Estate planning
Premier Trust
Founded in 2001, this is an independent Nevada trust company that administers trusts and estates in collaboration with the client's existing legal and financial professionals. It calls itself one of the largest independent trust companies in Nevada and serves clients across the country.
The model is deliberately narrow. The company does not offer investment management and does not sell investment products; it typically acts as a directed trustee, so the client's advisor continues to manage the trust assets while the trust company provides fiduciary administration and investment oversight. That is the opposite of a traditional bank or trust department, which usually requires trust assets to be managed in-house. Clients get a dedicated trust professional, advisors keep assets under management, and attorneys work with a corporate trustee for the plans they draft.
Being chartered and incorporated in Nevada is the point of the structure: clients nationwide can design estate plans that use Nevada's trust, corporate, and tax statutes by appointing a Nevada corporate trustee. The company reports administering over 6,500 Nevada trusts, more than $2.0B in assets under administration, and 70+ trust professionals, having grown to over 75 staff since 2001.
Two things to check directly. Fees are not published, so ask for the annual trustee fee schedule and what falls outside it. And the site states that retaining the company means agreeing that any action related to trust administration will be brought in Nevada state court. The contact page gives a Henderson, Nevada address rather than the Las Vegas headquarters on file.
Best for
Families and their advisors who want a Nevada corporate trustee while the existing advisor keeps managing the investments. Not a fit for someone who wants one firm to both manage the money and serve as trustee.
What they do
- Trust administration
- Directed trustee services
- Nevada situs trust administration
- Personal trusts for clients of attorneys, CPAs, and advisors
- Estate administration
- Fiduciary investment oversight
Details
| Attribute | Value |
|---|---|
| Founded | 2001 |
| Ownership | Private |
| Team size | 51-200 employees |
| Licenses | Nevada-chartered trust company |
What stands out
- Administers over 6,500 Nevada trusts with more than $2.0B in assets under administration.
- Reports 70+ trust professionals and says it has grown to over 75 staff since being founded in 2001.
- Acts as a directed trustee, and neither offers investment management nor sells investment products.
- Chartered and incorporated in Nevada, administering trusts under Nevada law for clients nationwide.
Common questions
- How does a directed trustee differ from a bank trust department?
- A directed trustee provides fiduciary administration and investment oversight while the client's own advisor manages the trust assets. Traditional banks and trust companies typically require that trust assets be managed by them instead. This company offers personal trust services for clients of attorneys, CPAs, brokers, registered investment professionals, investment managers, and financial planners, and does not sell investment products.
- Where is the trust company chartered, and why does that matter?
- It is chartered and incorporated in Nevada, which is the state law that authorizes it to act as a trust company. Appointing a Nevada corporate trustee is what allows clients elsewhere in the country to use Nevada's trust statutes in their estate plans.