Trust Certificates Explained

When someone dies and their assets are owned by a trust, the trustee often uses a trust certificate to prove their authority to manage those assets.

What Is a Trust Certificate?
A trust certificate (or certificate of trust) is a short summary of the trust that confirms it exists, names the trustee, and outlines the trustee’s key powers without disclosing all the private details in the full trust document. Banks, investment firms, and title companies commonly require a trust certificate before they will let a trustee access accounts, move funds, or transfer property.

There are two main types:

• A general trust certificate for banks and other financial institutions.
• A real estate–specific, recordable trust certificate tailored to a particular transaction for title companies handling the sale or transfer of trust-owned property.