An estate plan is like a warm blanket on a cold night – protecting your loved ones and your assets. Winter sports such as skiing, snowboarding, ice skating, and ice hockey can be a fun and exciting way to spend these cold months. However, it is important to remember that these activities come with an element of risk. Accidents can happen, and it is important to be prepared in case the worst occurs. As the winter months approach, one way to protect yourself and your loved ones is by having an estate plan in place. An estate plan is a set of legal documents that outline how you want your assets to be managed and distributed after your death. Having an estate plan is essential for ensuring that your wishes are carried out and that your loved ones are taken care of after you are gone. There are
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Trusts come in many “flavors.” Here are five trusts that can be used to achieve specific planning goals. Generation-Skipping Trust (GST) Let’s say your son has remarried and you’re worried that his second wife might not pass his inheritance to the children from your son’s first marriage—that is, your grandchildren. Or maybe one of your children is not responsible enough to handle an inheritance on his or her own and you want to make sure your grandchildren will receive a portion of your assets. With a Generation-Skipping Trust, the assets put into the trust will be transferred to your grandchildren when the GST goes into effect. A GST does not necessarily disinherit your children. The trust can be structured so that your children can draw on the income/earnings from the trust while your grandchildren stand to inherit the balance of the trust. Qualified Terminable Interest Property Trust (QTIP) A QTIP
Continue Reading... →Last time we discussed some of the terminology associated with trusts. Now let’s look at how revocable trusts differ from irrevocable trusts and the benefits of having a trust. Revocable versus irrevocable trusts A revocable trust is a trust that can be altered by the grantor during his or her lifetime. An irrevocable trust, on the other hand, is a trust that cannot be changed by the grantor (except under extraordinary circumstances). In the case of irrevocable trusts, the grantor typically foregoes total control of the property and must obey all trust rules and guidelines. Furthermore, a trust can be revocable during the grantor’s lifetime and then become irrevocable upon the grantor’s death. When most people use the word “trust” in the context of estate planning, a revocable living trust is the one they have in mind. A revocable living trust allows you to maintain complete control over your assets
Continue Reading... →Perhaps you have heard about trusts but wonder exactly what they are and what they can help you accomplish. Simply put, a trust is an agreement outlining how assets will be managed and held for the benefit of another person. There are many types of trusts, capable of addressing a wide range of concerns and accomplishing a number of important goals. Let’s begin our discussion by looking at the elements and terminology shared by most trusts. The Grantor All trusts have a grantor (also known as a trustor or settler). The grantor is the person who creates the trust and has the legal authority to transfer property held in the trust. The Beneficiary The beneficiary is the person who “benefits” from the trust. A beneficiary can be one person or a number of different parties. A beneficiary can also be an institution, such as a charity. The Trustee The trustee
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