Benefits of Proper Estate Planning

What is Estate Planning?

Believe it or not, you have an estate. In fact, nearly everyone does. Your estate is comprised of everything you own— your car, home, other real estate, checking and savings accounts, investments, life insurance, furniture, personal possessions. No matter how large or how modest, everyone has an estate and something in common—you can’t take it with you when you die.
When that happens—and it is a “when” and not an “if”—you probably want to control how those things are given to the people or organizations you care most about. To ensure your wishes are carried out, you need to provide instructions stating whom you want to receive something of yours, what you want them to receive, and when they are to receive it. You will, of course, want this to happen with the least amount paid in taxes, legal fees, and court costs.
That is estate planning—making a plan in advance and naming whom you want to receive the things you own after you die. However, good estate planning is much more than that. It should also:

• Include instructions for passing your values (religion, education, hard work, etc.) in addition to your valuables.
• Include instructions for your care if you become disabled before you die.
• Name a guardian and an inheritance manager for minor children.
• Provide for family members with special needs without disrupting government benefits.
• Provide for loved ones who might be irresponsible with money or who may need future protection from creditors or divorce.
• Include life insurance to provide for your family at your death, disability income insurance to replace your income if you cannot work due to illness or injury, and long-term care insurance to help pay for your care in case of an extended illness or injury.
• Provide for the transfer of your business at your retirement, disability, or death.
• Minimize taxes, court costs, and unnecessary legal fees.
• Be an ongoing process, not a one-time event. Your plan should be reviewed and updated as your family and financial situations (and laws) change over your lifetime.

