The Forge Companies is pleased to announce they are teaming up with Rebecca Cameron Blount, a longtime friend of The Forge Companies, distinguished attorney, and owner of The Blount Law Firm, PA in Greenville, NC.

Advocacy Trust Celebrates Major Milestone

Full Circle Coverage Announces New Partnership with Golden Bear

Full Circle Coverage Included in UGA Bulldog 100

Bringing Nearly Three Decades of Banking Knowledge to Support Families and Enhance Settlement Planning Services

At The Forge Companies, our commitment to clients extends beyond financial planning—we’re also here for life’s unexpected challenges. Our team is dedicated to providing top-tier services by designing customized plans that address immediate and future needs, ensuring our clients are supported through every phase of their journey. If you’d like to learn more about how we can help your clients, connect with us today!

For this Heart of Forge spotlight, we are thrilled to highlight our Atlanta office! Last month, members of our Forge Consulting, Advocacy Trust, and Advocacy Wealth teams spent the morning with Zobida Dat and Jenifer Hossler from the Georgia Center for Child Advocacy (GCCA). Together, they assembled goodie bags for GCCA’s upcoming Trunk or Treat event.

We are thrilled to highlight Shawn Mitchell, a Trust Officer on our Advocacy Trust team, for his incredible work with the Iredell County Sheriff's Office during their Youth Outdoor Education Week.

We are thrilled to highlight one of our Trust Officers, Laura Schlesing. Laura is a dedicated board member of Gigi's Playhouse of Charlotte, a remarkable Down Syndrome Achievement Center 100% volunteer-run with just two paid staff members.

Advocacy Wealth Management and Montag & Caldwell Join Forces

We proudly highlight the President of Abacus Advisors, Charlie Feehan, for his incredible volunteer work with the non-profit Make A Miracle.

The Forge Companies Announces Hillary B. Cranford as New Senior Financial Consultant

Advocacy Trust Welcomes Industry Veterans to Enhance Client Care Standards Advocacy Trust (AT) is thrilled to announce the growth and expansion of its Board of Managers with the addition of Mrs. Leslie Coyle, CTFA, CFP®, Mr. Rob Ragsdale, CFP®, AIF, and Mr. Steven Stewart. With a combined industry experience exceeding 60 years in trust and financial services, these esteemed individuals strengthen AT’s commitment to excellence. AT is a Tennessee chartered trust company with reciprocity in many states throughout the country, enabling the company and its team to provide the absolute best care and services to beneficiaries nationwide. With over $1B in assets under administration, AT specializes in enhancing the lives of clients, families, and caregivers through investment, trust, tax, and fiduciary services. This commitment and dedication is further strengthened and enhanced by AT's extensive team of professionals, ensuring round-the-clock client support. The expansion of the Board of Managers is a pivotal step in AT's ongoing mission to deliver unparalleled care to clients both present and future. Kate Maloney , President of AT, expressed her enthusiasm for the new appointments, stating, “I am thrilled to have Leslie Coyle, Steve Stewart, and Rob Ragsdale join our Board of Managers. They bring a wealth of knowledge to us that will be invaluable as we continue to grow the company. We look forward to their insight and support towards our mission to provide best-in-class trust services to the individuals and families we work with.” Coyle, Stewart, and Ragsdale join forces with current AT Board of Managers members: Mr. Jay Butler, CEO of AT, Mr. Spooner Phillips, Founder and CEO of The Forge Companies (TFC), Mr. David Paventi, COO of TFC, Mrs. Beth Allen, Chief Marketing and Relationship Officer of TFC, and Mr. Sean Coleman, Managing Director at Bay Point Advisors, LLC. “Advocacy Trust, with our focus on clients living with special circumstances, strives to set the standard for their needs with empathy and professionalism. Adding Rob, Steven, and Leslie to the board gives us a wide base of expertise to leverage to ensure we always provide world class financial, medical and general life care needs” states AT CEO, Jay Butler . About Advocacy Trust Advocacy Trust offers a comprehensive suite of services including special needs trusts, settlement trusts, asset protection trusts, minors trust planning, and fiduciary and administrative services. As part of The Forge Companies, Advocacy Trust is committed to providing tailored solutions to meet the unique needs of its clients. About The Forge Companies The Forge Companies focus on guiding plaintiff attorneys and their clients through the entire settlement planning process. To make this process more inclusive, they established an investment management firm, Advocacy Wealth Management, to complement existing annuity planning services and a trust company, Advocacy Trust, offering a full range of traditional and special needs trust services. For Media Inquiries: Beth Allen Chief Marketing and Relationship Officer, The Forge Companies ballen@forgeconsulting.com

