If you’ve chosen to create a revocable living trust as part of your estate plan, this affords a great deal of privacy, which can be amplified by creating a memorandum of trust. This memorandum is a synopsis of the entire trust document which allows assets to be transferred inside the trust while also preserving the… Read More »
Posts Categorized: Trusts
Concerned About Passing Down a Substantial IRA? Here’s a Tip to Use Trusts
Charitable remainder trusts might give you more options to pass down a big IRA and enable you to exert more control over how those heirs inherit these assets. The stretch IRA is now gone but saving in a tax deferred employer sponsored retirement plan has always been an easy way to save for retirement while… Read More »
What Does it Mean to Fund a Trust?
If you’re reading this article, it’s because you already know that a trust can be a great tool for accomplishing the transfer of assets and supporting your estate plan. But setting up the trust in and of itself is only the first step- your trust can only execute your goals if it’s properly funded. A… Read More »
Why Is A Trust Important for Your Massachusetts Estate Plan?
Trusts are critical to be used when a person intends to pass on property or money to another party by leveraging existing control and moving it outside of their existing estate. By setting up a trust in Massachusetts you can control how money will be used and distributed to another person. This can be especially… Read More »
Are You Leaving a Legacy with Your Massachusetts Estate Plan?
It’s difficult to talk about what will happen to your loved ones after you are gone. This sensitive and difficult subject leads to many people avoiding the topic of estate planning at all. However, this can unnecessarily expose your family to feeling caught off guard, confused or even mired in conflict if an unexpected tragedy,… Read More »
How to Avoid Family Conflicts When Planning an Inheritance
Approximately 1.7 million households in the United States receive an inheritance on an annual basis. But additional research has found that almost 75% of those beneficiaries have lost their inheritance within just a few years. What might seem like a financial blessing and important gift from you could come with strings attached, especially as it… Read More »
What Role Does a Testamentary Trust Play in Medicaid Benefits?
Putting together various estate planning tools for the purpose of passing on assets to future generations is wise but thing can become increasingly complicated when it comes to managing these concerns surrounding Medicaid. Medicaid has very state specific rules that could potentially change over the course of time if you don’t have the right estate… Read More »
Will a Spendthrift Trust Help Protect My Heirs from Themselves?
As a parent or grandparent, it is natural to have concerns about your beneficiaries’ ability to effectively manage money. Certain beneficiaries in Massachusetts might not be capable of responsibly handling assets. If you also have family members who might be trusted with assets and you’re concerned about mixing these heirs together in your estate plan,… Read More »
What Is the Burden of Proof When Challenging A Will or Trust in Massachusetts?
There are not many situations in which an individual could have grounds to challenge a will or trust in Massachusetts. However, as a person putting together your estate planning documents and planning ahead, it is important to understand the steps that you can take with the help of your attorney to decrease the chances of… Read More »
When Celebrities Get It Right: An Important Estate Planning Lesson from Burt Reynolds
Unfortunately, far too many celebrity estate planning mistakes were completely avoidable but became a matter of public record due to the way in which the celebrity planned or failed to plan for their future. Amy Winehouse, Prince, and Aretha Franklin are just a few examples of unfortunate estate planning failures. However, when Burt Reynolds passed… Read More »