America’s Most Advisor-Friendly Trust Companies Showcase - Flipbook - Page 12
2026 AMERICA’S MOST ADVISOR-FRIENDLY TRUST COMPANIES
Trusts are not just tools for estate
planning—they are essential
instruments for wealth preservation,
asset protection, and financial
continuity. Thoughtful trust planning
ensures that wealth is not only
protected but also effectively
managed across generations. By
leveraging the right trust strategies,
advisors can help clients navigate
uncertainty while securing their
financial legacies.
The internet is mainstream, and they’ve
all learned to use it. They know about
the all-in-one firms that can give them
tax advice, insurance, estate planning,
philanthropy, wealth transfers to future
generations and more.
Your clients want a holistic approach
with specialized expertise. They want
an advisor who is more than just a
go-between to the markets, that’s
expected. They want an advisor who
can be a guardian of every aspect of
their financial lives.
RETAIN AUM AND
CAPTURE NEW ACCOUNTS
Every advisor needs an edge.
Advisors are all on the hunt for the
same wealthy clients, looking to
provide the best perception of value.
Today’s wealthy families are not willing
to settle for someone who will simply
manage their portfolios or give them a
template or a financial plan.
As it happens, one of the top items
on their wish list is the ability to create
and use trusts. While an individual
can run a trust, the complexity and
fiduciary burden make it difficult—even
unwise—for an advisor to do so. The
Securities and Exchange Commission
has ruled that any advisor who
wants to serve as trustee or trust
administrator will face expensive and
onerous audits. As a result, a third
party needs to be identified to serve
as trustee.
Given the complexity of the task, this
will often be a specialized corporate
entity, a trust company, or a bank trust
department. Once again, as far as the
trust and its creators are concerned,
this can be a terrific solution.
The corporate trustee has the
resources and expertise to manage the
paperwork, meet the filing deadlines,
and bear the fiduciary burden—but
in the past, that has resulted in the
advisor getting squeezed out of almost
every relationship.
To be considered advisor friendly, a
trust company must be able to pledge
ESTATE PLANNING IS NOW TABLE STAKES
59%
51%
49%
36%
31%
18%
15%
11%
Change in
Personal
Health
Tax
Planning
Charitable
Planning
Business Planning
(e.g., continuance,
financing, transition
planning)
Trust
Services
Private
Banking
Concierge
and
Lifestyle
Services
Evaluating
Third-Party
Lending
Products
Source: AssetMark/Cerulli
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