How the role works by plan type
The title of the role depends on your plan structure.
For an IRA Trust or Solo 401(k), you are the trustee. The person who would assume that role after you is called a successor trustee.
For an IRA LLC, you are the manager. The person who would assume that role after you is called a successor manager.
In all cases, the function is the same: the successor steps in to wind down or transfer the entity, sign contracts, liquidate assets if needed, and facilitate the distribution of plan value to your beneficiaries.
The critical distinction: administration vs. inheritance
A successor trustee or manager has full signing authority over the entity. They do not have any ownership or inheritance rights. Those are determined entirely by your beneficiary designation, which is held at the IRA level with the custodian, or in your Solo 401(k) plan records.
You can name the same person as both your successor and your beneficiary, but the roles are legally independent. Do not assume that naming someone a co-trustee or co-manager is necessary for them to inherit your plan. It is not.
Designating a successor
Designating a successor is optional for all plan types. You can add or remove a successor at any time by resolution of the LLC or trust. Name only someone you trust completely. They will have full signing authority over the entity, including the ability to enter contracts, access accounts, and sell assets.
Co-trustees and co-managers
You may also designate a co-trustee or co-manager to assist in administering the entity while you are alive. Unlike a successor, a co-trustee or co-manager has signing authority now, alongside you as the account holder.