Published on Jun 23, 2026 • Updated on Jul 31, 2026
This article was written by Adem Tumerkan
Content Editor, Dunham | 2025 ThinkAdvisor Luminary Award Winner | 2026 Wealthies Finalist — Thought Leader of the Year | Macroeconomics, markets, geopolitics & global trends
Subscribe to get the latest insights delivered straight to your inbox.
We care about your data in our privacy policy
Financial advisors can add trust services by partnering with an advisor‑friendly trust company – one that handles administration while you retain investment management and the client relationship. You do not need to become a trust expert. You just need the right partner to handle fiduciary services and a clear workflow.
In short: An advisor‑friendly trust company serves as corporate trustee, handles all fiduciary administration, and keeps the investment management with you. No in‑house trust expertise required.
More than 60% of financial planning firms do not currently offer in-house trust and estate planning services, according to the 2026 RIA Outlook Survey1. That gap is an opportunity - and the advisors who close it serve their wealthiest clients more completely, retain assets across generations, and stand out in a crowded market.
Key Takeaways
An advisor‑friendly trust company is a corporate trustee that handles fiduciary administration, recordkeeping, and compliance while allowing you, the financial advisor, to retain investment management authority for the trust assets. The trust company focuses on trustee duties so you can stay focused on planning, portfolios, and the client relationship.
Now, why does that matter in real life?
A 60-year-old client sits across from you with $8.2 million saved and two adult children - one of whom has a long history of poor financial decisions.
Their estate attorney drafted a trust years ago - but it was never funded.
They sigh. "Should we just put everything in the trust now?"
You know there are asset titling implications. And you know the estate attorney should be involved. But the specific logistics - who is the successor trustee, how distributions get managed, what the tax costs look like - are where most advisors pause.
That's why advisors need a trust partner in place before that moment arrives. So the answer becomes: "Yes. And here's exactly how we handle that."
Sometimes it's just that one sentence that keeps the relationship.
Trust administration includes investment oversight within the trust structure, recordkeeping, distribution management, tax reporting, coordination with estate attorneys, and long-term fiduciary compliance. These are specialized, fiduciary-heavy responsibilities.
Most advisors are not set up for them - and that's fine. Because that's exactly what a trust company partner is for.
When the partnership works well, the division of labor is a win-win.
The trust company handles the legal and administrative fiduciary work. You manage the investments and maintain the client relationship. The client gets a complete, coordinated team - and you stay front and center.
Among advisors planning to add trust and estate services in 2026, only an estimated 23% of their teams have sufficient knowledge to implement trust and estate strategies effectively.
But here's what matters more.
60% of those same advisors say their plan is to partner with experienced trust and estate professionals outside their firm.
The market has already decided how this gets done. The question is not whether to partner — it's who you partner with.
For advisors working with Dunham Trust, that answer is already built in.
The trust company serves as corporate trustee and handles all administrative and fiduciary duties. You retain investment management. This is the most common path and requires the least infrastructure on your end.
Your firm gets a branded trust offering while the partner trust company holds the fiduciary liability and manages compliance. This requires a formal setup agreement and typically a revenue-sharing arrangement. More upfront work — but a more seamless client experience.
Both models keep you visible with the client. The trust company works in the background.
The key word to look for is advisor-friendly.
Some trust companies manage investments themselves and - over time - pull the client away from you. You need a partner that supports the advisory relationship without trying to replace you.
Most advisors worry about one thing when they hear "trust company": losing the investment relationship.
An advisor-friendly trust solves that.
Duties are formally split within the trust document. The trust company handles administration and fiduciary oversight. You retain discretion over investment management - written into the trust agreement and backed by state law.
Certain states have become preferred trust jurisdictions because of strong asset protection statutes, no state income tax on qualifying irrevocable trusts, and dynasty trust provisions. Your clients do not need to live in those states. Their trusts just need to be administered by a trustee chartered in the right jurisdiction. The advisor-friendly structure gives clients institutional-grade protection while keeping you as their investment advisor.
Not every client needs a trust. But more of yours probably do than you realize.
Watch for these triggers:
Most advisors know they should be discussing trusts. The hesitation is usually about how to start.
Try this:
"As part of reviewing your estate plan, I want to make sure we have the right structure in place - not just for how these assets grow, but for how they transfer. Have you thought about whether a trust makes sense for your situation?"
That question doesn't require you to know trust law. It requires you to care about the full picture.
Your trust company partner handles what comes next.
For advisors working with Dunham, the trust partner question already has an answer.
Dunham Trust7 is a Nevada and Wyoming chartered trust firm built to work alongside financial advisors — not compete with them. Dunham Trust serves as corporate trustee and handles all trust administration while you retain the investment management and client relationship.
Dunham Trust offers successor trusteeship, estate settlement, dynasty and generational planning, asset protection, special needs trusts, and specialized IRA trust solutions through the Dunham Trust Trilogy.
Nevada and Wyoming are among the strongest trust jurisdictions in the country - asset protection statutes, no state income tax on qualifying irrevocable trusts, dynasty trust provisions, and directed trust statutes9 that keep your investment role explicit and protected.
If you're an advisor not yet working with Dunham Trust, this is the week to make that call. Contact Dunham Trust to learn how the partnership works.
Trust services are no longer a specialty for wirehouse teams. They are a competitive expectation for any advisor serious about high-net-worth and multi-generational clients. More than 60% of advisory firms still do not offer them. That gap will not stay open forever.
Find the right partner. Define the roles. Build the workflow.
The client who knows their advisor handles trusts, investments, and estate coordination under one roof does not have a reason to look elsewhere.
This communication is general in nature and provided for educational and informational purposes only. It should not be considered or relied upon as legal, tax or investment advice or an investment recommendation, or as a substitute for legal or tax counsel. Any investment products or services named herein are for illustrative purposes only and should not be considered an offer to buy or sell, or an investment recommendation for, any specific security, strategy or investment product or service. Always consult a qualified professional or your own independent financial professional for personalized advice or investment recommendations tailored to your specific goals, individual situation, and risk tolerance. All examples are hypothetical and are for illustrative purposes only.
Information contained in the materials included is believed to be from reliable sources, but no representations or guarantees are made as to the accuracy or completeness of information.
Dunham & Associates Investment Counsel, Inc. is a Registered Investment Adviser and Broker/Dealer. Member FINRA / SIPC. Advisory services and securities offered through Dunham & Associates Investment Counsel, Inc.
