Info

Founded in 1984, Sterling Trust Company ("Sterling") provides administration, record keeping and asset custody services for self-directed individual retirement accounts, qualified business retirement plans and personal custodial accounts, in addition to providing corporate escrow and paying agent services. Sterling markets its services on a nationwide basis to individuals and to the financial services industry - specifically broker dealers, registered representatives, financial planners and advisors, tax and legal professionals, investment product sponsors, and financial institutions. From the corporate offices in Waco, TX, Sterling services more than 50,000 individual and corporate clients nationwide with assets under administration exceeding $3.7 billion. Sterling is a wholly-owned subsidiary of United Western Bancorp (NASDAQ: UWBK), a unitary thrift holding company with primary operations in Colorado and Texas. Through common ownership, Sterling is affiliated with United Western Bank and First Matrix Investment Services Corporation. No broker dealer or other affiliations exist outside of those owned by United Western Bancorp. Sterling is regulated by the Texas Department of Banking and its financial statements, internal procedures, and controls are audited by McGladrey & Pullen, Inc. As an administrator and custodian of retirement plans, Sterling also complies with Internal Revenue Service and U.S. Department of Labor regulations. Since Sterling does not provide investment advice, nor sells or sponsors any investments, Sterling is not a member of the National Association of Securities Dealers ("NASD"), nor regulated by the NASD. Sterling's internal controls and administrative procedures are consistent with its business and legal obligations as directed custodian. Sterling retains no discretion with respect to the investment of client's assets, and Sterling is not affiliated with any investment product sponsor or issuer of securities. Sterling executes no investment transaction until instructed by the client or the client's representative. In addition, Sterling does not sponsor or endorse any investment product or offer investment advice. Therefore, the accountholder assumes sole responsibility for the success or failure of the investments. Funds received into a Sterling account are deposited into an interest-bearing account with United Western Bank, where balances are FDIC insured up to $250,000. Through the parent company, United Western Bancorp, Inc., Sterling maintains a comprehensive insurance package including financial institution fidelity insurance coverage in addition to banker's professional liability insurance, employment practices liability, administration coverage, trust errors and omissions and directors and officers' liability insurance through underwriters rated A+ (excellent) by A.M. Best. Sterling offers a variety of account types including 401(k) plans, Solo 401(k) plans, 403(b), profit sharing plans, defined benefit plans, personal custodial accounts, Traditional IRAs, Roth IRAs, SEP and SIMPLE IRAs. These accounts have the ability to hold a wide array of publicly registered or traded investments, as well as nonstandard assets and private placement investments.