Fidelity Investments has outlined a strategy to keep the trust itself completely hidden from your heirs, without completely cutting them out. A silent trust is an irrevocable trust where the trustee is instructed to withhold all information about the trust from the named beneficiaries. The trust still operates behind the scenes, with a trustee managing and distributing assets according to the terms the grantor originally established. Only a handful of states currently allow silent trusts, but if you live in one of these states, you can create a silent trust in a jurisdiction that permits them. The advantages of this strategy include protection, privacy, and control over financial decisions, as well as protection for the legal exposure of the trust during lawsuits, divorce proceedings, or when filing for college financial aid. Fidelity also highlighted that a $500 policy could protect your entire net worth.