Section 29-5-34. Prudence required from conservator in making investments; acquisition and retention of property

   (a) After receiving court approval as required in subsections (b) and (c) of Code Section 29-5-23, in making investments and in acquiring and retaining those investments and managing property of the ward, the conservator shall exercise the judgment and care, under the circumstances then prevailing, that a prudent person acting in a like capacity and familiar with such matters would use to attain the purposes of the account. In making such investment decisions, a conservator may consider the general economic conditions, the anticipated tax consequences of the investments, the anticipated duration of the account, and the needs of the ward and those entitled to support from the ward.

(b) Within the limitations of the standard provided in subsection (a) of this Code section and with prior approval by the court in accordance with Code Section 29-5-23, a conservator is authorized to acquire and retain every kind of property, including real, personal, or mixed and every kind of investment, specifically including, but not by way of limitation, bonds, debentures and other corporate obligations, and stocks, preferred or common, including the securities of or other interests in any open-end or closed-end management investments company or investment trust registered under the Investment Company Act of 1940, 15 U.S.C. Sections 80a-1, et seq. The propriety of an investment is to be determined by what the conservator knew or should have known at the time of the decision about the inherent nature and expected performance of a particular investment, including probable yield, the attributes of the portfolio, the general economy, and the needs of the ward and those entitled to support from the ward as they existed at the time of the decision. Any determination of liability for investment performance shall consider not only the performance of a particular investment but also the performance of the ward's portfolio as a whole. Within the limitations of such standard, a conservator may retain property properly acquired, without limitation as to time and without regard to its suitability for original purchase.

(c) A conservator that is a financial institution, trust company, national or state bank, savings bank, or savings and loan association described in Code Section 7-1-242 shall not be precluded from acquiring and retaining securities of or other interests in an investment company or investment trust because the bank or trust company or an affiliate provides services to the investment company or investment trust as investment adviser, custodian, transfer agent, registrar, sponsor, distributor, manager, or otherwise and receives compensation for such services.

Code 1981, § 29-5-34, enacted by Ga. L. 2004, p. 161, § 1.