Technical article
Nevada, Alaska, Wyoming and Delaware: Four US States Compared
Delaware comes to about 0.8%, because one Delaware trust company's yearly minimum is US$15,000.
Picture a US couple with US$2 million, an example amount, who want a trust in a US state and not abroad. They have heard four names: Nevada, Alaska, Wyoming and Delaware. The question is which state fits.
Our table does not pick one. It shows where the four match and where they split.
Where they match
That uses a law firm's table of US$2,000 to US$5,000 a year, plus one tenth of a set-up cost of US$10,000 to US$15,000. Delaware comes to about 0.8%, because one Delaware trust company's yearly minimum is US$15,000. That figure is a floor, and the same company's full-service scale starts at 1.55% on the first US$2 million. The state cost figures come from provider schedules.
All four score 4.65 out of 5 for privacy and standing, and that is a tie. Nevada also ties the Isle of Man at the top for practical use, at 4.42. Alaska and Wyoming follow at 4.34, then Delaware at 4.05.
Where they split
| Nevada | Alaska | Wyoming | Delaware | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Overall rank of 50 | 7th | 10th | 11th | 13th |
| Practical rank | 2nd | 8th | 7th | 20th |
| Protection score | 3.42 | 3.00 | 3.10 | 3.17 |
| Creditor test | 2 years after transfer, or 6 months after discovery if later. Fraud proven by clear and convincing evidence | Creditor proves intent to defraud by clear and convincing evidence | 120 days after notice to a known creditor, or 2 years after the transfer (6 months after discovery, if later) for a creditor who raised a claim first | 4 years, with clear and convincing evidence |
| Settlor may keep | A veto on distributions, a limited power of appointment, use of trust property, power to replace trustees and direct investments | A veto on distributions and a limited power of appointment | A veto or the power to replace the trustee | Exceptions to its protection listed, see below |
| When an adviser directs investments | Trustee is relieved of liability for following the adviser | Trustee is relieved of liability for following the adviser | An "excluded fiduciary" rule. The adviser is a fiduciary by default | Trustee liable only for wilful misconduct, and has no duty to monitor the adviser |
Nevada needs at least one Nevada trustee when the settlor is also a beneficiary, either a resident or a trust company or bank with a Nevada office. The trust must be irrevocable in writing. The settlor cannot make distributions to self without another person's consent. Delaware lists exceptions to its protection for support, alimony, divorce property division and claims that existed before the transfer. For Wyoming, a trust that uses the qualified route also asks the settlor to carry at least US$1 million of personal liability insurance.
Wyoming's periods come from the statute. A seller's list gives 4 years, and the two do not agree, so ask a lawyer which applies. Nevada's and Delaware's periods also come from the statutes.
Who this touches
Your heirs, through the choice of trustee and adviser. A trustee relieved of liability for following an adviser makes the adviser's choices matter more. If a child serves as adviser, that child holds the investment decisions.
The objection
You might say the lowest cost wins. The cost figures here are close, and the data come from provider schedules and one law firm's table. The difference may sit in the statute, in what you may keep and in who answers if the investments fall.
A few doors
You could read each statute against the powers you want to keep. You could ask a trustee in each state for its schedule. You could ask which route, trustee-directed or adviser-directed, it expects for a trust like yours.
Which of these differences would matter most in your family? Share it here, and someone may benefit from your story.
Figures are estimates for planning, based on public data. Date read: October 2026.
Sources
- Nevada Revised Statutes 166 (A)
- Alaska Statutes 34.40.110 (A)
- Delaware Code, 12 Del. C. 3313 and 3572 to 3573 (A)
- Alper Law state comparison table, 2026 (C)
- Deutsche Bank / Delaware Trust Company fee policy, November 2025 (C)
- Southpac limitation periods (C)
- our trust ranking tables, our calculation (U)
Tell us in the comments