Trusts

Rethinking the Reverse Mortgage

May 30, 2017 | by Wilson & Wilson

The Reverse Mortgage has gotten a bad reputation in the time since it was first created by the Federal Housing Administration in 1988. The mere mention of the Reverse Mortgage usually brings to mind foreclosed homes and declining financial health. In fact a Reverse Mortgage is simply an equity loan secured by someone’s home with a deferred payment plan. Unlike a traditional home equity line of credit, no reverse mortgage interest or principal is due until the loan reaches maturity. As long as the homeowner resides in the property and stays current on property tax and insurance payments, they can reside in the home without making any payments on the money they have borrowed.

In order to qualify for a reverse mortgage, a homeowner must be age 62 or older with substantial equity in their home. There are no income or credit score requirements. Typically, the older the homeowner, the more they can borrow. A homeowner has the option of taking out a lump sum amount or establishing a line of credit that grows over time if money is not withdrawn.

A homeowner does have the option to pay down the balance of a reverse mortgage over time. Interest paid on the loan can be taken as a tax deduction. If no payments are made, the reverse mortgage is still not due until the last surviving borrower passes away or fails to occupy the home as their primary residence. Reverse mortgage lenders will give the heirs of an estate up to 12 months to complete the sale of the home or refinance the balance of the reverse mortgage. It is VERY important that the heirs of a deceased home owner contact the mortgage lender as soon as possible to inform them of the passing and the heirs’ plans for the property.

Inherited IRAs Are Not Protected Unless…….

May 11, 2017 | by William S. Wilson

In the past, creditor protection was afforded to your IRA and to the beneficiaries that would inherit your IRA, such as your children. However, in June of 2014, the United States Supreme Court ruled that an “Inherited IRA” is not protected from creditors of the beneficiaries.

This major change in the exempt status of the Inherited IRA, motivated estate planners to examine new ways to protect these retirement assets from creditors.

The need to restore creditor protection while maintaining the favorable tax treatment of IRAs has led many clients to consider adding a stand alone Retirement Trust to their estate plan. If drafted properly, this type of trust can protect Inherited IRA accounts from creditors, including a beneficiary’s divorcing spouse.

First Party and Third Party- The 2 Types of Special Needs Trusts

May 7, 2017 | by William S. Wilson

A Special Needs Trust (“SNT”) or Supplemental Needs Trust is a certain type of trust which can be used for goods and services that governmental programs will not cover. The SNT must have special language within the trust such as: “This trust shall be used to supplement and not supplant governmental programs”. Having such necessary language, the assets in the trust are not counted against the special needs beneficiary as an asset in determining eligibility for governmental programs such as Medicaid and Supplemental Security Income (SSI).

There are two types of SNTs. The First Party SNT is funded with the special needs person’s own funds. For instance, if a person with a disability is awarded monies from a settlement from an auto -mobile accident, those funds can be placed in a First Party SNT to preserve the eligibility for SSI and/or Medicaid. The same process can be used for when a special needs person inherits a sum of money outright.

There is one disadvantage with the First Party SNT. When the beneficiary dies, Medicaid will send a bill to the Trust for the monies spent by that program during her life. The trust must pay back Medicaid the amount of the bill. However, if the trust assets are less than the Medicaid charge, Medicaid will absorb the balance of its bill. If there is a balance after paying the Medicaid bill, the proceeds may be distributed to family or anyone who is a distributee of the Trust.

Trusts for Tots and Teenagers

February 24, 2017 | by Anne Rabuck

Children under the age of 18 cannot directly inherit more than a small amount of money. If you make no provisions in your Will, a court will appoint a property guardian to manage your child’s assets until he reaches 18.

The property guardian may be a stranger who will add another layer of bureaucracy to the situation. When your child needs money, formal requests will need to be made through the court system.

One solution is to set up a custodial account for your child. You are allowed to choose the custodian, and the custodian makes decisions regarding how the money is spent. Once your child turns 18, the money is your child’s to spend as he pleases.

As Stacy L. Bradford points our in her Will Street Journal piece titled, “Deciding if Your Kid is Trust-Worthy”, a better alternative may be to set up a trust. A trust allows more control over how money is spent once the parents are gone. The parents can specify how the trust money is to be spent, for example on college tuition, and a trust can delay the age at which the child has access to the money, for example the child gets half at age 30 and the other half at 35.

The trustee makes all of the decisions, so it is important to pick a person who is trustworthy, financially astute and diligent.

Trustee Tools and Tasks

February 3, 2017 | by Anne Rabuck

An individual takes on legal responsibilities when he agrees to be a trustee. If the trustee does not perform his duties properly, he could be personally liable.

A trust is a legal arrangement through which one person (or an institution, such as a bank or law firm), referred to as a trustee, holds legal title to the property of another person.

A trustee’s duties include locating and protecting trust assets, investing assets prudently, distributing assets to beneficiaries, keeping track of income and expenditures and filing tax returns. A trustee has a fiduciary duty to the beneficiaries of the trust, meaning that the trustee has an obligation to act in the best interest of the beneficiaries at all times. It also means that the trustee will be held to a higher standard than if the trustee were dealing with his personal finances.

A trustee is entitled to hire an attorney and other professionals like an accountant to assist in the trust administration. The attorney, accountant and other professional fees are considered an expense of trust administration and are paid from the trust funds.

