Trusts
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Beware Asset Protection Trusts
Asset protection planners and several states have worked for the last couple of decades to develop trusts that will protect assets from creditors. The ideas were to make asset protection more affordable and also to keep in the U.S. assets that were being transferred to overseas trusts in jurisdictions with strong asset protection reputations. But […]
Updating the Bypass Trust for Estate Planning
Is the Bypass Trust dead? Many people believed when the lifetime estate tax exemption rose to $5 million per person (indexed for inflation), the role of bypass trusts in most Estate Planning strategies ended. Far from it. Under the current tax law the bypass trust can be turned from a powerful estate tax saver into […]
Fixing What’s Wrong With Most Estate Planning Trusts
Many estate plans needlessly and unintentionally pit family members against each other. Old-fashioned, out-of-date trust formulas are the problem. The issues easily could be avoided by using some modern Estate Planning trust strategies instead of relying on what used to be tried-and-true trust provisions. Trusts once primarily were the province of only the wealthy. Now, […]
Understanding and Using Estate Planning Trusts
Trusts are an essential part of Estate Planning, not only for the rich and famous. They’re also simpler than many lawyers and estate planning professionals make them seem. Almost every-one needs a working knowledge of trusts to ensure estate planning is effective. It’s easy to obtain that knowledge. A trust is simply a contract between […]
The Importance of Updating Your Trusts for Estate Planning
Trusts are one of the most important Estate Planning tools. They’re not only for the very wealthy, as we’ve discussed in past visits. When everything isn’t done right and kept up-to-date, however, a trust can cause more problems than it overcomes, especially for heirs. Financial advisors are spending a lot of time resolving problems with […]
Estate Planning to Protect Assets, Heirs with a QTIP Trust
The marital deduction is a widely used, but often misused, Estate Planning tool. It’s powerful, but it also can create problems and headaches when not used properly. Here’s how to achieve your goals while avoiding the minefield of potential marital deduction problems. The marital deduction is simple and has two advantages. Under the estate […]
Using Trusts to Secure Stretch IRAs
Trusts are a key part of many estate plans. You can run into trouble, however, when you try to couple a trust and an IRA. You can use a trust to make your IRA last longer and control your heirs’ access to it, but you need an experienced estate planner to navigate the minefield of […]
Buying Only One Fund for Long Term Estate Planning for Grandchildren
Setting money aside for a grandchild, or helping a grand-child who is starting to save without proper Estate Planning, presents a problem. Usually the initial savings are relatively small. Few grandchildren begin with portfolios of $100,000 or more. A portfolio of a few thousand dollars or less presents a problem when you are trying to […]
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