Most Advisor-Friendly Professional Trust Companies: 2025 Guide

Professional and corporate trustee services are easy to find. Major banks are commonly the sources most people are familiar with.

But, most banks that provide trustee services and manage assets often aren't a fit for financial advisors who would rather continue managing their clients' heirs' assets. For financial advisors, figuring out which professional / corporate trustee firms can be like navigating a minefield at times.

Some firms use very advisory-friendly trust companies like BOK Financial and Cumberland Trust, but if you didn't know where to start, this guide will help you narrow your options down.

The Most Advisor-Friendly Trust Companies According to Financial Advisors

According to financial advisors and planners, here are the most advisor-friendly trust companies:

• BOK Financial
• Cumberland Trust
• National Advisors Trust
• Wealth Advisors Trust

According to Eric J. Negron of Forefront Advisory, these  professional trustees "won't push you out the door when your client passes away. They'll let you stay in your role as the financial advisor or financial planner."

Note: You don't have to pick these ones. Any corporate trustee can be named in your clients' estate plans.

When Do Clients Need Professional/Corporate Trustees?

Professional trustee services should be a consideration for your clients who don't have a person in their life:

• Whom they trust deeply,
• Who's highly responsible,
• Manages money well, and or
• Shares their values.

Professional trustees should also be considered when a client only has one person that fits this entire bill in their life, and they need a contingent trustee. Or, if they have a very complex situation, and they don't want to burden a family member or friend.

If your client moves forward with a professional trustee, they'll still need to name an individual for the financial power of attorney and potentially as the executor of the will. Why? Professional/corporate trustees do not generally serve in this role.

EncorEstate Plans: The Best Estate Planning Software to Complement Any Professional Trust Company

EncorEstate is the best estate planning solution for advisors that complements any professional trustee because Encore's estate document creation + trust funding solution ensures advisors are able to do what's best and right for their clients.

Here's why:

Estate Document Creation Flexibility and Customization

In theory, many mass affluent clients have the same (if not similar) needs when it comes to estate planning. But, being able to customize estate documents to adapt them to your clients' needs is crucial, especially when it comes to beneficiaries. One-size-fits-all estate document templates clearly don't fit all!

Human Review of Every Estate Plan Document

Encore's team of estate planners and paralegals takes five business days (using a 60-point review of every estate plan) to comb through each estate plan and ensure everything is correct and accurately reflects your clients' wishes.

EncorEstate will also answer any and all of your questions about estate planning and or your clients' plans over live chat, phone, and or email at no cost (we don't provide legal advice). Encore's unlimited human estate planner support to advisors is why we consistently score the highest advisor satisfaction ratings in industry surveys like Kitces.com AdvisorTech and Advisor Productivity Surveys, and T3/Inside Information Advisor Technology Survey.

And according to a Reddit user on the CFP sub-Reddit, Encore's "Support is unmatched":

Estate Plan Notarization

EncorEstate provides a one-click option in its software platform to request a mobile notary and witnesses to be sent to your client's house for estate document signing.

Trust Funding

EncorEstate's full-service deed prep and recording ensures your clients' trusts are properly funded with their real estate. Encore's Support Team of estate planners and paralegals will pull the last recorded deed, prepare the deed, and prepare all county-specific documents – even if you’re not an Encore customer.

You nor your clients need to go to the assessor's office and or hunt down various forms because Encore will do it all for you and your clients.

FAQs

How valid are these comparisons of professional trust companies?

We gathered these recommendations based on our work with several trust companies and from what we've heard from dozens of advisors to make sure the latest information was presented here.

What's the best way to evaluate the EncorEstate Plans platform?

if you're evaluating estate planning software providers, get a book a conversation with EncorEstate.