Trustee Fee Comparison
Compare corporate trustee, boutique, directed trust, and private trust company (PTC) fees across AUM bands. From Chapter 25 of the Trust Administration Guide.
Inputs
Comparison
| Structure | Annual cost | Effective bps | Notes |
|---|
Reading the table
Bundled bank trustee. Single provider; investment management included; simplest structure. Fees from money-center banks, specialized trust banks (Northern Trust, Bessemer, US Bank, BNY, Wells), and full-service boutiques.
Boutique / private bank. Higher service intensity; smaller minimum relationship size; often relationship-discounted fees.
Directed trust company. Administrative-only trustee; investment authority separately delegated to the family's investment advisor. Total cost is the sum of directed trustee fee + investment advisor fee + distribution committee fee. Often the lowest total cost for $25M+ trusts.
Private Trust Company (PTC). Family-owned trust company; justified at $250M+ family AUM where economies of scale make the fixed PTC operating cost competitive. Below that AUM, PTC is rarely cost-justified.
Source: Trust Administration Guide Chapter 25, "Trustee Fees, Corporate Trustees, PTC Economics." Fee bands sourced from a survey of leading providers as of 2026; actual fees vary by relationship and provider.