditional IRAs and ROTH IRAs are available in either a self-directed or managed capacity. With a self-directed IRA, you retain the authority to direct your account’s investments toward permissible options. Conversely, a managed account entrusts our expert team with the task of managing investments aligned with your financial goals. Our services cater to those who wish to open a new IRA account or to transition their existing tax-deferred retirement account into an IRA.

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Estate Services

Who should settle your estate:

The privilege of choosing an executor is, in itself, one of the significant advantages of making your will. The executor, or your personal representative named in your will, settles your estate in your place. In a short timeframe, your executor must gather together all the property you own, find out what you owe, and pay all debts, including taxes and the expense of settling your estate. Thereafter, they distribute what remains, as directed in your will. Your executor should be held to the highest of standards, be consistently available, and be experienced in solving the various estate problems that could arise. With extensive experience settling estates, our team is qualified to meet your needs. We are objective and act in the best interest of all estate beneficiaries. Should any disagreements arise, we serve as a neutral intermediary, thus avoiding family conflict and disharmony.

Our Services include:

Arranging for probate if needed
Collecting, inventorying, valuing, and protecting assets
Managing assets
Issuing a periodic statement to beneficiaries of all receipts and expenditures in the estate
Paying taxes, expenses, and debts
Filing of tax returns

Distribution of estate assets to beneficiaries
Most importantly, we follow the instructions you outlined in your Will.

Our team has the organization, accounting, and management experience to administer accounts in the manner instructed. We serve as your fiduciary as dictated by the state statute and professional standards. Our priority is meeting the needs of our clients while upholding an oath of loyalty to act in the best interests of the grantor and beneficiaries under all circumstances.

Personal Trust Services

Testamentary Trust

A testamentary trust is an arrangement created as part of a will that becomes effective upon the death of the individual who created the will. This type of trust provides for professional asset management on behalf of the beneficiaries and may provide estate-tax advantages. It is important to note that testamentary trusts are subject to probate unlike living trusts, which can avoid probate.

Living Trust

A living trust provides you with control of your assets during your lifetime and directs distribution upon your death. This helps to ensure that the beneficiaries receive them according to your wishes. Assets placed in your living trust remain private, avoiding probate, which is often a time-consuming (and costly) process. If you should become incapacitated by illness or injury, your living trust can allow the successor trustee to act on your behalf as outlined in your trust. We can also assist with investment management to the extent that you prefer.

Guardianship/Special Needs Trusts

Guardianship trusts are useful where parents or caregivers want to ensure that their loved ones are cared for by someone they trust. The assets must be appropriately used for the benefit of their loved ones. Choosing the right trustee is of the utmost importance in ensuring your peace of mind. Our team has the professional experience to manage guardianship and special needs trusts.

Our Services include:

Collecting, inventorying, valuing, and protecting assets
Managing Ward's assets
Preparing yearly accounting reports for filing with the Courts
Paying taxes, expenses, debts, and medical expenses for Ward
Filing of tax returns
Most importantly, we follow the instructions of the court with a fiduciary duty to protect and act in the best interest of the Ward.

Land Trust Services

A land trust is a simple, inexpensive method for handling the ownership of real estate in Illinois. It is an arrangement by which legal title to real estate is transferred from you to a land trust with Home State Bank as the trustee. All of the rights and conveniences of ownership are exercised by the holder of the beneficial interest, not the trustee. The trustee will execute deeds and mortgages and otherwise deal with the property only as directed in writing by the beneficiary.

Benefits of a Land Trust

Privacy – One of the primary benefits of a land trust is that it provides the beneficiary privacy. The trust will hold the title to the property, which means the owner’s identity is not publicly disclosed.

Avoiding Probate – When a property is held in a trust, it does not go through the probate process, which can be time-consuming and costly. This maintains privacy and expedites the transfer of the property to the beneficiaries, potentially saving time and reducing legal costs.

Flexibility and Customization – Each land trust’s terms can be tailored to your individual or commercial needs. For example, those who may have partial interests in a property, own multiple properties, or are developing a property, may find land trusts offer a simplified process to separate personal finances and property.

Simple to Transfer – Transferring ownership of property through a land trust can be simpler than other methods. The transfer can be achieved through an assignment of beneficial interest in the trust. Land Trusts provide a flexible and customizable way to manage real estate assets, protect privacy, and avoid probate. However, it is important to weigh the benefits against potential risks and seek professional advice when creating a land trust.

The following documents are available in PDF format for download or printing:

Home State Bank is not authorized to practice law, and we cannot provide legal advice or services. Although not mandatory, seeking an attorney's input on preparing your documents is advisable.

Investment and Trust services are: Not FDIC Insured | Not Bank Guaranteed | May Lose Value