New York Estate Planning & Elder Law Blog
Who you name as a trustee is possibly the most important decision that a person who decides to create a trust will make. The trustee is responsible for distributing income and principal to the beneficiaries of the trust according to the terms of the trust. This typically involves extensive recordkeeping, managing investments and property and being in contact with beneficiaries and other professionals to help manage the assets. Traditionally many people have named trusted individuals such as friends or family to administer the trust, but these days many people turn to corporate trustees for managing trust assets. What are the benefits of a corporate trustee over a personal trustee?
Personal or Corporate
Typically, many settlors, the person who brings the trust into existence, will name themselves, a family member or a friend as the trustee. After all, being a trustee is a major responsibility and failure to administer a trust properly may result in liability being taken on by the trustee, which is why it makes sense to name someone that a settlor has a lot of trust and a strong relationship with.