William “Bill” L. Exeter serves as Chief Executive Officer, Chief Trust Officer, Chief Financial Officer and Treasurer for various companies within The Exeter Group of Companies, including The Exeter Group, LLC and Exeter 1031 Exchange Services, LLC headquartered in San Diego, California, Exeter Trust Company and Exeter Asset Services Corporation headquartered in Cheyenne, Wyoming, and their affiliate companies. Mr. Exeter is one of the founders of The Exeter Group of Companies and has been with the company since its inception in 2004. He is based in The Exeter Group of Companies’ national corporate headquarters office in San Diego, California.
Mr. Exeter has been in the financial services industry, including banking, trust and investment services, since 1980. He began specializing in real estate tax strategies in 1985 with a specialty emphasis in 1031 Exchanges, Self-Directed IRAs and Individual 401(k) Plans, Title Holding Trusts (Land Trusts), Specialty Holding Escrows and Custody/Investment Accounts, with an emphasis in non-traditional assets or alternative investments.
He also serves as an industry consultant, advisor, trainer, instructor, and expert witness. His work as an expert witness focuses on matters related to 1031 Exchanges, 1033 Exchanges, Self-Directed IRAs and Title Holding Trusts or Land Trusts. His expert witness work has included testimony at depositions, arbitrations, and trials.
Bill has written, lectured, taught, and trained investors extensively on 1031 Exchanges, 1033 Exchanges, 721 Contributions, 121 Exclusions, Tenant-In-Common (TIC) and Delaware Statutory Trust (DST) investment properties as replacement property solutions for 1031 and 1033 Exchanges, Self-Directed IRAs and Individual 401(k) Plans, and Title Holding Trusts or Land Trusts.
In addition, Mr. Exeter is the host for Go Ahead, ASK! Podcast by The Exeter Group, a frequent guest expert on the "Financial Advisors — Money Talk Radio Show” on San Diego News Radio AM 600 KOGO, "Craig Sewing Radio Show" on San Diego AM 1170 KCBQ, "The American Dream TV and Radio Shows on San Diego Cox/Time Warner Cable Channel 4, "House Calls" on Los Angeles Talk Radio AM 790 KABC, "BizTalk Radio" on Business Talk Radio AM 1000 KCEO San Diego and numerous other radio and television appearances.
Bill has been in the financial services industry for over 40 years. He has administered in excess of 125,000 1031 Exchange transactions, is one of the founding members of the 1031 Exchange industry’s trade association, the Federation of Exchange Accommodators and has administered thousands of Self-Directed IRAs and Individual 401(k) Plans and Custody/Investment Accounts during his extensive career.
Immediately prior to founding The Exeter Group of Companies Bill served as President and Chief Executive Officer of TransUnion Exchange Corporation (formerly Diversified Exchange Corporation) in San Diego, California for four years and prior to that as Executive Vice President, Chief Operating Officer and Chief Financial Officer of The Chicago Trust Company of California and its 1031 Exchange subsidiary in San Diego, California for 13 years that were part of the Chicago Title and Trust Family of Companies. In addition, he served as the President, Chief Executive Officer, and Chief Financial Officer with two 1031 Exchange companies in the 1980s during the 1031 Exchange industry’s infancy.
Bill also served as Assistant Vice President and Controller of Provident Savings Bank in Riverside, California and Assistant Vice President and Controller of OneCentral Bank in Glendale, California during the 1980's.
His professional experience includes 1031 Exchange, 1033 Exchange, 721 Exchanges, 121 Exclusions, self-directed retirement accounts, including Self-Directed IRAs and Individual 401(k) Plans, title insurance and escrow services, trust company management, trust operations; custody and investment accounts and investment services; commercial banking; and insurance agency administration.
Bill Exeter is one of the founding members of the 1031 Exchange industry trade group, the Federation of Exchange Accommodators. He is also involved with numerous professional organizations including the California Municipal Treasurers Association, Institute for Portfolio Alternatives (IPA), Retirement Industry Trust Association (RITA) for trust companies that specialize in non-traditional or alternative investments inside Self-Directed IRAs and Individual 401(k) Plans, California Escrow Association (CEA), San Diego County Escrow Association (CEA), North San Diego County Escrow Association (NSDCEA), NorCal Escrow, Escrow Association of Washington (EAW), Arizona State Escrow Association (“ASEA”), American Escrow Association (“AEA”) and Escrow Institute of California (EIC), as well as the Society of Exchange Counselors (SEC), National Counsel of Exchangors (NCE), Alternative and Direct Investment Securities Association (ADISA, formerly known as REISA), ICSC, various apartment owners association groups, Income Property Management Expo, AIR Commercial Real Estate, the San Diego Chapters of CCIM and CREW, NAIOP, SIOR, and the San Diego Creative Investors Association (“SDCIA”).
Mr. Exeter graduated from California State University, Los Angeles with a Bachelor of Science degree in accounting, and from the Cannon Financial Institute, attaining the Certified Securities Operations Professional (CSOP) designation.