Estate Planning

A dynasty trust is a long-term, irrevocable trust designed to pass on and manage wealth for multiple generations. It allows individuals to transfer assets, such as money, property, investments, or closely-held business interests into a trust for beneficiaries (typically family members) while minimizing estate tax, gift and generation-skipping transfer (GST) taxes and protecting the assets from creditors and potential squandering.

A self-canceling installment note (SCIN) is a promissory note that contains a provision under which the buyer’s obligation to pay automatically ceases in the event that the seller dies before the note’s maturity date. SCINs are typically used in family business transfer situations.

An IRA (individual retirement account) trust is a special type of trust that can be designated to receive distributions from an IRA to gain asset protections such as spendthrift protection, creditor protection and divorce protection, special needs trust protection and achieve "dead hand control".

A Minor’s Trust is one solution! This trust allows you to gift assets for the benefit of a minor child while ensuring that a designated trustee correctly handles the trust until the child is 21.

A special needs trust (SNT) is a trust designed to assist a disabled beneficiary so that the beneficiary can continue to receive government benefits such as Medicaid and Supplemental Security Income (SSI) or other state provided benefits and still receive supplemental benefits from the trust. Read on for more.

What is a Spousal Lifetime Access Trust (SLAT)?  A SLAT allows your spouse to access the assets you deposit into the trust. It can also give your kids and descendants access to the trust assets during or after your spouse’s lifetime.

A grantor retained annuity trust (GRAT) is an estate planning technique permitted under IRS regulations. This technique allows you, the grantor, to make a gift to a trust over which you may serve as the trustee and receive an annuity payment from the trust for a specified period. Any appreciation on the trust property at the end of the trust term passes to your heirs, estate and gift tax free. Read on for more.

Of the various charitable planning techniques that people use either before or after an exit, one of the most popular techniques - particularly as interest rates rise - is known as the charitable remainder trust (CRT). In a CRT, you’re giving a portion of your business interest to a trust that ultimately, at the end of the term or your life expectancy, will be paid out to the charity.