Module 2: Legal and Operational Foundations

Fiduciary practice cannot begin until specific legal and operational foundations are in place. This module covers what those foundations are, why each one matters, and how to put them in place before you accept your first appointment. You'll work through the authority verification process that protects you and your clients, the entity formation decisions that determine your liability exposure, the two-track banking requirement that separates practice finances from client funds, the state-specific licensing and registration research you need to complete for your jurisdiction, the insurance and bonding evaluation that must happen before your first appointment, and a structured 60 to 90 day pre-launch timeline that sequences these decisions in the right order. Module 2 is one of the most consequential modules in the curriculum because the decisions you make here are the hardest to undo. Choosing the wrong entity structure, opening the wrong type of bank account, or accepting an appointment without proper authority verification can create problems that take months and significant cost to correct. This module exists to make sure those problems never happen. By the end of this module, you'll have a clear understanding of the authority verification process, an entity formation plan, a banking structure plan that meets fiduciary requirements, a licensing and registration research checklist for your state, an insurance and bonding evaluation framework, and a pre-launch timeline you can actually execute.

- 25 slides with full audio instruction - Authority documentation reference for six appointment types - Two-track banking requirement walkthrough with commingling prohibition framing - State-specific licensing and registration research framework - Insurance and bonding evaluation aligned with pre-launch requirements - 60 to 90 day pre-launch roadmap with critical path analysis - Scenario-based knowledge review with worked answers - Connections to the Fiduciary Toolkit documents referenced throughout the module (toolkit available separately or as part of a bundle)

Module 2 establishes the legal and operational foundations every fiduciary practitioner needs before accepting clients. Module 3 (Systems and Market Development) picks up where this module ends, building the SOPs, case management systems, and referral development practices that support a sustainable practice once the foundations from Module 2 are in place. The full curriculum: Module 1: Business Formation and Practice Models Module 2: Legal and Operational Foundations Module 3: Systems and Market Development Module 4: Client Onboarding and Service Excellence Module 5: Ethics and Decision-Making in Practice Module 6: Technology, Tools, and Systems for Practice Module 7: Financial and Operational Planning for Launch Save with the Curriculum Bundle: all seven modules for $999 (a savings of $254 vs. purchasing individually).