Graphic

Do you need a will, a trust or both?

Learn about the main differences between these two estate planning vehicles

See long description
Long description

Wills and trusts are two important estate planning tools. While everyone may consider establishing a will, many families can additionally benefit from establishing a trust.

Key Takeaways:

  • A will is a legal document that sets out your intentions as to how your assets should be distributed after you pass away.
  • A trust is an arrangement that can allow you to set aside assets on behalf of a beneficiary.
  • Unlike wills, trusts generally avoid passing through probate—the court-supervised process of proving the legal validity of a will and distributing assets. Skipping this step may help assets reach heirs faster.
  • Some assets may bypass probate even if they are not included in trust, including retirement accounts with named beneficiaries, proceeds from insurance policies with named beneficiaries and financial accounts with “transfer on death” instructions.
  • Trusts can provide additional benefits, such as protecting privacy and potentially helping to shield assets from the estate tax. However, a trust can be more expensive than a will to establish and maintain.

This content has been provided under arrangement with Napkin Finance®. It may have been modified to meet the specific needs of UBS. Napkin Finance® is not responsible for any errors in the content, or any actions taken in reliance on it. Please do not copy or excerpt this content without express permission from UBS. UBS and Napkin Finance® are not affiliated.

UBS Financial Services Inc., its affiliates and its employees are not in the business of providing tax or legal advice. Clients should seek advice based on their particular circumstances from an independent tax or legal advisor.

This is for informational and educational purposes only and should not be relied upon as investment advice or the basis for making any investment decisions. It has not been prepared with regard to the specific objectives, financial situation or particular needs of any specific person. No representation or warranty, either express or implied, is provided in relation to the accuracy, completeness or reliability of the information contained herein. Any opinions expressed are subject to change without notice and may differ or be contrary to opinions expressed by other business areas or groups of UBS.

As a firm providing wealth management services to clients, UBS Financial Services Inc. offers investment advisory services in its capacity as an SEC-registered investment adviser and brokerage services in its capacity as an SEC-registered broker-dealer. Investment advisory services and brokerage services are separate and distinct, differ in material ways and are governed by different laws and separate arrangements. It is important that clients understand the ways in which we conduct business, that they carefully read the agreements and disclosures that we provide to them about the products or services we offer. A small number of our financial advisors are not permitted to offer advisory services to you, and can only work with you directly as UBS broker-dealer representatives. Your financial advisor will let you know if this is the case and, if you desire advisory services, will be happy to refer you to another financial advisor who can help you. Our agreements and disclosures will inform you about whether we and our financial advisors are acting in our capacity as an investment adviser or broker-dealer. For more information, please review the PDF document at ubs.com/relationshipsummary(PDF, 143 KB).

© UBS 2025. The key symbol and UBS are among the registered and unregistered trademarks of UBS. All rights reserved. UBS Financial Services Inc. is a subsidiary of UBS Group AG. Member FINRA. Member SIPC.