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Britt Erica Tunick is an award winning financial journalist who has spent the past 17 years writing about virtually every aspect of finance. She has mastered the art of boiling down complicated financial topics for readers to understand. |
No longer just for wealthy families, trusts can be utilized to transfer assets without the delays of probate, and to reduce estate and gift taxes. Why You May Want to Consider Establishing a Trust By Britt Erica Tunick If you’ve always thought that trusts are something for only the wealthiest people in society who have hordes of money to pass on to their children and grandchildren, think again. While it’s true that wealthy families often establish trusts for their heirs, there are several reasons for that. First off, trusts allow you to place conditions on the transfer of whatever assets you plan to give to your heirs whether you are still alive when these assets are gifted, or if they are to be turned over at the time of your death. For example, if a grandparent plans to leave a large sum of money or a stake in a business to a grandchild, they may want to ensure that the recipient is responsible enough to manage their inheritance before they are able to receive it. In such cases conditions such as the requirement that a grandchild complete college before being able to receive their inheritance is not uncommon, or the establishment of a payout plan where a recipient must first meet certain age thresholds before they can access pre-determined percentages of their inheritance. In cases where assets are only to be transferred after an individual’s death, trusts have the added benefit of expedience. Unlike wills, which must go through probate before the assets of the deceased can be passed on to the individuals named within the will, trusts are shielded from probate and allow for the immediate transferal of assets. Given that probate can be an extremely long and expensive process in certain states, establishing a trust can be an attractive prospect for certain assets. Shielding assets within a trust is also a good way of reducing estate taxes for assets that are transferred after your death, or of lowering the gift taxes for assets transferred while you are still alive. As with most estate planning vehicles, there are different types of trusts, such as life insurance trusts that allow for the policy holder’s heirs to avoid the expense of estate taxes since the money they inherit is paid directly through the policy at the time of the insurance holder’s death. Given the intricacies and various types of trusts, and to avoid the possibility of unintentionally creating negative consequences, anyone considering using them should discuss whether or not they make sense for your situation with a financial advisor and a qualified tax attorney. |
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