A trust is a fiduciary1 relationship in which one party (the Grantor) gives a second party2 (the Trustee) the right to hold title to property or assets for the benefit of a third party (the Beneficiary). The trustee, in turn, explains the terms and conditions of the trust to the beneficiary.
This is a fundamental concept of trust law: the separation of legal and equitable title. In other words, while the trustee has the legal authority to manage and control the assets, they do so not for their own benefit, but for the beneficiaries.
A beneficiary is someone designated to receive money, property, or other benefits of assets via a trust or will. The difference between beneficial owner vs. beneficiary is that beneficiaries usually need to have ownership (either legal or beneficial) over the assets they benefit from.
The trustee is officially responsible for the assets in a trust when it is established. The individual who established the trust may retain ownership of a living trust, but otherwise, the trustee controls all assets.
The one establishing a trust is called the trustor or grantor. The one who oversees and manages the trust is called the trustee. In a revocable trust, the trustor may control the trust as well, but in an irrevocable trust, the trustee must be somebody else.
The ability of a beneficiary to withdraw money from a trust depends on the trust's specific terms. Some trusts allow beneficiaries to receive regular distributions or access funds under certain conditions, such as reaching a specific age or achieving a milestone.
A beneficiary of a trust is a person who by the terms of the trust has the current or future right to have the trustee pay out cash or other trust property to him or her. He or she is one of the people for whom the trust was established.
A beneficial owner is always the living, breathing human being who ultimately profits from the company's activities, or controls the company's activities. It is never a company, other legal entity, or a nominee/proxy.
It is not unusual for the successor trustee of a trust to also be a beneficiary of the same trust. This is because settlors often name trusted family members or friends to both manage their trust and inherit from it. Naming the same person as trustee and beneficiary can be problematic.
While trustees may temporarily be able to delay trust distributions if a valid reason exists for them doing so, they are rarely entitled to hold trust assets indefinitely or refuse beneficiaries the gifts they were left through the trust.
Establishing and maintaining a trust can be complex and expensive. Trusts require legal expertise to draft, and ongoing management by a trustee may involve administrative fees. Additionally, some trusts require regular tax filings, adding to the overall cost.
Selecting the wrong trustee is easily the biggest blunder parents can make when setting up a trust fund. As estate planning attorneys, we've seen first-hand how this critical error undermines so many parents' good intentions.
A beneficiary designation generally overrides a trust in the same way it overrides a will.
In a trust, assets are held and managed by one person or people (the trustee) to benefit another person or people (the beneficiary). The person providing the assets is called the settlor.
Based on a recent decision by the Supreme Court of Appeal, where beneficiaries have accepted the benefits of the trust deed, then any amendment or variation to that agreement should only be conducted with their consent, in terms of the Law of Contract or in terms of the derived powers given in the trust deed itself.
There is no such thing as an owner of a trust in the USA. Here, beneficiaries have an equitable interest in the trust, defined by the trust documents and applicable law. But the beneficiaries don't own the assets in the trust.
Real Beneficiary : Natural Person to whom ultimate ownership vests or who exercises ultimate control over Legal Person directly or through a chain of ownership or control, or other indirect means.
The ultimate beneficial owner of a legal entity is a natural person who has the opportunity to exercise decisive influence on the activities of legal entities persons.
All trusts have a grantor, sometimes called a settler or trustor. This is the person who creates the trust and is the one who has the legal capacity to transfer property held under the trust. When this person dies, he is called the decedent. The assets in the trust are supplied by the grantor.
The beneficial owner is defined as the natural person(s) who owns or controls, directly or indirectly, the directly or indirectly, the company targeted. In no case, it can be a legal entity.
In California, trust beneficiaries have several rights, including the right to information about the trust, the right to a copy of the trust document, and the right to know their entitlement under the trust. These rights are protected under the California Probate Code.
A beneficiary can sue a trustee for breach of fiduciary duty if the trustee fails to distribute trust assets as required by the trust instrument. When a trustee accepts an appointment, a “fiduciary” relationship is created between the trustee and the trust's beneficiaries.
The grantor can set up the trust so the money is distributed directly to the beneficiaries free and clear of limitations. The trustee can transfer real estate to the beneficiary by having a new deed written up or selling the property and giving them the money, writing them a check or giving them cash.
The trustee manages the trust and distributes its assets at a prescribed time. The trustee is in charge of managing the assets in an irrevocable trust while the grantor is still alive.