Retirement, Investments, & Insurance for Individuals Invest & Retire Personal trusts

Personal trusts

You've built a life. Now establish a legacy.

There are a variety of trusts and gifting strategies that can help you:

  • minimize your estate tax liability,
  • distribute inheritances as you desire, and
  • allocate your wealth between heirs, third parties, and charities.

Do I need a trust?

Trusts offer more flexibility and customization for estate planning than a will. They let you set guidelines and requirements for how your wealth and property gets distributed.

And trusts aren't just built for the needs of your loved ones—they benefit your current and future needs, too.

Among other benefits, trusts:

  • Create a plan for using and enjoying the assets you have.
  • Provide financial security if you become ill and can’t take care of yourself.
  • Ensure the proper care of minors or disabled family members.
  • Encourage responsible behavior by future generations (e.g., requiring your child to complete higher education to receive their inheritance).
  • Fund charitable causes in an efficient way.
  • Provide a level of privacy that a will alone can't.

Your personal trust options

Choose from multiple strategies, which focus on keeping your taxes low and your distributions fair.

  • Charitable giving: Support the causes you believe in through tax-deductible charitable gifts.
  • Dynasty trust: Avoid or minimize estate taxes by determining defined distributions for each generation of your family.

Why work with Principal?

Principal Trust Company® provides trust, custodial, and administrative services for more than 30,000 accounts with assets under administration in excess of $424 billion.

You'll find a partner in our unbiased, experienced team of trust professionals. We'll discuss your financial goals, walk you through your trust options, and recommend attorneys who can help you craft a tailored estate plan.

We administer our trusts under Delaware state laws, which provide unique advantages not available in other states. These include asset protection, state-level taxation exclusions, privacy, and confidentiality. You don't have to be a Delaware resident to enjoy this benefit.

Talk to a financial professional to explore your trust options, or call us at 800-332-4015.