Corporate trust

In the most basic sense of the term, A corporate trust is a trust created by a corporation.

The term in the United States is most often used to describe the business activities of many financial services companies and banks that act in a fiduciary capacity for investors in a particular security (i.e. stock investors or bond investors). For example, instead of borrowing funds from a bank, a company might borrow funds from the general public in the form of a bond. When a bank lends money to a company, it may often inspect the company's financial statements to ensure that the company follows the rules (known as covenants) of the loan agreement, and may also attempt to negotiate a settlement if the company has problems and stops repaying its loan.