Founder & Chief Executive Officer
(OVERVIEW)
Trust planning built around the assets and the outcome
A trust should be shaped by what it will hold, the risks it has to answer, and the succession result it exists to deliver. We start with your residency, family circumstances, asset profile and objectives, then build a structure that genuinely fits them rather than one pulled off a shelf.
(HOW IT WORKS)
01
Consultation
A confidential conversation covering your assets, residency, exposure, beneficiaries and succession aims.
02
Exploration
We weigh trust jurisdictions, trustee options and supporting structures against what you actually need.
03
Formation
We handle due diligence, drafting, trustee onboarding and any underlying company or bank account.
04
Transfer your assets
Cash, investments, LLC interests, real estate and precious metals are settled into the structure.
(OFFSHORE JURISDICTION DIRECTORY)
Trust jurisdictions available for formation
A trust often sits at the centre of a wider asset-protection and succession structure. Below are the services most often used to establish, fund and administer one. If you are not sure where to start, book a consultation or work through the jurisdiction finder.
(AT A GLANCE)
How a trust compares
A trust splits legal ownership from beneficial enjoyment: chosen assets pass to an independent trustee, who holds them for named beneficiaries or a permitted purpose. It is usually considered for asset protection, succession, family governance and long-term ownership of international assets. A company, foundation or bank account may sit inside the same structure, but each does a different job legally and practically.
| Structure | Primary use | From | Timeframe | View service |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Offshore Trust
Core ownership structure
|
Asset protection, succession and family governance. Often used to own a company, bank account or approved investments. | $10,000 | 2–8 weeks | Explore |
Offshore Company
Underlying holding entity
|
Holds investments, business interests, property or bank accounts. May sit beneath a trust or foundation so ownership and administration stay separate. | $2,500 | 2–7 days | Explore |
Offshore Foundation
Alternative ownership structure
|
Succession, governance, legacy or philanthropic planning. A foundation may own a company and its related bank or investment accounts. | $6,500 | 2–8 weeks | Explore |
Offshore Bank Account
Banking and custody
|
Multi-currency banking, custody and settlement for a trust, company, foundation or qualifying individual. | $1,000 | 2–6 weeks | Explore |
Precious Metals
Tangible asset holding
|
Allocated gold and silver ownership, vaulting and diversification, potentially held through an approved trust or underlying company. | On request | Varies | Explore |
Equity Stripping
Property risk planning
|
Lawful secured-financing arrangements that may complement a wider trust or company asset-protection structure involving property. | On request | Varies | Explore |
| Total Protection Coordinated combination | A trust, underlying company and international bank account run as one connected structure. | $12,000 | 2–8 weeks | Discuss |
Indicative fixed fees (USD) for trust and related services. Every engagement is quoted in writing before work begins.
(TOTAL PROTECTION PACKAGE)
Trust, Company and Bank Account
A coordinated fixed-fee structure built around a Cook Islands trust, with an underlying company and international bank account where they are appropriate. We manage the trustee, the company formation and the banking process end to end.
- Trust application handled from first enquiry to completion
- First-year trustee and listed third-party formation costs included
- Trust deed and supporting documents drafted for the chosen jurisdiction
- Structure in place and ready to receive approved assets
(ASSET PROTECTION)
What can a trust hold and protect?
A trust can help protect, manage and pass on assets within a wider succession, estate-planning or family holdings strategy. It may hold cash, investments, company shares, business interests, digital assets and precious metals. Property is usually held through a company or LLC owned by the trust rather than directly.
Liquid capital
Cash, deposits and multi-currency holdings held through suitable offshore bank accounts.
Investments
Brokerage portfolios, securities, funds and private-equity interests, held directly or through an underlying company.
Real estate
Domestic or international property held through a trust-owned company or LLC.
Business interests
Company shares, partnership interests and family businesses needing long-term ownership and succession planning.
Digital assets
Cryptocurrency and other digital assets held under documented, trust-owned custody arrangements.
Precious metals
Allocated gold and silver held through approved professional vaulting and custody.
(JURISDICTION FINDER)
Compare trust jurisdictions
Use the product selector to put trust and company jurisdictions side by side, or open the full chart. Cook Islands and Nevis, marked ★, are core jurisdictions in our network. Reference notes for whatever you select appear beneath the table.
(EXPERTISE)
Meet our trust specialists
John Evans
Forbes Business Council Founder & Chief Executive Officer
Rarotonga, Cook Islands
More than two decades of experience across offshore banking, asset protection, international companies and trusts.
Melanie Tetuaiteroi
Sales Assistant
Rarotonga, Cook Islands
Supports client onboarding, communications, documentation and operational coordination, backed by fiduciary administration experience.
