Using Asset Protection Trusts to Shield Family Wealth

EP Wealth's Regional Director, Lea Ann Knight, CFP®, shares practical steps couples can take now to prepare financially and emotionally for the death... EP Wealth's Regional Director, Ryan Caldwell, CFP®, shares a step-by-step approach to managing finances after the death of a spouse or loved one,... Choosing to explore one should be part of a thoughtful, multi-disciplinary process that accounts for legal, financial, and long-term family considerations. Choosing a trustee can directly affect how the trust is viewed in legal proceedings.

Relief from financial waste

The benefit is that, because the property is no longer yours, it’s unavailable to satisfy claims against you. We discussed tax planning, avoiding probate, and steps to provide for financial management if either or both spouses become incapacitated. Clients should consult their legal and/or tax advisors before making any financial decisions. Bank of America, Merrill, their affiliates, and advisors do not provide legal, tax, or accounting probate prevention planning advice. A trust could help with this by, say, allowing your second wife to benefit from trust income during her life, with the principal reverting to your children from your first marriage upon her death.

It is important to work with an experienced trusts lawyer who can take a holistic view of your needs and ensure all legal requirements are met. When you die, the trust assets are passed to the beneficiaries according to the trust’s conditions. Unlike some other trusts, you can continue to use the assets prior to death, including living in the family home. Property, investments and other assets that are placed into the trust stop being part of your legal ownership, and that keeps them safe and out of reach from creditors and other claimants. Trusts for asset protection can protect your assets from creditors and other claims and are an effective way to ensure that wealth stays in the hands of those you inten

The cost for setting up a living trust depends upon the attorney used, the complexity and size of the assets and the geographic area. Beware of using generic or online living trust kits that claim to be customized documents prepared by an attorney. For permission to use publications for other purposes, contact or the authors listed on the publication. Contents of publications may be freely reproduced for educational purposes. To find more resources for your business, home, or family, visit the College of Agricultural, Consumer and Environmental Sciences on the World Wide Web at pubs.nmsu.edu A will with a testamentary trust only names trustees to serve after your death because any trust contained in the will is not created until you di

Utility stocks and REITs tend to be attractive to investors who want to generate income from an equity position. Unlike most bonds, stock dividends can vary with each payout period, and sometimes companies discontinue dividend payments. "It may offer a way to generate a superior total return compared with other investment approaches traditionally pursued in retirement." Many investors choose to invest in bond mutual funds, a professionally managed, diversified portfolio of bonds from different issuers. Given today’s longer life expectancies and the realities of higher living costs over time, the income stream you generate today will most likely not meet your future income need

Social Security and post-retirement work

BlackRock is not responsible for the content or availability probate prevention planning of the third-party website. You are leaving BlackRock’s website and entering a third-party website that is not controlled, maintained, or monitored by BlackRock. BlackRock’s purpose is to help more and more people experience financial well-being. And how can 401(k) plans benefit from lessons learne

Understanding Living Trusts

You have no say over what this person does probate prevention planning with your assets. Since you still own all the assets, they are fair game for debt collectors, plaintiffs, and others who have legal access to your accounts. For all legal purposes, the assets in a revocable trust remain yours even after you put them in the trust. Living trusts help your family avoid probate after your deat

Prepare for Open Enrollment

An estate plan, which includes documents such as a will and a healthcare directive, is important no matter your financial standing. All these estate planning documents play an important part in helping ensure your wishes are carried out during your life and after you die. Don’t forget to probate prevention planning communicate with your loved ones when you’re making financial decisions that affect the whole family. The information and content provided herein is general in nature and is for informational purposes onl

Fill out the quick contact form below, and a member of our team will contact you to probate prevention planning discuss the next steps for your estate planning or long-term care planning needs. We look forward to assisting you with your estate planning needs. Whether you're just starting to plan your estate or need to update an existing will or trust, our experienced North Carolina estate planning attorney is here to help you protect what matters most. Many of our clients have told us that they felt overwhelmed when they first began planning, but with our help, we helped them make sense of the options and design a plan to fit their goals. Either way, a QPRT may be a great option for you to transfer that property later o