Trustee, Role and Duties
A trustee is the person or entity who holds and manages the trust property for the benefit of the trust beneficiaries.

One of the trustee's main duties is making distributions to the beneficiaries according to the terms of the trust.  The trustee must ensure that the trust property is productive, while also ensuring that it is not unnecessarily placed at risk. All trustees are fiduciaries governed by Pennsylvania's Prudent Investor Rule, which dictates the standard of care that must be exercised when dealing with the property.

Trustees are also required to provide regular accountings to the Orphans' Court that outline all trust activity, such as payments, interest earned, and how the trust property is invested.

Depending upon the trustee's level of experience and the nature of the trust, a trustee may seek professional assistance to fulfill all of these duties.

See: Trustee, Eligibility; Trustee, Ineligibility