Trust departments are important bank services. Still, mergers in the banking industry bring consolidation of trust departments, usually in faraway headquarters. Individuals use trust departments and companies for estate planning, which combines family financial planning with avoidance of as much federal estate tax as possible. People writing wills for smaller estates often appoint a trustee to look after assets to benefit children, grandchildren and descendants who, for some reason such as illness or injury, cannot take care of themselves. Living wills get lots of attention, because lawyers and others advertise and offer seminars about them.
Plain vanilla wills get far less attention.
Both approaches to testamentary planning, however, usually involve a trustee sooner or later. Trusts involving welfare of family members frequently call for a high degree of involvement on the trustee's part. Decisions come up about education and health care. Larger banks, however, are going in that direction. Among larger local banks, Norwest still runs a trust department, but it hasn't announced its fate when Wells Fargo takes over.