Equitable Trust

What Equitable Trust does

Equitable Trust Company is a Tennessee-chartered, non-depository trust corporation headquartered in Nashville, Tennessee, founded in 1991 as a subsidiary of the successor to Equitable Securities Corporation (originally founded in 1930), and converted to independent, employee-owned status in 2001. The firm provides trust administration, estate settlement, directed trustee services, estate planning consulting, investment management, endowment and foundation consulting, family office services, real estate management, and goals-based financial planning to high-net-worth families, not-for-profit organizations (endowments and foundations), and institutional trustees.

Core service delivery is high-touch and relationship-driven, with senior professionals (licensed attorneys, CFA charterholders, CFPs, and CTFAs) working directly with clients across multi-generational relationships. The firm deliberately avoids proprietary products, relying instead on access to institutional-class mutual funds, separately managed accounts, and alternative investments via third-party managers, with portfolio construction, due diligence, and asset allocation handled in-house. Underlying technology is not proprietary; client reporting and aggregation are delivered through third-party platforms (Trust Reporter and Black Diamond), with a Salesforce-based CRM environment indicated by a 2025 hire of a Salesforce Solution Architect.

The business model is fee-based and recurring, generating revenue primarily through investment management fees on assets under management, trust administration fees, family office service fees, and goals-based financial planning fees. Pricing is not publicly disclosed and is tailored to client asset levels and service scope. Go-to-market is referral-driven (attorney and tax advisor partnerships) combined with long-term direct client engagement, concentrated in Tennessee with a regional footprint. The firm reports approximately 50 employees and operates with no disclosed external funding, parent company, or institutional investors.

Name

Equitable Trust

Legal name

Equitable Trust Company

Website

https://equitableco.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1991

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Equitable Trust is an employee-owned, Tennessee-chartered non-depository trust company serving high-net-worth families and not-for-profit organizations with trust administration, estate settlement, investment management, and family office services from its Nashville headquarters.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Wealth Management and Trust Services

NAICS

Trust, Fiduciary, and Custody Activities (523991), Trusts, Estates, and Agency Accounts (52592), Trusts, Estates, and Agency Accounts (525920)

SIC

Investment Advice (6282)

akta.pro primary industry

Trust Administration & Fiduciary Accounting Services (FSAAANAF)

akta.pro secondary industries

Personal & Family Trust Services (FSAAANAA), Directed Trust & Trust Advisory Services (FSAAANAK), Estate Administration & Probate Services (FSAAANAE), Estate Planning, Trust Structuring & Governance (FSAAADAF), Trust & Fiduciary Advisory for HNW/UHNW (Trust Structuring & Trustee Oversight) (FSAAABAF), Family Office Trust & Fiduciary Services (FSAEAKAF), Trust & Estate Tax Planning & Compliance (FSAEAKAE)

Keywords

• Trust administration services
• Investment management advisory
• Estate planning consulting
• Family office services
• Wealth management fiduciary

Headquarters

HQ city

Nashville

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Investment Management Fees: Fees charged for investment advisory and portfolio management services for client assets under management.
2. Trust Administration Fees: Fees for trustee services including trust administration, estate settlement, and directed trustee services.
3. Family Office Services: Comprehensive family office services including account aggregation, bill paying, tax preparation, and wealth management.
4. Financial Planning Fees: Goals-based financial planning services including comprehensive financial plans, estate planning, and retirement planning.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels2 records

Core offering

Equitable Trust is an employee-owned, Tennessee-chartered non-depository trust company providing trust administration, estate settlement, directed trustee, and estate planning consulting services to high-net-worth families and institutions. It complements these fiduciary services with investment advisory (custom asset allocation, third-party manager selection, alternative investments), endowments and foundations consulting, family office services (account aggregation, bill pay, tax coordination, real estate management), and goals-based financial planning. All services are delivered through direct senior-advisor relationships supported by third-party client reporting platforms.

Product overview

Equitable Trust is a Tennessee-chartered, non-depository trust corporation offering a comprehensive suite of wealth management services. The company's primary offerings are Trust Administration, Estate Settlement, Directed Trustee services, and Estate Planning Consulting. Investment Management capabilities span custom portfolio construction, third-party manager selection, and alternative investments. Related services include Endowments and Foundations consulting, Family Office Services (with account aggregation and real estate management), and Goals Based Financial Planning. Clients access accounts through Trust Reporter and Black Diamond reporting portals.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Trust Administration Core trust administration services focused on asset preservation, lawsuit and creditor protection, divorce settlement protection, and providing stable support for designated beneficiaries. Designed for families establishing trusts to safeguard and transfer wealth across generations.
• Estate Settlement

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• Third-Party Investment ManagerscoreTechnology or IntegrationAccess to separately managed individual accounts and institutional class mutual funds through third-party investment managers. Manager due diligence process includes in-person meetings, continuous communication, detailed portfolio analysis, and operational vetting. Focus on boutique, employee-owned managers personally invested in their strategies.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves9 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Cumberland Trust: Tennessee-headquartered independent trust company focused on personal trust, estate settlement, and directed trustee services. Multiple Equitable Trust alumni (M. Wickliffe Ruehling, Charlie Nelson) previously worked at Cumberland Trust, making it the closest direct peer in niche, scale, and service model.
• Truxton Trust: Nashville-based private bank and trust company offering personal trust, investment management, and family office services to HNW clients. Operates in the same Nashville geography and HNW segment as Equitable Trust, with overlapping service lines and referral networks.

Broad incumbents

• Bessemer Trust: One of the largest U.S. independent trust and wealth management firms serving ultra-high-net-worth families. Competes with Equitable Trust for HNW and family-office mandates; recent Equitable hire Sean Sullivan joined from Bessemer Trust, illustrating direct talent and client overlap.
• Northern Trust: Major national trust company and wealth manager with deep HNW and family office capabilities. Competes for institutional trust, endowment, and large family relationships; former Equitable associate Mary Jackson previously worked at Northern Trust in Atlanta.
• Truist Private Wealth (formerly SunTrust): Large regional bank's private wealth and trust division with significant Tennessee presence. Competes for HNW trust, estate, and investment management relationships; multiple Equitable alumni (Edward Burgess, Kathryn Duryea, Nancy Davis, Cynthia Jones) joined from Truist/SunTrust, evidencing direct competitive overlap.
• Bank of America Private Wealth Management (US Trust): National private bank and trust business with deep HNW trust administration capabilities. Competes for estate settlement, directed trustee, and wealth management mandates; former Equitable associates Trish Braunschweig and Annette Mayes previously held trust officer roles at US Trust/Bank of America.
• Wilmington Trust (M&T Bank): National wealth advisory and trust company offering personal trust, estate, and investment services to HNW families. Comparable to Equitable Trust in core service lines (directed trustee, estate administration, investment management) but at substantially greater scale and geographic reach.
• Ascent Private Capital Management (US Bank): Ultra-high-net-worth wealth and trust platform within U.S. Bank. Competes for very large HNW families needing integrated trust, investment, and family office services; operates at a scale and national reach that Equitable Trust does not.

Regional players

• First Horizon Bank: Tennessee-headquartered regional bank offering private wealth, trust, and investment services. Competes in the same Nashville/Tennessee HNW market as Equitable Trust and shares overlapping referral networks with local attorneys and advisors.

Emerging players

• Foundation Source: Specialized provider of administrative, compliance, and investment services for private foundations. Directly comparable to Equitable Trust's Endowments and Foundations practice in serving not-for-profit clients with institutional investment consulting and fiduciary support.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles15 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Equitable Trust