America’s Most Advisor-Friendly Trust Companies Showcase - Flipbook - Page 34
2026 AMERICA’S MOST ADVISOR-FRIENDLY TRUST COMPANIES
SOUTH
DAKOTA TRUST
COMPANY LLC
Pierce H.
McDowell III
Co-Chairman and
Co-Chief Executive
Officer
New business contact:
Pierce H. McDowell Ill
Co-Chairman and Co-Chief
Executive Officer
Phone: (605) 338-9170
Email: info@sdtrustco.com
Website: www.sdtrustco.com
South Dakota Trust Company LLC.
201 S Phillips Ave, Ste 200, Sioux Falls, SD 57104
www.sdtrustco.com
Founded by Al W. King Ill and Pierce H. McDowell Ill, South Dakota
Trust Company LLC is a national boutique trust company headquartered in Sioux Falls with a satellite office in Rapid City and sister companies in Jackson Hole, Las Vegas, New York City and Westport, CT.
Advisors generally contact
South Dakota Trust Company
LLC (SDTC) looking to provide modern South Dakota
trust solutions involving flexibility, control, tax savings,
asset protection and privacy.
South Dakota has been one
of the industry leaders in the
design and development of
modern trust laws. South Dakota was the first no-income
tax dynasty trust state with
its 1983 statute. Additionally, several other top-rated
trust, asset protection, tax
and privacy laws have since
been enacted, keeping South
Dakota at the forefront of
modern trust situs.
The South Dakota trust
industry has received great
support over the years from
its governor, division of
banking, state legislature,
judiciary, trust committee
and trust association.
The combination of the
above with SDTC’s collaborative fiduciary offerings
working with family and family advisors within directed
trust structures, special
purpose entities and private
trust companies all make
SDTC an extremely popular
choice for many families and
their advisors.
CONTACT
States chartered/licensed
in: South Dakota
Average account size:
$18 million
Total assets (AUA):
$165 billion
SDTC has more than $165 billion in assets under administration and
works with over 120 billionaire and 430 centimillionaire clients from 54
countries and 47 states. These high-net-worth families have chosen
SDTC due to our exceptional service and flexible business model along
with South Dakota’s unique trust, privacy, asset protection, income tax
and private family trust company laws.
Custodians supported:
SDTC works with custodians
of the clients’ choice.
SDTC’s founders each have over 38 years of trust experience, and our
trust officers average more than 21 years of experience. Moreover,
SDTC’s trust officers are highly credentialed attorneys, accountants and
trust professionals trained and experienced in the areas of South Dakota
trust administration. Each trust officer utilizes their extensive experience
to supplement and facilitate communication with the client, the beneficiaries and the client’s other investment, financial planning, legal, insurance
and tax advisors, acting as a relationship manager while customizing
trust services individually for each client.
Fees
Annual minimum fee:
$5,500–$7,500
Because we do not offer any investment management products or services, we are able to work with any investment managers and custodians
of the client’s choice. Our architecture is truly open. We administer all
types of non-financial assets, e.g., closely held stocks, limited partnerships, residential and commercial real estate, LLCs, oil and gas interests,
offshore entities, etc.
Trust accounting system:
Infovisa
In addition, our sister company SDTC Services LLC leads the industry
in the set-up, operation and administration of both regulated (SD) and
unregulated (WY and NV) Private Family Trust Companies.
STR AT E G I C F E AT U R E S
COMPREHENSIVE ESTATE
PLANNING FOR ULTRA-HIGHNET-WORTH CLIENTS
INTEGRATING ADVISORS IN
TRUST MANAGEMENT
PHILANTHROPIC ESTATE
PLANNING
CREATION OF ASSET
PROTECTION TRUSTS
CROSS-BORDER ESTATE
PLANNING
SUCCESSION PLANNING FOR
FAMILY BUSINESSES
DIGITAL ASSET ESTATE
PLANNING
SUSTAINABLE ESTATE
PLANNING
ESTATE PLANNING FOR
BLENDED FAMILIES
TAX-EFFICIENT PLANNING
FOR MAJOR TRANSACTIONS
ESTATE PLANNING FOR HIGHNET-WORTH INDIVIDUALS
U.S. ESTATE AND TAX
PLANNING FOR
NONRESIDENT ALIENS
34
Number of relationships
with advisors: 2,500+
Fee scale (directed and
delegated trust services):
Flat fees based upon labor,
risk and other factors.
Number of in-house experts: 100+
Supports directed trusts: Yes
Supports delegated trusts: Yes
Typical timeframe for acceptance of new trust:
24–48 hours
Marketing support includes:
Through its sister company South Dakota Planning
Company (SDPC), SDTC
provides technical support
for trust and situs planning as
well as for sales, training and
client seminars. Our business
development team is always
happy to provide support in
any way we can with conference calls (telephonic or
video), in-person meetings,
presentations, webinars, promotional/educational materials, training sessions, etc.
