Wednesday, June 29, 2011

Five Reasons to have a Revocable Trust

In past blogs, we have discussed the reasons of including trusts as part of your estate planning program.  We also outlined the differences between revocable and irrevocable trusts.  Here is a quick summary of the advantages of establishing a revocable trust:

1. Avoids probate.
2. Maintains control of your assets until your death or incapacity.
3. Establishes your beneficiaries to inherit your estate after death.
4. Establishes who will act as the fiduciary to settle your estate after death.
5. Establishes Credit Shelter and/or Special Needs Trust provisions to:

•  Mitigate or avoid estate taxes.
•  Care for a special needs individual without jeopardizing his or her government benefits.
•  Avoid a minor having access to an inheritance at 18 years of age.