Personal fiduciary services

Personal fiduciary services are fiduciary services provided by a financial institutions or advisors to an individual or family that are typically wealthy or high net worth individual. They are often referred to as private trust, private client, private wealth management, or private banking services in the United States.

These services are provided by a person or firm – such as a bank, trust company or registered investment adviser (RIA) — serving as a trustee, executor, personal administrator or discretionary agent having direct responsibility for managing assets for or on behalf of individuals and families, as well as estates, trusts, private foundations and other entities they establish or control. Providers of these services ("personal fiduciaries") also may serve as a trust protector or non-discretionary advisor having an indirect impact on the management of such assets. In contrast, institutional fiduciary services involve managing assets for or on behalf of public corporations, government entities, employee retirement plans and other institutional investors.