Estate planning is for everyone.
It is not just for “retired” people, although people do tend to think about it more as they get older. Unfortunately, we can’t successfully predict how long we will live, and illness and accidents happen to people of all ages.
Estate planning is not just for “the wealthy,” either, although people who have built some wealth do often think more about how to preserve it. Good estate planning often means more to families with modest assets, because they can afford to lose the least.
Too many people don’t plan.
Individuals put off estate planning because they think they don’t own enough, they’re not old enough, they’re busy, think they have plenty of time, they’re confused and don’t know who can help them, or they just don’t want to think it. Then, when something happens to them, their families have to pick up the pieces.
If you don’t have a plan, your state has one for you, but you probably won’t like it.
At disability: If your name is on the title of your assets and you can’t conduct business due to mental or physical incapacity, only a court appointee can sign for you. The court, not your family, will control how your assets are used to care for you through a conservatorship or guardianship (depending on the term used in your state). It can become expensive and time consuming, it is open to the public, and it can be difficult to end even if you recover.
At your death: If you die without an intentional estate plan, your assets will be distributed according to the probate laws in your state. In many states, if you are married and have children, your spouse and children will each receive a share. That means your spouse could receive only a fraction of your estate, which may not be enough to live on. If you have minor children, the court will control their inheritance. If both parents die (i.e., in a car accident), the court will appoint a guardian without knowing whom you would have chosen.
Given the choice—and you do have the choice—wouldn’t you prefer these matters be handled privately by your family, not by the courts? Wouldn’t you prefer to keep control of who receives what and when? And, if you have young children, wouldn’t you prefer to have a say in who will raise them if you can’t?
An estate plan begins with a will or living trust.
A will provides your instructions, but it does not avoid probate. Any assets titled in your name or directed by your will must go through your state’s probate process before they can be distributed to your heirs. (If you own property in other states, your family will probably face multiple probates, each one according to the laws in that state.) The process varies greatly from state to state, but it can become expensive with legal fees, executor fees, and court costs. It can also take anywhere from nine months to two years or longer. With rare exception, probate files are open to the public and excluded heirs are encouraged to come forward and seek a share of your estate. In short, the court system, not your family, controls the process.
Not everything you own will go through probate. Jointly-owned property and assets that let you name a beneficiary (for example, life insurance, IRAs, 401(k)s, annuities, etc.) are not controlled by your will and usually will transfer to the new owner or beneficiary without probate. But there are many problems with joint ownership, and avoidance of probate is not guaranteed. For example, if a valid beneficiary is not named, the assets will have to go through probate and will be distributed along with the rest of your estate. If you name a minor as a beneficiary, the court will probably insist on a guardianship until the child legally becomes an adult.
For these reasons a revocable living trust is preferred by many families and professionals. It can avoid probate at death (including multiple probates if you own property in other states), prevent court control of assets at incapacity, bring all of your assets (even those with beneficiary designations) together into one plan, provide maximum privacy, is valid in every state, and can be changed by you at any time. It can also reflect your love and values to your family and future generations.
Unlike a will, a trust doesn’t have to die with you. Assets can stay in your trust, managed by the trustee you selected, until your beneficiaries reach the age you want them to inherit. Your trust can continue longer to provide for a loved one with special needs, or to protect the assets from beneficiaries’ creditors, spouses, and irresponsible spending.
A living trust is more expensive initially than a will, but considering it can avoid court interference at incapacity and death, many people consider it to be a bargain.
Planning your estate will help you organize your records and correct titles and beneficiary designations.
Would your family know where to find your financial records, titles, and insurance policies if something happened to you? Planning your estate now will help you organize your records, locate titles and beneficiary designations, and find and correct errors.
Most people don’t give much thought to the wording they put on titles and beneficiary designations. You may have good intentions, but an innocent error can create all kinds of problems for your family at your disability and/or death. Beneficiary designations are often out-of-date or otherwise invalid. Naming the wrong beneficiary on your tax-deferred plan can lead to devastating tax consequences. It is much better for you to take the time to do this correctly now than for your family to pay an attorney to try to fix things later.
Estate planning does not have to be expensive.
If you don’t think you can afford a complex estate plan now, start with what you can afford. For a young family or single adult, that may mean a will, term life insurance, and powers of attorney for your assets and health care decisions. Then, let your planning develop and expand as your needs change and your financial situation improves. Don’t try to do this yourself to save money. An experienced attorney will be able to provide critical guidance and peace of mind that your documents are prepared properly.
The best time to plan your estate is now.
None of us really likes to think about our own mortality or the possibility of being unable to make decisions for ourselves. This is exactly why so many families are caught off-guard and unprepared when incapacity or death does strike. Don’t wait. You can put something in place now and change it later…which is exactly the way estate planning should be done.
The best benefit is peace of mind.
Knowing you have a properly prepared plan in place - one that contains your instructions and will protect your family - will give you and your family peace of mind. This is one of the most thoughtful and considerate things you can do for yourself and for those you love.

4 Reasons Why a Living Trust is Preferred over a Will

 

Posted on: June 26th, 2014

Many consumers and professionals now prefer an estate plan that uses a revocable living trust over a will as the primary estate planning document. Here are four reasons why:

1. A properly prepared and funded revocable living trust plan avoids probate at death, including multiple probates if you own property in other states. A will must go through probate to be verified and enforced, and if you own property in more than one state, your family could face multiple probates, each one according to the laws in that state. Avoiding the cost of probate is often a factor when choosing a living trust, but many people are just as interested in avoiding the court process altogether, along with its delays, lack of privacy, loss of control and emotional stress.
2. A properly prepared and funded living trust avoids court interference at incapacity. Most people prefer to have their care and assets managed privately by people they know and trust, instead of being placed in a court guardianship, which is costly, time consuming, public and stressful. It’s important to note that a will is of no help at incapacity because a will can only go into effect when you die.
3. A living trust brings all of your assets together under one plan with one set of instructions. (Possible exceptions are IRAs and other tax-deferred plans.) This makes it much easier to provide fair inheritances to your beneficiaries, as opposed to trying to balance inheritances with beneficiary designations and joint ownership because of fluctuating values of investment accounts, life insurance policies and other assets. By contrast, a will only controls assets that are titled solely in your name; it does not control most jointly owned assets or those for which you have named a valid beneficiary.
4. A properly prepared and funded living trust is more private than a will and is not as easily contested. Because probate is a public process, disgruntled heirs and other interested parties are invited to submit claims and contest your will, and unwanted solicitors can have access to your family’s personal and financial information. While a living trust cannot guarantee complete privacy, it is much more private than a will, which is guaranteed to be made public through probate.

