Comprehensive Financial Planning Steven collaborates with attorneys, CPAs and financial advisers to design tax-efficient solutions that preserve and protect multigenerational wealth. Steven Bowles, CLU®, is the founder of Catalyst Advisory, an independent wealth transfer and estate planning advisory firm. Heirs can benefit equally from a pool of assets without dividing and splitting everything apart, which often results in lost value. This may involve a family LLC, a trust or shared governance of family assets. Dividing assets, especially illiquid ones like real estate and businesses, often forces a sale. Estate planning typically involves splitting everything evenly among the heirs, so they can do with their inheritance as they please. Invest in insurance to protect family wealth But families who successfully preserve their wealth typically spend more time and energy on tax strategy and protecting their wealth than selecting the right investments. Investing involves risk and you may incur a profit or loss regardless of strategy selected, including diversification and asset allocation. Permanent life insurance can be a good diversification play, offering protection along with cash value and an investment component. It provides excellent liquidity so your heirs can pay taxes without selling CA assets (very important if you own a business or a real estate portfolio). In this environment, it is essential to be strategic, calculated and prepared to protect the family assets and take full advantage of the opportunities availabl
Therefore, the information should be relied upon only when coordinated with individual professional advice. Although the information has been gathered from sources believed to be reliable, please note that individual situations CA can vary. Here are a few tips to help ensure that you find someone who is competent, trustworthy and in sync with your needs and wishe
Similarly, if your intended beneficiary is a minor, they cannot legally manage their own financial affairs. If your intended beneficiary has a disability, you may wish to leave their inheritance in trust to help them with their money management. This means that the trustee can begin making distributions shortly after your death. Certain information must be provided to the beneficiaries of a trust, but the general public would generally not be privy to the terms of the trust. How to List and Transfer Property Into the Trust The exact process for setting up a trust will vary based on what assets you want to include in the trust and who is set to receive the assets, but there are generally five key steps. In my opinion, this is a short-sighted approach which ignores the many benefits that can be achieved through thoughtful planning. It is usually also advisable for the trust to authorize the Trustee to make gifts to family members, as such gifting is sometimes beneficial for estate CA tax reasons or for purposes of qualifying for needs-based benefits such as Medicai
For example, you could set up your trust to distribute funds to pay for a grandchild's education at age 18, or hold the money until age 25 if they don't need it for college. Before beneficiaries get anything, the will must go through a court-supervised legal process called probate, in which the contents of a last will become a matter of public record. A will is a legal document that specifies how your assets should be distributed after death. Take some time to think about the issues and individuals involved, and as a start, write your thoughts down in plain English so that you’ll be better prepared to discuss them with your attorney or estate planning professional. Your estate plan directives will contain legally binding instructions about how you’d like your assets and affairs to be managed in the event of your incapacitation or passing. For example, if you create a trust to hold savings or investment assets, you should update the beneficiary designations on those accounts to avoid potential conflict
California trust law is complex, and mistakes can cost your family tens of thousands in litigation. Ask exactly what's included and why the cost is higher. If you have a special needs beneficiary requiring Medi-Cal or SSI benefit protection, specialized planning may cost $3,000-$5,000. Our Glendale office has lower overhead than Beverly Hills or downtown Los Angeles, and we pass those savings to clients. Many people think a simple will is cheaper than a trust. If you want to make changes during the drafting process, some attorneys charge hourly fees ($300-$500/hour). Some attorneys charge $200-$500 for an initial consultation, then don't apply it toward your final fee if you hire the
"Depending on the complexity of the trust and on family dynamics, you may want to consider appointing an independent professional to serve as trustee or co-trustee," Galvagna suggests. Likewise, trust language stating dollar amounts for distributions to be made years from now may not account for inflation. If you’ve dictated distributions at specific intervals — no matter what — those assets could wind up in the hands of creditors or an ex-spouse. Say, for example, a beneficiary is going through financial difficulties or a divorce. "You can’t know for sure what circumstances your children or grandchildren may face 10, 20 or 30 years from now," Webber says. Keep in mind that, while drafting trust language correctly is crucial, even irrevocable trusts can be modified to some extent to clarify a grantor’s intentions or to respond to changing circumstance