In Trustee We Trust

July 26, 2016 | by Anne Rabuck

A trust is a legal arrangement where one person (or an institution such as a bank or law firm), called a “trustee”, holds legal title to property for another person, called a “beneficiary”. If you have been appointed the trustee of a trust, this is a strong vote of confidence in your judgment. It is also a major responsibility.

As a trustee, you stand in a fiduciary role with respect to the beneficiaries of the trust, both the current beneficiaries and any remaindermen named to receive trust assets upon the death of those entitled to income now. As a fiduciary, you will be held to a high standard, meaning that you must pay more attention to the trust investments and disbursements than you would for your own accounts.

Your investments must be prudent, meaning that you cannot place money in speculative or risky investments. In addition, your investments must take into account the interests of both current and future beneficiaries. For instance, you may have a current beneficiary who is entitled to income from the trust. He would be best off if you invested the funds to generate as much income as possible. However, this would not be in the interest of remainder beneficiaries who would be happiest if you invested for growth of the principal. In addition to balancing the interests of the various beneficiaries, you must consider their future financial needs. Does a trust beneficiary anticipate buying a house or going to school? Will he be depending on the trust income for retirement in 15 years? All of those questions need to be considered in determining an investment plan for the trust.

One of your jobs as trustee is to keep track of all income of the trust and expenditures by the trust. You must give a periodic account of this information to the beneficiaries.

Depending on whether the trust is revocable or irrevocable and whether it is considered a grantor trust for tax purposes, the trustee will have to file an annual tax return and may have to pay taxes. In many cases the trust will act as a pass through with the income being taxed to the beneficiary.

Fund That Trust

August 1, 2015 | by Anne Rabuck

In her article, Practical Tips and Tricks on What You Should Do With Your Estate Plan, Julie Garber advises completely funding your revocable living trust so that all of your assets can be managed by the trustee.

Ms. Garber states, ” Many people fail to realize that funding their trust is just as important as creating it. If an asset isn’t titled in the name of the trust, then the trust agreement won’t control what happens to that particular asset . . . . ”

To title an asset in a trust the title of the asset needs to be changed to the trust.

Example: Title to the summer home is currently in “John Smith”. By changing the title to “John Smith and Jane Smith, Trustees, or their successors in trust, under the John Smith Living Trust, dated January 1, 2009, and any amendments thereto” the summer home is titled in the trust.
Continue Reading

QTIP Trusts

March 21, 2015 | by Anne Rabuck

Generally, to qualify for the marital deduction and avoid estate tax (imposed on estates with assets over $5.43 million in 2015) when you die, your property must pass to your spouse directly or in a trust where he has complete control over the principal. A Qualified Terminable Interest Property Trust (QTIP Trust) is an exception to this rule.

A QTIP Trust allows you to separate your property into two parts. One part is the interest or income the principal generates. The other part is the principal itself. An example is stocks and bonds (the principal) and dividends and interest (income).

By separating your property this way, you can direct that each piece benefits a different person. So long as the QTIP Trust directs that your spouse receives all of the income from the trust during his lifetime, the QTIP Trust will qualify for the marital deduction and no estate tax will be due.

QTIP Trusts are commonly used in the situation where there is a second marriage. The spouse who has children from a first marriage wants to ensure that his children receive the principal and also wants to ensure that his surviving second spouse will benefit from the interest generated. The QTIP Trust allows for both.
Continue Reading

Special Needs Trusts

March 13, 2015 | by Anne Rabuck

A Special Needs Trust (a/k/a Supplemental Needs Trust) is set up to ensure that a disabled individual receives benefits, such as Supplemental Security Income and Medicaid, while also enjoying extras that provide for a good quality of life.

A Third Party Special Needs Trust is funded by a friend or family member’s assets. A Self-Settled Special Needs Trust is funded by the disabled person’s assets.

The disabled person is always the beneficiary and is never the trustee of the Special Needs Trust (SNT). In practice, the way a SNT works is the beneficiary asks the Trustee to make a distribution. If the Trustee feels the distribution is allowed under the terms of the SNT and it is in the best interest of the beneficiary, the trustee pays for the goods or services directly from the trust account. The Trustee can also determine on his own that the beneficiary is in need of or would enjoy an allowed good or service. The money never passes through the beneficiary’s hands. This is important because any money the beneficiary controls may reduce his Supplemental Security Income or may cause a loss of Medicaid benefits.
Continue Reading

Illinois Living Revocable Trusts

February 25, 2015 | by Anne Rabuck

It is often best to avoid probate, the court supervised process which makes sure that a deceased person’s assets are properly distributed. The probate process is costly and time consuming (usually 12 -14 months depending on the county). It also is a matter of public record, so your financial affairs become public information.

A Living Revocable Trust is a basic estate planning tool used to avoid probate. A living trust is drafted and assets such as real estate, accounts at financial institutions and other investments are titled in the trust. A trustee (relative, close friend, lawyer or financial institution) is given authority to distribute your assets when you die.

Because the trust is revocable, you can change its terms or get rid of it completely if you like.

For income tax purposes, the living trust has no effect. The income from the assets in the trust is reported on your Form 1040 as are any deductions related to those assets.
Continue Reading