Trusts
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Avoid the New Pitfalls of Naming Trusts as IRA Beneficiaries After the SECURE Act
IRA estate planning was revolutionized by the Setting Every Community Up for Retirement Enhancement (SECURE) Act. Few discussions so far have focused on the major changes made for situations in which a trust is the IRA beneficiary. There are good reasons to name a trust as an IRA beneficiary. But the SECURE Act changed the […]
How to be Sure Your Trusts Are Built to Last
The coronavirus pandemic revealed short-comings in many estate plans, especially in trusts. Be sure any trusts in your estate plan will stand up over the long term and meet your goals.News reports indicate more people realize the importance of an up-to-date estate plan. They’re flocking to estate planners. Unfortunately, many of these people will receive […]
The Dynasty Trust: How It Works
In last week’s edition of Retirement Watch Weekly, we discussed the advantages dynasty trusts can bring to your retirement and to the inheritance you leave your heirs. You can find last week’s issue here. Today, I’ll tell you the next steps to take after the trust is created. Once it’s created, there are many options […]
How To Set Up a “Dynasty Trust” for Your Estate Plan
Dynasty trusts have been a mainstay of estate planning for a long time. They are a standard way to ensure family wealth is preserved and grows through several generations. Avoiding taxes has been a strong incentive to create a dynasty trust since the beginning of estate and inheritance taxes. Given that background, it would be […]
The Qualified Personal Residence Trust: How to Leave Your Home to Your Heirs
In last week’s retirement watch Weekly, we reviewed the Qualified Personal Residence Trust (QPRT), and how you can use this classic estate planning tool when deciding how to pass on your home. Let’s pick back up with the second installment (here’s Part 1 of our Qualified Personal Residence Trust story)… In our example in Part […]
The Qualified Personal Residence Trust: A Classic Estate Planning Tool
One of the most difficult problems in an estate plan often is the family home or vacation home. It is an especially significant problem for estates that are likely to be taxable. A principal residence or vacation home is likely to have significant value. The key to reducing estate taxes is to remove property from […]
Mastering the Nuts and Bolts of Living Trusts
Many people, perhaps most people, have living trusts as part of their estate plans. Yet, the communications I receive indicate that the workings of living trusts are a mystery to most people. Living trusts, also known as revocable living trusts, are a key element of most estate plans, because the assets held in a living […]
Is the “QTIP Trust” Right for Your Estate Plan? Part II
In last week’s edition of Retirement Watch Weekly, I introduced my readers to Qualified Terminal Interest Property (QTIP) trusts. Today, we’ll examine the most ideal situations in which to use them. 1. At least one spouse has children from a prior marriage, and that spouse wants to ensure that those children get at least a […]
