If the prospect of consolidating your assets into a series of complicated legal documents while directing the right assets to the right heirs seems daunting, you’re not alone.
Should inheritance be spent on sports cars and jewelry?
A special needs trust allows the beneficiary–your family member–to receive government benefits, while still receiving funds from the trust.
When transferring wealth to the next generation, many families prefer to make gifts to younger family members in trust, rather than gifting the assets outright. Gifting assets to a trust has many advantages, including asset protection, tax planning and maintaining family control until the beneficiary reaches adulthood.
The first thing to realize is that as soon as you marry, your spouse is granted certain inheritance rights under law. However, these rights of inheritance can be waived or modified by using an anti-nuptial agreement, or as its more commonly known, a pre-nuptial agreement.
If you think Estate Planning is simply the creation of a will or trust, you are missing a large portion of information, and could potentially have assets that do not flow according to the plan you have set up in your will or trust.
By planning in advance, you have the say as to who receives which assets. The people you care about are more apt to receive your property.
Let’s face it: mortality is hard to think about and death is impossible to plan for. What is doable, however, is getting affairs and assets in order to prevent loved ones from inheriting a headache and legal fees in the event of an incident.
Setting up a trust fund offers many advantages in terms of passing on wealth or assets. It avoids probate, or the transfer of assets in court. This increases not only the ease of transfer, but also privacy.
For many of us, the thought of our own death or incapacity is uncomfortable to consider. Fear of the unknown and uncertainty of things to come, can be frightening and difficult to think about.
Stay up-to-date with Joseph Adelizzi and join his weekly blog digest and monthly enewsletter!
Hard Work & Values
Should Never Go To Waste
Copyright © IMS. All rights reserved. You may reproduce materials available at this site for your own personal use and for non-commercial distribution. All copies must include this copyright statement. Some artwork provided under license agreement.