(INSIGHTS)
Trust guides and asset-protection insights
Recent Articles
Explore our latest insights, practical guides and updates on international wealth structuring.
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What Assets Can a Cook Islands Trust Own?
(ABOUT OFFSHORE TRUSTS)
What is an offshore trust?
An offshore trust is a legal relationship created under the law of a jurisdiction outside the settlor’s own country. The settlor hands legal ownership of chosen assets to a trustee, who is bound by the trust deed to administer them for the beneficiaries or a permitted purpose. Legal title sits with the trustee; the beneficiaries hold beneficial interests. Because the settlor no longer legally owns the assets, they may stand apart from certain future claims brought against that person. A protector can supervise defined trustee decisions, and an underlying company can hold investments, property, cash or business interests. None of this removes tax, reporting or disclosure obligations, and a trust must never be used to hide assets or defeat creditors who already exist. It works best when set up before any dispute, documented properly, and coordinated with legal and tax advisers where the settlor lives.
How a trust can be used
Trusts are used for asset protection, succession, estate planning, family governance and moving wealth between generations in an orderly way. Depending on the jurisdiction and the deed, one may hold company shares, investment portfolios, cash, intellectual property, precious metals, digital assets, and real estate through an underlying entity. It can hold things together when family members live in different countries, set a framework for distributions, cover incapacity and succession, and keep personal ownership separate from long-term family holdings. Which structure suits depends on who puts the assets in, who might benefit, how much control has to stay with the settlor, and who will administer it. Asset transfers, banking and investment management all have to be done lawfully and backed by records.
Choosing a trust jurisdiction
Protection comes from a jurisdiction’s legislation, courts and procedure — not from how far away it is. Weigh trustee regulation, creditor-remedy rules, limitation periods, reserved powers, protector provisions, reporting obligations, banking access, cost, and how experienced the licensed trustee actually is. The Cook Islands and Nevis each have purpose-built international trust legislation with their own rules on creditor claims and court proceedings. Timing counts too: a trust settled before any claim exists is generally far stronger than one created in answer to a known threat, and transfers made while a claim is foreseeable can be challenged. None is universally best, so we weigh the options against your residency, asset type, risk profile, family objectives and your own professional advice before arranging formation with a licensed trustee or provider. Official references: Cook Islands International Trusts Act and Nevis International Exempt Trust Ordinance. This is general information, not legal or tax advice.
(OFFSHORE TRUST GUIDE)
Understanding trusts
How does a trust work?
A trust is created under the law of a jurisdiction outside where the settlor lives. The settlor passes chosen assets to an independent trustee, who is bound by the deed in how they administer them.
Legal title sits with the trustee; beneficial interests sit with the beneficiaries. Because the settlor no longer personally owns the assets, they may stand apart from certain future claims — subject to the governing law, when the transfer happened, and the circumstances of the claim.
The deed names the beneficiaries or permitted purposes, sets out what the trustee can do, and fixes the rules for distributions, investment, succession and administration. A protector may be appointed to oversee particular trustee decisions, such as replacing the trustee or signing off major changes.
Many trusts own an underlying company or LLC. That company can hold cash, investments, business interests, digital assets or other approved property, while the trust owns its shares or membership interests.
- The settlor creates the trust and puts in the initial assets.
- The trustee holds legal title and administers the trust under the deed.
- The beneficiaries may receive distributions on the terms the trust sets.
- A protector may supervise limited trustee powers without becoming the day-to-day trustee.
- An underlying company may hold investments, accounts, business interests or other approved assets.
We coordinate licensed trustees, drafting, underlying companies, banking and supporting providers.
Discuss your trustWhy establish a trust?
A trust can bring asset protection, succession, family governance and international administration together inside one legal framework.
Ownership held separately
Assets moved into a properly established trust belong legally to the trustee, not the settlor. That separation can make them harder to reach through claims aimed at the settlor personally — particularly where the structure predates any dispute.
Succession and estate planning
The deed can set out how wealth is managed and distributed after death or incapacity. That can remove the need to transfer each asset individually, and keeps things continuous where beneficiaries live in different countries.
Long-term family governance
A trust can set standards for distributions, education, investment, business succession and support for later generations. The trustee supplies an independent administrative layer, and the protector can oversee defined decisions.
Consolidated asset ownership
A trust-owned company can bring investments, bank accounts, shares, intellectual property, precious metals and other approved assets under a single ownership structure.
Jurisdictional diversification
Holding a trust outside the settlor's home country spreads legal, administrative and financial exposure. How much that is worth depends on the quality of the jurisdiction, its courts, its trust law and the trustee's experience.
Confidential administration
Trust deeds are private documents rather than public corporate filings. That does not remove regulatory, tax or beneficial-ownership reporting, but it does offer more personal confidentiality than owning assets directly.