With the help of our Forge for Business partner, Abacus Advisor, understanding and managing your IOLTA account doesn't have to be stressful. Their team of accountants, payroll professionals, and seasoned business executives have over 200 years of collective experience. They provide services including, but not limited to:  IOLTA clean-up to reconcile IOLTA balances with client information Monthly reconciliations, client-level accounting for client costs and trust transactions Bill-pay for firm and client expenses Settlement support for plaintiff firms.

We are incredibly honored to have our close friend Gibson Vance share his experience working with The Forge Companies. At The Forge Companies, trust isn’t just a product we offer; it’s the goal of our relationship. We have over 150 teammates and together, we have worked to build our core values of trust, respect, excellence, empathy, and selflessness, allowing us to build genuine, lasting relationships with our clients and with each other.

by Charlie Culverhouse, CIC, CLCS Managing Partner, Full Circle Coverage

At The Forge Companies, we pride ourselves in providing a full range of settlement planning, wealth management, trust planning, and business administration services, making all aspects of the settlement process easy for you and your clients. Get immediate access to our team’s expertise and help protect your client’s settlement recovery while offering a newfound sense of financial freedom.

At Full Circle Coverage, we pride ourselves on building personal relationships with clients so that we can best serve them and protect what matters most. We are more than just insurance coverage. We are a smart solution for individuals, families, and businesses who have more to protect.

Forge for Business provides a broad range of financial services tailored to meet the needs of contingent fee attorneys, law firms, and general businesses. Services include bookkeeping, IOLTA accounting, payroll, insurance services, attorney fee deferral products and solutions, lien solutions, and more.

At The Forge Companies, we are ready to be your advocate. Our company is made up of over 150 professionals with decades of industry experience and is well known for the caring support provided to plaintiffs and their families who have dealt with adversity and financial challenges. From structured annuities, traditional and special needs trust services, insurance solutions, financial planning and so much more, we welcome any opportunity to provide the best client care in the industry.

Halloween is just around the corner, and we're all gearing up for a night of tricks, treats, and spooky surprises. But before you dive headfirst into the festivities, it's crucial to remember that safety should be a top priority. Whether you're a parent keeping an eye on your little monsters or a grown-up ready to embrace your inner child, we have some helpful tips to help you avoid a nightmare on your street!

Allow The Forge Companies to be a dependable resource for you and your client right from the beginning and find comfort in the knowledge that we will continue to stand as strong advocates long after the mediation process concludes.

Advocacy Trust Expands to New York Offering Top-Tier Trust Services

AWM's Robbie Wright provides a summary of the first quarter Insights from Advocacy Wealth Management.

AWM Insights - December 2022

From July 1983 to September 2022, the purchasing power of the consumer dollar in the U.S. declined steadily by a total of -66.3%, to a new low.

As contingency-based attorneys, you don’t catch a lot of breaks. However, one benefit you do have is the unique option to defer your fees and delay the recognition of taxable income.

Advocacy Wealth Management provides periodic updates and insights into the financial markets.

The Forge Companies' Spooner Phillips and Tracee Wagner are in Seattle for the 2022 AAJ Annual Convention.