Who Is Listed on a Trust?
Trusts are a common way to pass assets along without worrying about probate court and probate costs. Generally, your lawyer will use a trust to legally hold your assets (like your house and your major investment accounts). Every trust has a grantor (also known as a settlor or trustor), a trustee, and (one or more) beneficiaries.
The grantor, settlor, or trustor is the person who created the trust by contributing assets. This person will never change. Even after death, the grantor of the trust remains the same.
The trustee manages the assets. When you create the trust, you can name yourself as the trustee of the trust. At any point, you can change the person who is named as the trustee. As part of your estate plan, you and your lawyer should name a primary and secondary successor. As soon as you become incapacitated or die, the primary trustee will take over administration of the trust.
The beneficiary or beneficiaries of the trust receives the benefits of the assets. Again, you can be the beneficiary of the trust when you create it and while you are alive. You can name as many people as you’d like to be beneficiaries of your trust, and one of these beneficiaries can also be a trustee of the trust.
At any point, you can hold all three positions of a trust you created. Your trust can exist forever and you can structure the trust so that there will always be a trustee to manage the funds for whomever you or the trustee see fit.
