Can the settlor be the trustee?

• A. Yes.
• B. No.
• C. Only in some jurisdictions.
• D. Only if the trust is revocable.

Answer: (A)

The ability for the settlor to also serve as trustee is about how trust roles can overlap. The settlor is the person who creates the trust and puts property into it, while the trustee is the person (or entity) who manages that property and carries out the trust terms for the beneficiaries. There’s no universal rule prohibiting the same person from filling both roles. This setup is especially common in revocable living trusts, where the settlor often acts as trustee to keep control and flexibility while the trust is in effect. Even when the trust isn’t revocable, a settlor can still be the trustee in many cases, though it can raise practical concerns about conflicts of interest or self-dealing, and a separate successor trustee is typically named to take over when needed. So yes, the settlor can be the trustee.