Wealth manager Quilter has announced it has entered into a partnership with trustee service provider Zedra to act as a professional trustee on Quilter trusts.
The wealth manager said the decision was driven by the increasing importance of legacy wealth, with the freezing of inheritance tax bands bringing more people into scope, rising house prices having an impact on estate values, and unused pension funds being brought into scope from April 2027
“An increasing number of advisers and their clients are reassessing how wealth is structured and are turning to trusts to help them mitigate inheritance tax and safeguard financial legacies. At Quilter, we’ve seen an almost 200% increase in the number of Lifestyle Trusts opened in 2024 compared to 2023, and uptake in 2025 is on track to far surpass this level.
“The role of trustee can be a daunting task, particularly so for more complex cases, and this can act as a barrier for some clients who worry about appointing their family or friends. Through our arrangement with ZEDRA, we hope to make it as easy as possible to benefit from the services of a professional trustee.
“This arrangement forms part of our ongoing commitment to supporting informed financial planning conversations between advisers and their clients and is complemented by Quilter’s robust technical support and helpdesk availability which continues to be an invaluable resource in this changing landscape.”
said Rachael Griffin, tax and financial planner at Quilter.
With an increasing number of trusts, Quilter said the ‘use of a professional trustee service to lessen the burden on family and friends and guarantee the trust is set up and run smoothly and efficiently’ is valuable for advisers. ZEDRA can now be appointed as a trustee on new and existing Quilter trusts to fulfil requirements including setting up and registering the trust, IHT calculations, ongoing services and actioning withdrawals. In return, Quilter trust customers will benefit from discounted fees if/when they appoint ZEDRA.
“ZEDRA is delighted to support Quilter’s trust clients by providing a professional trustee service. With over 55 years of experience as a professional trustee, we are seeing a growing interest in the use of trusts to support the transfer of wealth to future generations. Our highly qualified and experienced trust practitioners offer clients peace of mind, impartial guidance and ongoing support, ensuring their trusts are managed efficiently and competently.
“Increasing compliance and regulatory requirements have made it more challenging for family members to act as trustees; our professional trustee service removes this risk and relieves families of this burden.”
concluded Sue Wakefield, Director at ZEDRA.