What should be weighed before establishing one?
A trust is a substantial legal arrangement. It brings ongoing cost, reporting duties, and a real transfer of legal ownership to the trustee.
- Loss of direct ownership: assets placed in trust belong legally to the trustee and cannot stay wholly under the settlor's personal control.
- Timing: transfers made once a claim exists, where litigation is foreseeable, or while the settlor is insolvent, can be challenged.
- Trustee discretion: the trustee has to be able to act independently, and may refuse or delay a requested distribution where the deed or the law requires it.
- Tax and reporting: the settlor, beneficiaries, protector or connected entities may face tax, trust, account and beneficial-ownership reporting where they live.
- Annual administration: trustee fees, company renewals, accounting records, banking costs and professional advice all need budgeting for.
- Asset suitability: liquid assets, investment portfolios and company interests usually transfer more easily than locally situated real estate or regulated business assets.
- Banking requirements: banks and investment platforms will run due diligence on the settlor, beneficiaries, trustee, source of wealth and source of funds.
- Insolvency and bankruptcy: clawback rules may apply, especially where transfers fall inside a statutory review period.
A trust must never be used to hide assets, evade tax, defeat existing creditors or dodge lawful disclosure. Take independent legal and tax advice in every country connected to the structure.
How a trust is established
Formation starts from the assets, the risks, the family circumstances and the succession outcome the trust is meant to deliver.
Define the objectives
Identify the assets, beneficiaries, countries involved, likely risks, succession requirements and how much trustee oversight is wanted.
Select the jurisdiction
Compare trust legislation, courts, limitation periods, trustee regulation, reporting, banking access, cost and practical administration.
Choose the trustee
Pick a licensed trustee with the right experience, regulatory standing, professional insurance, administration systems and banking relationships.
Complete due diligence
Supply identification, address verification, source of wealth, source of funds, asset detail and information on beneficiaries and any existing claims.
Draft the documents
Prepare the deed, protector provisions, letters of wishes and any underlying company or LLC documents the structure needs.
Transfer the assets
Cash, investments, company interests and other approved assets pass to the trustee, or to an entity the trust owns.
What does an effective trust require?
Legal strength comes from drafting, timing, funding and administration — not from the jurisdiction's name on its own.
- A valid trust deed: the deed has to define the trustee's powers, the beneficiaries, the governing law, the distribution provisions and the administrative rules.
- An independent trustee: the trustee has to exercise real fiduciary judgment, not simply follow the settlor's instructions.
- A genuine transfer: legal ownership of the chosen assets has to be properly transferred and documented.
- Appropriate irrevocability: asset protection trusts are generally built so the settlor cannot simply revoke and demand the assets back.
- Trustee discretion: the trustee has to keep enough authority over distributions and administration.
- Suitable protector powers: protector rights should give oversight without leaving the settlor holding excessive control.
- Correct governing law: the deed should name the offshore jurisdiction whose law governs validity and administration.
- Properly transferred assets: assets still sitting in the settlor's personal name have not been placed in trust at all.
- Complete records: trustee resolutions, financial records, asset transfers and distributions should be documented for the life of the trust.
- Ongoing compliance: tax filings, financial account reports, beneficial-ownership disclosures and annual renewals must be completed where they apply.
Choosing a trust jurisdiction
The choice should follow the trust's purpose, where the assets and beneficiaries sit, how strong the legal system is, and how experienced the available trustees are.
Cook Islands
Widely used for asset protection trusts, international family structures, and arrangements that need experienced licensed trustees.
Nevis
Often chosen as a cost-conscious alternative for asset protection trusts and structures built around a Nevis LLC.
British Virgin Islands
May suit international holding structures, family planning, and trusts run alongside BVI companies or investment arrangements.
Cayman Islands
Common for sophisticated family wealth, investment fund, institutional and special-purpose trust arrangements.
Bahamas
Established trust legislation and professional fiduciary services, used for succession, family governance and international asset holding.
New Zealand
Worth considering for internationally connected family trusts where reputation, professional administration and common-law principles matter most.
Singapore and Hong Kong
May suit Asian families and businesses wanting established financial centres, private banking access and professional trust administration.
European trust centres
Guernsey, Jersey, the Isle of Man, Malta and Cyprus are options for European family wealth, succession and cross-border ownership.
The right jurisdiction turns on more than its asset protection statute. Trustee quality, court independence, banking access, reporting, administration cost, and how the structure is treated in the settlor's home country all weigh just as heavily.
Offshore trust or domestic trust?
A domestic trust is created under the law of the settlor's own country; an offshore trust is governed and administered abroad.
Domestic trusts tend to cost less, run more easily, and be more familiar to local banks, advisers and tax authorities. They can work extremely well for estate planning, succession, family governance and holding domestic assets.
