El texto completo de esta guía está en inglés; el resumen anterior está en su idioma. Los resúmenes de las leyes y el inglés siguen siendo la fuente de referencia.
Core duties · 6 min de lectura
The prudent person standard
Est. & Trusts § 14.5-804 provides that a trustee administers the trust as a prudent person would, by considering the purposes, terms, distributional requirements and other circumstances of the trust, and in doing so exercises reasonable care, skill and caution. That is the standard an individual trustee works to.
The prudent investor rule, and whom it binds
Est. & Trusts § 15-114 sets a prudent investor rule for a "fiduciary" it defines: a trust company, an investment adviser controlled by or under common control with a trust company, or a person who makes the election the section provides (§ 15-114(a)(2)). Such a fiduciary invests and manages the fiduciary assets as a prudent investor would, in the context of the assets as a whole and an overall strategy with suitable risk and return objectives, diversifies unless it reasonably believes not diversifying is in the beneficiaries' best interests, and reviews the assets within a reasonable time after accepting the appointment (§ 15-114(b)).
An individual trustee who has not elected is held to Est. & Trusts § 14.5-804. Whether to elect, and what an investment policy should say, are questions for a licensed Maryland attorney and an investment professional of your choosing; TrusteeClear treats no individual as an electing fiduciary.
Costs, and special skills
A trustee may incur only costs that are reasonable in relation to the trust property, the purposes of the trust and the skills of the trustee (Est. & Trusts § 14.5-805). A trustee that has special skills or expertise, or was named in reliance on its representation that it has them, uses those skills (Est. & Trusts § 14.5-806). Expenses properly incurred in the administration are reimbursed from the trust property, with interest as appropriate (Est. & Trusts § 14.5-709).
Control, records and claims
A trustee takes reasonable steps to take control of and protect the trust property — but is not responsible for tangible personal property of a revocable trust not in the trustee's possession or control (Est. & Trusts § 14.5-809) — keeps adequate records and keeps the trust's property separate (Est. & Trusts § 14.5-810), and takes reasonable steps to enforce the trust's claims and defend claims against it, with the power to abandon a claim unreasonable to enforce (Est. & Trusts § 14.5-811).
Las leyes, textualmente
Prudent administration
Est. & Trusts § 14.5-804 ↗Explicación clara y sencilla; el texto literal del estatuto aún no está atestiguado en nuestra biblioteca. Consulte el estatuto oficial en el enlace de arriba.
Costs of administration
Est. & Trusts § 14.5-805 ↗Explicación clara y sencilla; el texto literal del estatuto aún no está atestiguado en nuestra biblioteca. Consulte el estatuto oficial en el enlace de arriba.
Control and protection of trust property
Est. & Trusts § 14.5-809 ↗Explicación clara y sencilla; el texto literal del estatuto aún no está atestiguado en nuestra biblioteca. Consulte el estatuto oficial en el enlace de arriba.
Prudent investor rule
Est. & Trusts § 15-114 ↗Explicación clara y sencilla; el texto literal del estatuto aún no está atestiguado en nuestra biblioteca. Consulte el estatuto oficial en el enlace de arriba.
Preguntas frecuentes
Does the prudent investor rule apply to a family member serving as Maryland trustee?
Not unless the trustee elects into it: Est. & Trusts § 15-114 binds a trust company, an investment adviser it controls and a person who elects (§ 15-114(a)(2)). An individual trustee is held to the prudent person standard of Est. & Trusts § 14.5-804.
Does a Maryland trustee have to diversify?
A fiduciary bound by Est. & Trusts § 15-114 diversifies unless it reasonably believes not diversifying is in the beneficiaries' best interests or furthers the appointment's purposes (§ 15-114(b)(4)); every trustee administers with reasonable care, skill and caution (Est. & Trusts § 14.5-804).
Can a Maryland trustee hire an investment adviser?
Yes — a trustee may delegate what a prudent trustee of comparable skills could properly delegate, with reasonable care in selecting, scoping and reviewing the agent (Est. & Trusts § 14.5-807); a delegation of investment functions under § 15-114 follows that section.
Lecturas relacionadas
El Centro de Aprendizaje es información general sobre la ley de Maryland — no es asesoría legal ni sustituye el consejo de un abogado de Maryland con licencia sobre sus hechos específicos. TrusteeClear es software, no un bufete.