When it comes to estate planning, families often wonder whether it's better to leave behind a trust fund or a traditional ...

Many readers ask me if there are any advantages in naming a trust as an IRA beneficiary. Although the IRS made slight improvements in the SECURE Act regulations in July, using a trust as an IRA ...

When someone passes away and their property is not in a trust, these assets must typically go through probate. Probate is a ...

Following the IRS’ finalization of the SECURE Act regulations on July 18, 2024, it is a good time to review the retirement benefit provisions of your trust to make sure they still align with your ...

There are many reasons people place money in trust for their heirs. Trusts provide professional management of assets for beneficiaries who either do not want to spend their time on such matters or ...

Encourage voluntary management. The beneficiary may agree to have funds invested and drawn down over time under a separate ...

This ascertainable standard is frequently used by estate planners to determine how and when a trustee may make distributions, allow a beneficiary the opportunity to serve as trustee, and create estate ...

Clients who want their beneficiaries to avoid probate often place assets in trust. Many CPAs are reluctant to take on being a trustee, which is a time-consuming responsibility. An alternative is to be ...

Beverly is a writer, editor, and paralegal specializing in personal finance and tax law. She covers personal financial and legal topics, as well as tax breaks, tax preparation software, and tax law ...

Under the SECURE Act, disabled beneficiaries can stretch out inherited retirement account distributions beyond 10 years, provided their life expectancy is longer than the default 10-year rule.

When settling a lawsuit on behalf of a person with a disability, the plaintiff's attorney must take into account not only the settlement amount, but also how the settlement will be distributed.