An offshore trust becomes worth considering where you need stronger jurisdictional separation, international asset ownership, cross-border succession, or access to specialist trust legislation. It brings more detailed due diligence, annual administration and reporting with it.
- A domestic trust may suit locally held assets and mainly domestic family or estate-planning aims.
- An offshore trust may suit internationally mobile families, cross-border assets, or higher creditor exposure.
- A domestic trustee stays subject to the courts of the domestic jurisdiction.
- An offshore trustee answers to the courts and laws where the trust is administered.
- Offshore trusts generally cost more to form, report on and administer each year.
- Both kinds remain subject to fraudulent transfer, insolvency, tax and disclosure law.
The right answer depends on the settlor's residency, assets, risk profile, beneficiaries and objectives. Sometimes domestic and offshore structures are used together for different categories of asset.
Who may consider a trust?
Trusts generally suit people with meaningful international assets, succession requirements, or exposure that justifies the extra cost and administration.
- Business owners with personal guarantees, contractual exposure, employees, partners or operating risk.
- Medical, legal and financial professionals exposed to professional liability that could exceed the insurance available.
- Real estate investors with substantial equity, several properties, or operating liabilities that need coordinated ownership planning.
- International families with beneficiaries, residences or assets spread across several countries.
- High-net-worth individuals with significant liquid investments, private company interests, or other personally held assets.
- Family offices wanting a long-term governance and succession framework spanning several entities and asset classes.
- Entrepreneurs and company founders planning for a future sale, succession event or transfer of business interests.
- Digital asset holders needing documented custody, succession and governance arrangements.
A trust is less likely to suit where the assets are modest, litigation exposure is low, the wealth is already covered by exemptions or insurance, or the settlor is unwilling to accept trustee ownership and ongoing reporting.
The strongest planning is done while the settlor is solvent and before any specific dispute, claim or creditor threat has appeared.
We weigh trust jurisdictions, licensed trustees, underlying entities and banking options against your assets, residency and family objectives.
Book a consultation(OFFSHORE TRUST QUESTIONS)
An offshore trust is a fiduciary arrangement where a trustee holds and administers assets under a deed for beneficiaries or a permitted purpose. We can coordinate the trust alongside offshore companies, private foundations, offshore banking, precious metals and equity protection strategies where those services are appropriate. We also arrange introductions to licensed trustees, corporate administrators, banks, asset managers, accountants and legal professionals.
An offshore trust is a legal relationship in which a trustee holds assets for beneficiaries or a permitted purpose. An offshore company is a separate corporate entity that may hold investments, conduct business or sit beneath the trust. A private foundation is a separate legal entity that can suit succession, family governance, charitable aims or long-term asset holding. Which one fits depends on residency, how much control is needed, the objectives and the applicable law.
Yes. Depending on the structure, the trustee or an underlying company may apply for an account through our offshore banking services. We can help assess the banking options, explain what onboarding usually requires, and coordinate introductions or applications with suitable institutions. Approval remains subject to each bank's own compliance procedures, risk assessment and independent decision.
An offshore trust or an underlying company may be able to hold approved tangible assets. We can coordinate introductions to precious metals providers offering physical acquisition, allocated ownership, secure vaulting, custody and related administration. The trustee, the provider and your professional advisers all have to confirm that the proposed asset and ownership arrangement are permitted and suitable.
Equity stripping may be considered alongside a trust where genuine secured financing, liens or ownership structures form part of a wider asset-protection plan. Anything of that kind has to be lawful, commercially defensible, properly documented and put in place before a claim arises, with advice from qualified legal, tax and financial professionals.
The Cook Islands and Nevis are the core trust jurisdictions in our network, and other international financial centres may suit depending on the purpose, asset type, trustee requirements, banking needs and how much administration you want. The right one turns on residency, objectives, applicable law, reporting obligations, cost and professional advice. No single jurisdiction suits every client.
It normally starts with a confidential consultation covering your objectives, residency, asset profile, intended beneficiaries, risk exposure and existing professional relationships. We can then compare jurisdictions and licensed trustees, run due diligence, help with the trust application, and organise drafting, onboarding and any related company or banking steps.
Trusts are lawful planning structures where they are properly established, funded, disclosed and administered under the applicable law. They do not remove tax, reporting, beneficial-ownership or disclosure obligations, and those vary by residence, citizenship, asset location and jurisdiction. We do not replace your legal, accounting, tax or investment advisers; our role is to coordinate suitable licensed providers and make professional introductions so you can take advice on your own circumstances.
(CONTACT US)
Speak to a specialist. Let’s build your structure.
Book a confidential, no-obligation consultation with a senior member of our team to discuss your objectives and the services we have available.
