ABOUT

Equity Trust Company evolved from a predecessor brokerage firm, which started in 1974, to a financial services company today serving approximately 170,000 accounts, representing nearly $25 billion in assets under custody and administration.

Bringing together industry experts, Equity Advisor Solutions was launched in 2010 with the goal of changing the way advisors look at their custodian by offering more than just custodial services. In addition, Equity does not offer any retail or proprietary investment products and does not provide any investment, tax or legal advice. In other words, we will never compete for your clients.

Strength of Equity Trust Company

$25 Billion
(Custody and Administration)

170,000 Accounts
(Custody and Administration)

Over 40 Years of Financial Service

Background

In 1974, Equity Trust Company (Equity Trust) Chairman and Founder, Richard Desich, Sr., established a registered broker-dealer firm in Elyria, Ohio. In 1983, the firm became qualified to serve as a non-bank IRA Custodian.

Realizing that a trust company could offer more services to its clients, Equity Trust Company was formed in 2003 and a South Dakota Trust charter was obtained. In 2009, Equity Trust acquired assets and business from Sterling Trust and in 2010 Equity Trust acquired the accounts of Trust Administration Services. The Company continues to expand with the acquisition of assets from Principal Trust of Delaware in 2014 and American Pension Services in 2015. With offices in Ohio, Colorado, Delaware, and South Dakota, Equity Trust services approximately 170,000 accounts in all 50 states and has nearly $25 billion in assets under custody and administration.

Independent Trust Company

As an independent trust company, Equity Trust does not offer investment advice, does not offer or sponsor any proprietary investment products and only processes transactions at the instruction of its clients or their designated financial advisors. Equity Trust offers a truly “open architect” approach to investment choices and does not offer, solicit or endorse any investment products or strategies.

Regulatory Oversight

Operating as a trust company under authority granted by the State of South Dakota, Equity Trust is a state regulated financial institution. South Dakota law mandates regular audits of trust companies performed by state auditors. Equity Trust meets all state trust company capital requirements and is required to comply with all applicable state statutes and regulations mandated by the South Dakota Division of Banking. Equity Trust’s broker-dealer affiliate, ETC Brokerage Services is a member of the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) and registered with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). Client directed brokerage transactions that are effected through the trust company’s broker-dealer affiliate are unsolicited.

THE EQUITY FAMILY

Equity and its affiliated companies comprise the Equity Family. They specialize in custody, advisor services, alternative assets, and facilitating brokerage transactions.

Equity Trust Company is a financial services company that enables individual investors to diversify investment portfolios through alternative asset classes, including real estate, tax liens, private equity and precious metals. Our tax-advantaged, self-directed investment accounts appeal to entrepreneurial investors who want to take control of their wealth. We offer clients a robust account management system, online investor community and wealth-building education, which enable them to grow their knowledge and complete transactions with ease. To learn more, click here.
Equity Advisor Solutions provides custom technology and back-office solutions to Registered Investment Advisors and Broker Dealers. Our open-architecture structure allows advisors to custody their client assets on one custodial platform with Equity Trust Company, including: alternative investments (REITs, real estate, private equity), mutual funds, stocks, ETFs and more. We help advisors make their practice more efficient while enhancing the client experience. We provide a customized client portal, mobile app, billing support, performance reporting capabilities and other back-office solutions. Our sophisticated trading technology allows advisors to trade at the individual, global or model level. Equity Advisor Solutions is an affiliate of Equity Trust Company.
Equity Institutional (through Equity Trust) offers IRAs, qualified retirement plans and non-qualified custodial accounts for alternative and traditional assets. We service Registered Investment Advisors, registered representatives, broker-dealers, investment sponsors, precious metals dealers and other financial professionals. Equity Trust Company is one of the largest custodians of alternative assets with the goal to make alternative investing easy so that your clients can achieve the diversification they are seeking. Perhaps the best reason to choose Equity Institutional is that we handle administrative details so that your focus can remain where it should be – on your clients. To learn more, click here.
ETC Brokerage Services, an affiliate of Equity Trust Company, is a broker-dealer that provides brokerage services to Equity Trust clients, enabling clients to invest in the stock market through their Equity Trust account. With ETC Brokerage Services, the same self-directed account that offers access to alternative investments can be used to invest in traditional investments like stocks. To learn more, click here.