Living Trusts
A living trust, also called a revocable living trust, is created by you and for you during your lifetime, and you remain in control of it for as long as you'd like. Similar to a will, it conveys your wishes for the handling and division of your assets to your heirs, but a living trust can also be used to detail your plans for your future healthcare and financial matters should you become incapacitated.
However, some of the most compelling reasons to consider a living trust are the privacy and protection it provides you and your family. Unlike a will, a living trust avoids probate and the associated court-costs and delays, and it does not become a matter of public record.
A living trust may also provide considerable estate tax savings. To find out if a living trust is right for you, contact one of our trust professionals today for a free, no-obligation consultation.
Revocable Living Trusts
Living trusts have become a popular estate planning tool for many and can help address a number of important issues. However, they may not work well for everyone so it’s important to understand the basics to help you determine whether or not a revocable living trust should be considered as a part of your estate plan.
What is a revocable living trust?
As the name implies, a revocable living trust is established while you (the grantor) are still living. Since they are revocable, the grantor retains the power to cancel or amend the trust as he or she wishes. A trust document establishes the trust, names the trustee (usually the grantor), names a successor trustee (someone to take control if the trustee becomes disabled), often a trusted family member, and describes how assets are to be managed and ultimately distributed from the trust.
After the trust is established, assets are transferred into the trust by the grantor and the grantor continues to manage them. The grantor reports the taxable income from those assets on his or her individual tax return. Although the assets are owned by the trust, there is no change in the control or tax treatment of the assets.
Then, when the grantor dies, the assets in the trust are distributed under the terms of the trust document in a similar manner to how a will directs distribution of assets in an estate.
Why consider a living trust?
Using a living trust offers some benefits to be considered:
- Avoids probate. When a person dies, his or her assets are deemed to be passed into the estate. The distribution of the assets is then controlled by the terms of a will. Usually, there will be a court hearing about the estate and there can be costs associated with the "probate" of the will. With a living trust, the assets are transferred under the terms of the trust and do not enter the estate. If the assets are complex or the deceased lived in a state with high probate costs, the cost savings can be significant.
- Preserves privacy. Wills and estates end up being public matters while living trusts are not. For individuals that do not want their private matters potentially becoming visible to others, a living trust may be attractive.
- Speed of asset distribution. The distribution of assets of an estate under the terms of a will can take time, sometimes months or more whereas a living trust usually allows the assets to be distributed in just a few weeks.
What are the disadvantages?
- Time and expenses. Establishing a living trust properly can take some time and result in expenses. While there are examples of living trust documents available in many places, doing it right means getting expert advice for your particular situation. In addition, when assets are transferred into the trust, they must be "re-titled." For a bank account or brokerage account, that is probably pretty easy. For real estate, it requires filling out forms, filing documents and potentially paying transfer fees.
- Tax filings. While the trust will not pay any income taxes, there must be a tax return prepared each year. The tax return shows the income of the trust and "distributes" that income to the grantor for reporting on his or her individual tax return.
- Complicated asset ownership. Sometimes the mere fact that a trust owns an asset can make dealing with it more difficult. One area where this is prevalent is with real estate mortgages. Some lenders are inexperienced in dealing with living trust ownership.
Summary
Living trusts can be powerful estate planning tools, particularly if you are concerned about the costs and public nature of probate. However, while living trusts may seem simple on the surface, they can become quite complex in some cases. Consulting qualified trust professionals is a great place to start. Contact our experienced trust experts today to find out if a revocable living trust is right for your estate plan.