Arden Trust Company

What Arden Trust Company does

Arden Trust Company is a privately held, Delaware-based trust services company founded in 1975 and operating as a subsidiary of Kestra Holdings. The firm delivers personal trust administration, estate and trust settlement, custody services, charitable trust administration, special needs trust administration, and investment management oversight to high-net-worth individuals, families, and charitable organizations across the United States. It administers more than $6 billion in trust assets through eight regional offices spanning Delaware, Arizona, California, Florida, Georgia, Texas, and Wisconsin, with a dedicated regional trust manager in each major market.

The company earns revenue primarily through tiered AUM-based recurring fees on discretionary trust administration (0.50% on the first $2M, scaling down to 0.10% above $100M), directed trust administration, custody, special needs trust administration, special asset management for non-traditional holdings (oil and gas, closely held assets, real estate), and life insurance policy administration. One-time revenue is generated through estate and trust settlement services (minimum fee of $30,000, with tiered percentage pricing). The technology stack is described as standard financial services infrastructure with no proprietary platforms disclosed.

Arden Trust's go-to-market combines enterprise field sales targeting financial advisors, RIAs, CPAs, attorneys, and Kestra Holdings-associated partners with direct-to-consumer engagement of HNW individuals. The firm positions itself as an "advisor-friendly" corporate trustee that complements rather than replaces financial advisors' client relationships, and operates a dedicated sales organization including a National Director of Sales, sales executives, and sales associates responsible for onboarding new advisor partners.

Name

Arden Trust Company

Legal name

Arden Trust Company

Website

https://ardentrust.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1975

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

Arden Trust Company is a Delaware-based, Kestra Holdings subsidiary providing personal trust administration, estate settlement, custody, and charitable and special needs trust services to high-net-worth individuals, families, and financial advisors across eight U.S. regional offices.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Personal Trust and Fiduciary Services

NAICS

Trust, Fiduciary, and Custody Activities (523991), Trusts, Estates, and Agency Accounts (52592), Funds, Trusts, and Other Financial Vehicles (525)

SIC

Investment Advice (6282)

akta.pro primary industry

Trust Administration & Fiduciary Accounting Services (FSAAANAF)

akta.pro secondary industries

Corporate & Institutional Trust Services (FSAAANAB), Personal Trust & Fiduciary Administration (FSAEAKAA), Trust & Fiduciary Advisory for HNW/UHNW (Trust Structuring & Trustee Oversight) (FSAAABAF), Directed Trust & Trust Advisory Services (FSAAANAK), Estate Planning, Trust Structuring & Governance (FSAAADAF)

Keywords

• Personal trust services
• Fiduciary services
• Estate settlement
• Charitable trust administration
• Special needs trusts

Headquarters

HQ city

Wilmington

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices8 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Discretionary Trust Administration Fees: AUM-based fees charged on the fair market value of trust assets. Arden Trust has fiduciary responsibility for both administration and investment management delegation. Fees range from 0.50% on first $2M to 0.10% on assets over $100M, with a minimum annual fee of $5,000.
2. Directed Trust Fees: Administrative Trustee fees where Arden Trust handles administration while the client appoints an outside Investment Advisor. Fees are 0.32% on the first tier, scaling down based on asset value.
3. Custody Fees: Fees for custody services including collection and distribution of income and principal, periodic account reports. Minimum annual custody fee of $3,000.
4. Estate and Trust Settlement: Professional services provided as executor, personal representative, or administrator. Fees are 3% on first $1M, 2.5% on next $3M, and 2% on amounts over $4M, with a minimum fee of $30,000.
5. Special Needs Trust Administration: Fees for Special Needs Trusts, Guardianships, and Conservatorships. Minimum account of $2M with minimum annual trustee fee of $15,000. Rates start at 0.75% on first $2M.
6. Special Asset Management: Additional fees for specialized trust assets including oil and gas interests, closely held assets, real estate, and mortgage/note management. These are charged in addition to standard trustee fees.
7. Life Insurance Policy Fees: Annual fees for policies held in trust. Fees range from $2,500 annually for policies under $10M to $4,000 for policies $10M and over, with additional fees for each additional policy.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Arden Trust Company provides personal trust administration, fiduciary services, custody, and investment management for individuals, families, financial advisors, and charitable organizations. The firm establishes and administers a wide range of trust structures including discretionary, directed, perpetual, total return, purpose, charitable, and special needs trusts, along with estate settlement, charitable planning, and specialized management of non-traditional assets such as oil and gas interests, closely held businesses, and real estate.

