Trust Services

Trust companies offer a variety of services, but the most common is wealth management in the mode of becoming a fiduciary or agent. Trust companies offer asset-management services such as bill pay, cheque writing and other features. Trust companies also offer brokerage services with a wide array of investments available to their clients. Depending on the level of service needed, some companies can build financial plans for their clients for additional fees. Trust companies also offer a variety of estate-oriented services, such as guardianship, estate settlement and non-financial asset management.

Trust property can be cash, property, assets etc. Shares in companies can be considered as assets. A popular use of Trust structures in the offshore world is for the Trust structure to hold or manage an offshore corporation engaged in international activities. A Settlor may wish to maintain control over trust assets indirectly after having passed legal ownership of assets to a Trustee.

The Settlor can be appointed as the director of the international company, to manage the affairs of the company. In many cases this is useful, as in a family business built up over the years by the Settlor. The Settlor would be the best qualified person to continue running and managing the company successfully.