By now, you may have heard about the “great wealth transfer,” which refers to Americans inheriting as much as $72 trillion over the next twenty years. Do you have a plan in place for your family? A recent article, “Is a Living Trust Really the Best Way to Pass an Inheritance to Your Family?” from The Motley Fool, explains how this estate planning tool works.
How does wealth pass to heirs? One way is a Last Will and Testament. However, a Living Trust may be better. The Living Trust is the creation of a legal entity, the trust, which allows the person creating it—the grantor—to control the trust and the assets in it during their lifetime. When the grantor passes, the secondary trustee takes over, managing assets in the trust and distributing them according to the language in the trust.
A living trust isn’t for everyone. There are definite advantages. However, there are also some disadvantages you’ll want to understand before deciding if this is for you.
Living Trusts allow the grantor to maintain control of the trust and the assets within the trust. The grantor can change their mind about any aspect of the trust at any time. They can change beneficiaries, remove assets or even close the trust.
The Living Trust takes assets out of your probate estate, meaning the assets in the trust are distributed to beneficiaries with no court involvement. Probate is a lengthy, expensive and public process. It can take months or years to complete, and the will becomes part of the public record. Anyone who wants to, from nosy relatives to scammers, can read the will.
Those with significant wealth use trusts to keep their private business private. People with estranged family members use trusts to maintain privacy and prevent feuds.
However, there are some downsides to consider. There is some work and costs associated with trusts. Placing assets into a trust requires retitling those assets, such as real estate or investment accounts.
You should speak with an estate planning attorney, especially if your goal in creating a trust is to qualify for Medicaid. This is a different type of trust requiring the help of an experienced estate planning attorney.
A trust isn’t an instant tax shelter. An estate planning attorney should be consulted to create the proper legal entities if your main goal is to take assets out of your estate to avoid federal, state, or inheritance taxes.
Trusts aren’t do-it-yourself projects. To do this right, you’ll want the help of an experienced estate planning attorney. They’ll help you define your goals and then create a plan to achieve them.
Reference: The Motley Fool (July 5, 2024) “Is a Living Trust Really the Best Way to Pass an Inheritance to Your Family?”