What, then, is a properly prepared and funded living trust? “Properly prepared” means the documents are written correctly according to the law and your desires. This is best accomplished by having an experienced estate planning attorney prepare your trust. “Properly funded” means you all assets are properly titled in the name of your revocable living trust and proper beneficiary designation forms are completed naming your revocable living trust as beneficiary. Your revocable living trust only controls the assets that have been transferred to it. If you forget to put an asset into your trust, it will be added to your trust after you die through probate before it can be distributed along with your other assets according to your desires as set forth in your revocable living trust.

 

For all your Massachusetts estate planning needs, contact Massachusetts estate planning attorney Justin Peltier here: justin@jpestateplanning.com.

 

Trust Based Estate Plans vs. Will Based Plans

Many people now choose a revocable living trust instead of relying on a will or joint ownership in their estate planning. A living trust that has been properly prepared and funded with your assets can provide many benefits for you and your loved ones.

How many of these benefits of a revocable living trust are you familiar with?

• Avoids the time and expense of probate when you die.
• Avoids multiple probates if you own assets in more than one state.
• Provides easier, more efficient administration of your estate.
• Prevents court interference at incapacity.
• Gives you and your family maximum privacy by avoiding public court processes.
• Minimizes emotional stress on your family.
• Brings all of your assets into one plan controlled by one set of instructions.
• Prevents unintentional disinheriting.
• Makes it easier to make equitable (fair) distributions to your beneficiaries.
• Lets you keep assets in the trust until your beneficiaries reach the age(s) you want them to inherit.
• Can continue longer to provide for a loved one with special needs.
• Assets can remain in the trust and be protected from beneficiaries’ creditors, spouses, divorce proceedings, irresponsible spending and future death taxes.
• Prevents the court from controlling inheritance of minor children.
• More difficult than a will to contest.
• Provides effective pre-nuptial protection.
• Can be changed or cancelled at any time.
• Allows for professional asset management with a professional trustee.
• Can include tax planning to reduce or eliminate state and/or federal estate taxes.
• Lets you keep maximum control while you are living (even if incapacitated) and after you die.
• Peace of mind.

It will probably cost more initially to set up a well-drafted living trust than to have a will prepared. One reason is that a living trust usually has more provisions because it deals with issues while you are living as well as after you die, and a will only deals with issues after you die. When comparing costs, remember that the true cost of a will must include the costs of probate when you die, of a possible conservatorship if you become incapacitated and the costs of a guardianship if you leave assets to minor children.

After weighing the costs and benefits, it is easy to see why so many people and professionals prefer a living trust.

Should I Name My Trust beneficiary of my IRA?

I often say that your estate plan is only as good as your beneficiary designations. So why then for some what is their biggest asset, and IRA or a qualified plan, would they not list their Trust as beneficiary? ANSWER- Either their trust has not been drafted to accommodate this or they were unaware of its benefit or misinformed about the consequences.

Trust are often my favorite tool in the tool box and are no more appropriate that in the world of qualified money. A properly drafted trust can get the best of both worlds; conduit treatment for RMD purposes, and asset protection for the beneficiary, if desired.

Now there are some reasons why a Trust might better be suited as an accumulationt Trust rather than a conduit trust, most notably when you have a special needs beneficiary and the governmental benefit outweigh that tax advantage of RMD distributions. But for most others, a comprehensively drafted trust as beneficiary of an IRA will serve the beneficiary well.

What about RMDs? If "The Smith Trust" is listed as the beneficiary, you need to dig further into the trust. Life expectancy distributions would, in this case, be based on the oldest beneficiary. Not the worst case result. If there is a charity listed as a current or contingent beneficiary, there is a good chance that the IRA must follow the 5 year payout rule. If you have beneficiaries of differing ages, I suggest naming as beneficiary "the sub trust created for Bill Smith Jr in the Smith Family trust" along with Bill Jr's share %. This way each child or beneficiary will get life expectancy distributions based on their particular RMD table.

