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Merchant Partners with Sterling Trustees to Expand Global Trust Capabilities for RIAs

via Business Wire

Collaboration empowers RIAs with flexible, conflict-free trust administration options supporting long-term legacy planning for high- and ultra-high-net-worth clients

Merchant, a global operating company providing growth capital, strategic guidance, and support to independent financial services firms, announced a strategic partnership with Sterling Trustees, a boutique independent South Dakota chartered trust company providing trust administration services to high-net-worth and ultra-high-net-worth families around the world.

Sterling Trustees currently administers over $11 billion of client trust assets worldwide, operating on the principle of maintaining independence by separating trustee and investment advisory roles. They work with the client’s chosen investment advisors and independent custodians, rather than managing assets directly. With deep expertise serving multi-generational families and handling complex cross-border trust structures, Sterling supports clients in over 25 countries and specializes in domesticating foreign trusts.

“The demand for high-quality, independent trust services has never been greater—both within the Merchant community and across the broader independent wealth management space. Our partnership with Sterling is a direct response to that demand, and reflects our ongoing commitment to connecting advisors with essential service providers who elevate the client experience,” added Tim Bello, Co-Founder and Managing Partner at Merchant. “Sterling brings the objectivity, scale, and cross-border expertise that RIAs need to meet the complex estate planning needs of today’s high-net-worth families, while staying true to the advisor-first ethos that defines our ecosystem.”

This collaboration also expands access to a trusted network of service providers, including experts in estate law, tax advisory, investment management, and philanthropic planning. Importantly, Sterling’s advisor-centric model—intentionally independent and free from product-driven incentives—ensures advisors maintain control of the client relationship, with a clear focus on long-term legacy preservation.

“At Sterling, we pride ourselves on objective, independent trust administration. Partnering with Merchant allows us to extend that unbiased platform directly into the advisor ecosystem, powering legacy-building strategies with institutional-grade resources—and ensuring each client’s trust benefits from balanced, forward-thinking counsel,” said Antony Joffe, Chairman of Sterling Trustees.

Sterling Trustees has long embraced a technology-forward model and developed their own trust and accounting platform on Salesforce, enabling seamless, responsive, and efficient trust administration to their clients. As trust services increasingly mirror the independent, advisor-led dynamics of the RIA space, Sterling’s scalable, tech-enabled platform positions it as a future-ready provider. Sterling is chartered in South Dakota, enabling it to deliver the most progressive trust law in the country —making it an ideal partner for RIAs seeking flexible, high-impact estate planning tools.

“We took great care in evaluating trust service providers globally, knowing how critical this capability is to the advisors and clients we support. Sterling stood out not only for their deep expertise and independence, but for the caliber of leadership in Antony—someone who’s highly respected both inside and outside of the Merchant ecosystem,” said David Mrazik, a Managing Partner at Merchant. “With a meaningful portion of their business coming from non-U.S. clients, Sterling is uniquely positioned to help advisors meet the growing demand for sophisticated estate planning across jurisdictions.”

About Sterling Trustees:

Sterling Trustees is a privately held, South Dakota-chartered trust company specializing in trust administration. We provide independent trust administration services to high-net-worth families and ultra-high—net-worth families around the world. Our unbiased administration focuses on preserving assets for future generations while eliminating the inherent conflicts of interest built into most bank trust companies today. Sterling was founded by Stanley and Antony Joffe in 2008. For more information, visit sterlingtrustees.com.

About Merchant:

Merchant is a private partnership that provides life cycle growth capital and strategic guidance to independent financial services companies, particularly those focused on wealth and asset management. Merchant’s ecosystem comprises 115 partner firms and RIA practices in six countries, collectively managing more than $250 billion in assets. For additional information, please visit merchantim.com.

Merchant Partners with Sterling Trustees to Expand Global Trust Capabilities for RIAs

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