Uniform Prudent Investor Act

C.R.S. tit. 15, art. 1.1
in effect

C.R.S. § 15-1.1-101 Prudent investor rule

15-1.1-101. Prudent investor rule. (a) Except as otherwise provided in subsection (b) of this section, a trustee who invests and manages trust assets owes a duty to the beneficiaries of the trust to comply with the prudent investor rule set forth in this article. (b) The prudent investor rule, a default rule, may be expanded, restricted, eliminated, or otherwise altered by the provisions of a trust. A trustee is not liable to a beneficiary to the extent that the trustee acted in reasonable reliance on the provisions of the trust.

C.R.S. § 15-1.1-102 Standard of care - portfolio strategy - risk and return objectives

15-1.1-102. Standard of care - portfolio strategy - risk and return objectives. (a) A trustee shall invest and manage trust assets as a prudent investor would, by considering the purposes, terms, distribution requirements, and other circumstances of the trust. In satisfying this standard, the trustee shall exercise reasonable care, skill, and caution. (b) A trustee's investment and management decisions respecting individual assets must be evaluated not in isolation but in the context of the trust portfolio as a whole and as a part of an overall investment strategy having risk and return objectives reasonably suited to the trust. (c) Among circumstances that a trustee shall consider in investing and managing trust assets are such of the following as are relevant to the trust or its beneficiaries: (1) General economic conditions; (2) The possible effect of inflation or deflation; (3) The expected tax consequences of investment decisions or strategies; (4) The role that each investment or course of action plays within the overall trust portfolio, which may include financial assets, interests in closely held enterprises, tangible and intangible personal property, and real property; (5) The expected total return from income and the appreciation of capital; (6) Other resources of the beneficiaries; (7) Needs for liquidity, regularity of income, and preservation or appreciation of capital; and (8) An asset's special relationship or special value, if any, to the purposes of the trust or to one or more of the beneficiaries. (d) A trustee shall make a reasonable effort to verify facts relevant to the investment and management of trust assets. (e) A trustee may invest in any kind of property or type of investment consistent with the standards of this article. (f) A trustee who has special skills or expertise, or is named trustee in reliance upon the trustee's representation that the trustee has special skills or expertise, has a duty to use those special skills or expertise.

C.R.S. § 15-1.1-103 Diversification

15-1.1-103. Diversification. A trustee shall diversify the investments of the trust unless the trustee reasonably determines that, because of special circumstances, the purposes of the trust are better served without diversifying.

C.R.S. § 15-1.1-104 Duties at inception of trusteeship

15-1.1-104. Duties at inception of trusteeship. Within a reasonable time after accepting a trusteeship or receiving trust assets, a trustee shall review the trust assets and make and implement decisions concerning the retention and disposition of assets, in order to bring the trust portfolio into compliance with the purposes, terms, distribution requirements, and other circumstances of the trust, and with the requirements of this article.

C.R.S. § 15-1.1-105 Loyalty

15-1.1-105. Loyalty. A trustee shall invest and manage the trust assets solely in the interest of the beneficiaries.

C.R.S. § 15-1.1-106 Impartiality

15-1.1-106. Impartiality. If a trust has two or more beneficiaries, the trustee shall act impartially in investing and managing the trust assets, taking into account any differing interests of the beneficiaries.

C.R.S. § 15-1.1-107 Investment costs

15-1.1-107. Investment costs. In investing and managing trust assets, a trustee may only incur costs that are appropriate and reasonable in relation to the assets, the purposes of the trust, and the skills of the trustee.

C.R.S. § 15-1.1-108 Reviewing compliance

15-1.1-108. Reviewing compliance. Compliance with the prudent investor rule is determined in light of the facts and circumstances existing at the time of a trustee's decision or action and not by hindsight.

C.R.S. § 15-1.1-109 Delegation of investment and management functions

15-1.1-109. Delegation of investment and management functions. (a) A trustee may delegate investment and management functions that a prudent trustee of comparable skills could properly delegate under the circumstances. The trustee shall exercise reasonable care, skill, and caution in: (1) Selecting an agent; (2) Establishing the scope and terms of the delegation, consistent with the purposes and terms of the trust; and (3) Periodically reviewing the agent's actions in order to monitor the agent's performance and compliance with the terms of the delegation. (b) In performing a delegated function, an agent owes a duty to the trust to exercise reasonable care to comply with the terms of the delegation. (c) A trustee who complies with the requirements of subsection (a) of this section is not liable to the beneficiaries or to the trust for the decisions or actions of the agent to whom the function was delegated. (d) By accepting the delegation of a trust function from the trustee of a trust that is subject to the law of this State, an agent submits to the jurisdiction of the courts of this State.

C.R.S. § 15-1.1-110 Language invoking standard of article

15-1.1-110. Language invoking standard of article. The following terms or comparable language in the provisions of a trust, unless otherwise limited or modified, authorizes any investment or strategy permitted under this article: "investments permissible by law for investment of trust funds," "legal investments," "authorized investments," "using the judgment and care under the circumstances then prevailing that persons of prudence, discretion, and intelligence exercise in the management of their own affairs, not in regard to speculation but in regard to the permanent disposition of their funds, considering the probable income as well as the probable safety of their capital," "prudent man rule," "prudent trustee rule," "prudent person rule," and "prudent investor rule."

C.R.S. § 15-1.1-111 Application to existing trusts

15-1.1-111. Application to existing trusts. This article applies to trusts existing on and created after July 1, 1995; except that, as applied to trusts existing on July 1, 1995, this article governs only decisions or actions occurring after said date.

C.R.S. § 15-1.1-112 Uniformity of application and construction

15-1.1-112. Uniformity of application and construction. This article shall be applied and construed to effectuate its general purpose to make uniform the law with respect to the subject of this article among the states enacting it.

C.R.S. § 15-1.1-113 Short title

15-1.1-113. Short title. This article shall be known and may be cited as the "Colorado Uniform Prudent Investor Act".

C.R.S. § 15-1.1-114 Severability

15-1.1-114. Severability. If any provision of this article or its application to any person or circumstance is held invalid, the invalidity does not affect other provisions or applications of this article which can be given effect without the invalid provision or application, and to this end the provisions of this article are severable.

C.R.S. § 15-1.1-115 Colorado changes to uniform act - specific statutes control - use of term "trustee"

15-1.1-115. Colorado changes to uniform act - specific statutes control - use of term "trustee". (1) (a) The general assembly recognizes that persons, corporations, entities, or state agencies who have responsibility for investing funds may be subject to a standard that is specifically set forth in other statutes. Under such circumstances, such persons, corporations, entities, or state agencies shall comply with the standard of investment set forth in the other statute, and this article shall not modify or repeal that standard. (b) In addition, as provided for in section 15-1-304.1, this article shall not apply to those persons, corporations, entities, or state agencies which were made subject to the provisions of section 15-1-304 by specific reference in another statute in existence prior to July 1, 1995. (2) As used in this article, "trustee" includes original or successor administrators, special administrators, administrators cum testamento annexo, executors, guardians, conservators, and trustees, whether of express or implied trusts.
Source: Open US Law by Vaquill AI (CC BY 4.0)URL: https://leg.colorado.gov/sites/default/files/images/olls/crs2024-title-15.docxFetched: 10/6/2026