For maximum benefit and protection, I will often draft a standalone Retirement Trust and name it as the sole beneficiary of an IRA. This is an irrevocable trust whereby the Trust takes an RMD distribution based on the oldest beneficiary and the Trustee has authority to "sprinkle or spray" the after tax distribution among the beneficiaries as the trustee sees fit. This would be an excellent solution for troubled, at-risk, or divorce prone beneficiaries.

Under Treas. Reg. § 1.401(a)(9)-4 Q&A 5(b) the requirements for a Trust to qualify as a designated beneficiary are:

(1) The trust is a valid trust under state law, or would be but for the fact that there is no corpus.
(2) The trust is irrevocable or will, by its terms, become irrevocable upon the death of the employee.
(3) The beneficiaries of the trust who are beneficiaries with respect to the trust’s interest in the employee’s benefit are identifiable from the trust instrument within the meaning of A-1 of this section.
(4) The documentation described in A-6 of this section has been provided to the plan administrator.

Too often do IRA's go outright by way of beneficiary designation, for the informed advisor and savvy client, they don't have to.

Justin Peltier is an estate planning attorney with offices located in Merrimac, MA with the sole focus of estate planning, elder law, asset protection, trust and probate administration and business planning. Please view our website for more information at www.jpestateplanning.com or join our social media community below. You can also reach me directly at justin@jpestateplanning.com. Thank You.

 

Business Owners: Have You Planned Your Exit?

You've worked hard building your business, but have you thought about what will happen when you are no longer there running the show?
According to one study (Small Business Review, Summer 2001), only 30% of all family-owned businesses survive to the next generation; only 12% make it to the third generation; and a meager 3% are functioning into the 4th generation and beyond.
Why? Most business owners simply do not plan an exit. They do not do proper estate planning, which often results in unnecessary estate taxes that drain the life out of their businesses. And they do not plan for a successful transition to the next generation.
Who could take over your business? You may have more choices than you think.
Family members are often a logical choice. Most business owners feel a certain pride in being able to pass down a family business. In fact, you may already have a child or two working in the business with you.
Depending on your financial needs, you can gift and/or or sell your business to family members. Some techniques will provide you with retirement income and let you transfer the business at a discount, saving estate and gift taxes. Most let you keep some control.
Be sure to consider family members who will not be involved with the business. Life insurance is often used to "equalize" inheritances. You also need to be objective when considering the abilities of family members whom you consider potential successors.
Business partners are also logical options. You can have reciprocal buy/sell arrangements with each other, so that when one of you is ready to retire or dies, the other automatically buys his/her share of the business. Life insurance is often used to fund these arrangements.
Your employees could also be a source. An Employee Stock Ownership Plan lets your employees enjoy the benefits of ownership, yet you can keep control until your retirement or death.

How about a charity? Charitable trusts can provide terrific income, capital gain and estate tax savings. With a charitable remainder trust, you can receive a lifetime income. And you have the added benefit of helping a charity that has special meaning to you.
Of course, you can also consider an outright sale to another company. But the tax benefits are usually not as good as other planning options.
A good business succession (exit) plan should also provide for the possibility of a long-term illness or disability. Make sure you work with an experienced professional who can help you evaluate your goals and objectives, and can provide you with the best options for your situation.

