Trust Education

Discover the types of trusts

Twelve structures, explained plainly — with their common uses and their limits.

Revocable Living Trust

A trust the grantor can amend or revoke during their lifetime, commonly used to manage assets and plan for incapacity and death.

A trust that generally cannot be changed or terminated by the grantor alone once established.

A trust arrangement used to hold and operate business property or conduct commercial activity, managed by trustees for beneficial owners.

A term used for both private trusts that hold investments and regulated pooled investment vehicles, depending on context and country.

A general term for a trust established to benefit family members across one or more generations.

A trust created for charitable purposes, sometimes combined with benefits for non-charitable beneficiaries.

A trust created under a will that comes into existence after death.

A trust designed to support a person with a disability while seeking to preserve eligibility for certain public benefits.

A trust arrangement in which a trustee holds title to real estate while the beneficiary retains management and control.

A trust drafted to limit creditor access to trust assets, sometimes allowing the grantor to be a discretionary beneficiary.

A trust formed under a specific statute (for example, the Delaware Statutory Trust Act) that may be recognized as a separate legal entity.

A U.S. income tax distinction determining whether trust income is taxed to the grantor or to the trust/beneficiaries.