Product overview

Arden Trust Company offers a comprehensive suite of personal trust and fiduciary services organized as a unified service portfolio. The core offering is Personal Trust & Fiduciary Services, supported by specialized trust administration capabilities including Perpetual Trusts, Total Return Trusts, Purpose Trusts, Directed Trusts, Charitable Trusts, and Special Needs Trust Administration. Ancillary services include Estate and Trust Settlement Services, Custody Services, and a dedicated Philanthropic Services team managing Charitable Remainder and Charitable Lead Trusts. For complex asset portfolios, the company provides Special Assets Management covering oil and gas interests, closely held assets, real estate, and mortgage/note management. All services are designed for both individual clients and financial professionals, with fee structures varying by trust type and asset value.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Personal Trust and Fiduciary Services Core trust services providing personal trust administration, including trust establishment, ongoing administration, and fiduciary oversight for individuals, families, financial advisors, and charitable organizations.
• Perpetual Trusts Irrevocable trusts available for personal use in some states that exist for as long as the trustor wishes, allowing assets to grow while protected from future creditors and estate taxes.
• Total Return Trusts Unitrust strategy enabling trustees to balance providing regular distributions to current beneficiaries while preserving trust assets for future beneficiaries by investing in assets with appreciation potential.
• Purpose Trusts Trusts valid without individual beneficiaries, used for pet care, preservation of collections (antique cars, trains), and preservation and maintenance of family compounds.
• Directed Trusts Flexible trust structure where the trustor directs the trust company to follow investment choices of an outside advisor, allowing trustees to focus solely on trust administration while an outside investment advisor handles portfolio decisions.
• Charitable Trusts Irrevocable trusts established for charitable purposes or to benefit charitable organizations, providing tax-advantageous ways to support causes while benefiting from philanthropy.
• Special Needs Trust Administration Trust administration enabling family members to provide funds for support of individuals with special needs without jeopardizing eligibility for government benefits such as Medicaid and Supplemental Security Income.
• Philanthropic Services Team specializing in managing accounts dedicated to charitable giving, administering more than $500 million in Foundations and Charitable Trusts with a one-team approach working closely with beneficiaries, investment advisors, and organizations.
• Charitable Remainder Trusts Trusts providing income to beneficiaries during their lifetime, with remaining assets distributed to charities upon death or specified period, including Charitable Remainder Annuity Trust (CRAT) and Charitable Remainder Unitrust (CRUT) variants.
• Charitable Lead Trusts Trusts providing income to charities for a period of time before remaining assets are distributed back to the individual or designated beneficiary, including Charitable Lead Annuity Trust (CLAT) and Charitable Lead Unitrust (CLUT) variants.
• Special Assets Management Specialized expertise for managing non-traditional trust assets including oil and gas interests, closely held assets, mortgage/note management, and real estate assets.
• Estate and Trust Settlement Services Professional services provided as executor, personal representative, or administrator for estate settlement, with minimum fees and tiered percentage-based pricing (3% on first $1M, 2.5% on next $3M, 2% on amounts over $4M).
• Custody Services Services including collection and distribution of income and principal as instructed by client, and periodic account reports, with a minimum annual custody fee of $3,000.
• Life Insurance Trust Services Annual services for life insurance policies held in trust, with tiered annual fees of $2,500 for policies under $10M and $4,000 for policies $10M and over, plus $500 for each additional policy.

Quantifiable outcome

• Over $6 billion in assets under administration
• +1 more outcomes

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Wilmington Trust (M&T Bank): Direct competitor headquartered in Wilmington, DE, offering personal trust, estate settlement, and wealth management services to HNW individuals. Highly comparable as a Delaware-based corporate trustee; M&T's scale and capital base make it Arden's most direct local rival.
• Bessemer Trust: Privately held, HNW/UHNW-focused trust and wealth management firm offering personal trust administration, estate planning, and investment management. Direct peer in target market and service mix, with a similar focus on multi-generational wealth transfer and complex trust solutions.
• Glenmede: Independent investment and wealth management firm with a strong trust and fiduciary services practice serving HNW families, foundations, and endowments. Closely comparable in advisor-friendly model, specialty in perpetual and charitable trusts, and absence of retail banking conflicts.

Broad incumbents

• Northern Trust: Large incumbent offering comprehensive personal trust, estate administration, and wealth management services globally. Competes with Arden for HNW and UHNW trust business but at vastly greater scale and geographic reach; serves as a benchmark for institutional trust capabilities.
• BNY Mellon Wealth Management: Major wealth and trust services provider within BNY Mellon, offering personal trust, estate settlement, and custody to HNW clients. Competes across the full range of Arden's services but with the scale, technology, and balance sheet of one of the largest custody banks globally.
• Wells Fargo Wealth Management: National wealth manager with a large personal trust and estate services practice serving HNW clients. Comparable in scope but a broad incumbent with much greater scale; management team alumni from Wachovia/Wells Fargo bring direct familiarity with the competitive positioning.

Emerging players

• Tiedemann Advisors: Independent wealth and trust advisory firm serving HNW families, foundations, and entrepreneurs with bespoke fiduciary and family office services. Comparable as a specialist in multi-generational planning and complex trust structuring, with a similar focus on advisor partnership.
• Laird Norton: Multi-family office and trust company providing personalized wealth advisory, trust administration, and estate planning to HNW families. Comparable in serving HNW clients with holistic fiduciary services; smaller scale but similar specialty-driven positioning.

Regional players

• Securian Trust Company: Trust services arm of Securian Financial offering personal trust, estate administration, and custody, primarily in the Upper Midwest. Comparable trust administration product set; an Arden sales executive previously served there, underscoring direct talent and market overlap.
• BOK Financial Private Wealth: Mid-sized bank's private wealth and trust division serving HNW clients across the South/Southwest, including Texas where Arden also operates. Comparable in personal trust, estate settlement, and special needs trust services; larger balance sheet but a regionally focused competitor.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/ArdenTrustCompany

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles20 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 Arden Trust Company