When Is It Time to Service Your Estate Plan

If you own a car, then you know it requires regular servicing in order to perform well and be reliable. More than likely, your car came with a recommended schedule for service, based on how many miles it has been driven; after a certain number of miles, you need to change the oil, replace the brake pads, rotate the tires, and so on.
If you have a newer car, you probably have an irritating dash light that comes on when it's time for service and stays on until the mechanic resets it. Either way, whether you pay attention to the odometer or rely on that dash light, it's pretty easy to know when it's time to service your car. And if you keep driving it without servicing it, it's a sure bet your car will let you down.
Like your car, your estate plan needs "servicing" if it is going to perform the way you want when you need it. Your estate plan is a snapshot of you, your family, your assets and the tax laws in effect at the time it was created. All of these change over time, and so should your plan. It is unreasonable to expect the simple will written when you were a newlywed to be effective now that you have a growing family, or now that you are divorced from your spouse, or now that you are retired and have an ever-increasing swarm of grandchildren! Over the course of your lifetime, your estate plan will need check-ups, maintenance, tweaking, maybe even replacing.
So, how do you know when it's time to give your estate plan a check-up? Well, instead of having mileage checkpoints, your estate plan has event checkpoints. Generally, any change in your personal, family, financial or health situation, or a change in the tax laws, could prompt a change in your estate plan. Use the following list to guide you.
It's a good idea to review your estate plan every year. Set aside a specific time every year (your birthday, anniversary, family gathering) to review it.

Event Checkpoints for Your Estate Plan
You and Your Spouse, If Married

• You marry, divorce or separate
• Your or your spouse's health declines
• Your spouse dies
• Value of assets changes dramatically
• Change in business interests
• You buy real estate in another state

Your Family

• Birth or adoption
• Marriage or divorce
• Finances change
• Parent or relative becomes dependent on you
• Minor becomes adult
• Attitude toward you changes
• Health declines
• Family member dies

Other

• Federal or state tax laws change
• You plan to move to a different state
• Your successor trustee, guardian or administrator moves, becomes ill, changes mind
• You change your mind

Should You Disinherit a Child?

Most parents choose to leave their estates equally to their children. But sometimes, parents intentionally choose to not leave anything to one or more of their children. There may be what the parents consider to be legitimate reasons, such as if one child has been more financially successful than the others, or not wanting a special needs child to lose government benefits, or not wanting to leave an inheritance to an irresponsible or drug-dependent child. And sometimes a parent wants to disinherit a child who is estranged from the family, or to use disinheritance as a way to get even and have the last word.

But regardless of the reason, disinheriting a child is hurtful, permanent, and will undoubtedly affect that child’s relationship with his or her siblings. Courts are full of siblings who sue each other over inheritances but even if they don’t sue, it is highly unlikely they will be having family dinners together. Finances aside, there is symbolic meaning to receiving something from a parent’s estate.

Disinheriting a child may be short-sighted and even completely unnecessary. For example:

• A child who appears to be more successful financially may have trouble behind the scenes. This child may actually need the inheritance now or in the future; fortunes can change quickly, marriages can collapse, and people can become ill. Consider that if you disinherit this child, you also disinherit your grandchildren by this child, unless you make specific provision for them in your estate plan.
• You may have a spouse, child, sibling, parent or other loved one who is physically, mentally or developmentally disabled—from birth, illness, injury or even substance abuse—who may be entitled to government benefits now or in the future. Most of these benefits are available only to those with very minimal assets and income. But you do not have to disinherit this person. You can establish a special needs trust that is carefully designed to supplement and not jeopardize the benefits provided by local, state, federal or private agencies.
• You may have a child who is irresponsible with money or is under the influence of drugs or alcohol. Consider that this child may actually need financial help now or in the future, and may eventually become a responsible and/or sober adult. Instead of disinheriting this child, you can set up a trust and give the trustee discretion in providing or withholding financial assistance; you can stipulate any requirements you want the child to meet.

How you choose to include your children in your estate plan says a good deal about your values and faith. Not disinheriting a child who has caused you grief and heartache can convey a message of love and forgiveness, while disinheriting a child, even for what seems to be good cause, can convey a lack of love, anger and resentment.

If you have previously disinherited a child in your will or trust and you have since reconciled, you need to update your plan immediately. If your decision to disinherit a child is final, be sure to discuss it with your attorney; he or she will know the best way to handle it in your estate plan. Finally, tell your child that you are disinheriting him or her so it doesn’t come as a complete surprise. Explaining your reasons will allow for honest discussion, may help deter the child from blaming siblings later, and may prevent a costly court battle.