在财富管理结构中信托和基金会各有千秋，了解了他们的不同，才能帮助客户做好结构。
The differences (main) between the trust and foundation are:
信托与基金会的主要区别：
1. Duration: Trusts (with the exception of a charitable trust) will only last for between 80 to 100 years, so at the end of that time, the assets need to be distributed and resettled on another trust (that is so long as everyone is happy for that to happen – it may be that in 100 years time there is a better system). Whereas foundations last for as long as they remain registered. Indefinite existence is not always a good thing as legal systems change, and you want the ability to change when needed – especially where the assets are very valuable. For this reason, the best structure for the family office is the foundation which owns the private trust company which holds the shares in the businesses.
1. 存续时间：信托（除了某些特别的慈善信托）只会存续80－100年，在年数到了的时候，资产必须被分配或放置到另外一个信托中（也许100年后有更好的解决方法）。而基金会只要保持注册状态就可以一直存在下去。因为法律系统可能会改变，所以无限期存在不一定是一件好事情，而你可能需要时不时的去做一些改变，尤其是财产总金额特别大的时候。因为这个原因，对于家族办公室来说最好的结构是让基金会成为私人信托公司的股东，而私人信托公司来持有实业的股份。
2. Ownership: With trusts, there is separation of ownership between the trustee (who has the legal ownership) and the beneficiaries (who have the beneficial ownership). Whereas foundations do not have that separation of ownership but own the assets outright. This means that if there are problems with the trustee, the beneficiaries can club together and remove the trustee, or (if all the beneficiaries are in existence and are of age) can have the trust wound up, as the beneficiaries have an interest in the assets. This is not able to be done with a foundation, as the beneficiaries have no interest in the property until the Council distribute it to them. That means that the Council can deprive the beneficiaries of the assets (unless protections are built in to prevent that abuse). If the purpose is to protect against creditors, then the foundation for that reason is better than the trust, but you are at risk of a bad council.
2. 所有权：对信托来说，受托人是法定所有人，受益人是拥有受益权，这样说来，所有权和受益权是分离的。这意味着当受托人有问题的时候，受益人可以联合起来换掉受托人。或者在所有的受益人都在而且成年的时候，因为他们都在资产中拥有权益，可以终止信托关系。但基金会不会有所有权的分离，而是绝对的控制，除非基金会分配资产给受益人，否则他们是没有任何权益的。这意味着管理委员会可以剥夺受益人的资产（除非有防止滥用的机制被定制进去）。在防范债权人的侵害方面，基金会是有优势的，但要防范坏的管理委员会的风险。
3. If a trust fails, there will be a resulting trust of the assets for the settlor as the ownership has been split (and on failure it must go back to the last absolute owner). If the foundation fails, or its purpose no longer exists, there is no resulting trust for the founder – a court order is needed to decide what to do with the assets. Obviously this is not good news for the founder who would want his assets back.
3. 如果一个信托不能成立，资产必须回到最后一个绝对的所有者，所以就会产生一个推定信托，设立人变成了受益人。当一个基金会不成立的时候，或者他的目的不存在的时候，对于创立者来说是不会有推定信托的：那意味着法院将决定如何处置这些资产。显然如果资产不能返回到设立者这不是一个好消息。
4. Recognition: There are more jurisdictions that recognize trusts than those that recognize foundations. If the client is multi-national, the trust is better for asset holding than the foundation (refer again to the family office structure as being the best method of holding) especially when dealing with banks.
4. 接受度：有更多的属地会接受信托而不是基金会。如果一个客户是跨国的，尤其是跟银行打交道的时候，信托比基金会更容易被接受。
5. Separation of duties: Trusts in NZ, BVI and Seychelles can have separation of trustee roles – one to hold the asset and the other to manage. Under foundation law, this is not possible, and therefore no way of have a secret party managing the assets for the foundation.
5. 职责分离：在新西兰、英属维尔京和塞舌尔信托的受托人的角色是可以分离的。一个持有资产应外一个管理资产。但基金会的法律中，是不能有一个分开的秘密角色来管理资产的。