Estate Planning and Trusts

Estate Planning

It’s crucial to create a properly structured estate plan that addresses your family's needs. Here are some suggestions:

• Create/update your will—Your will is the primary document used to transfer your wealth after death. Deciding now how you wish your legacy to be passed on to heirs will avoid problems later.
• Review your estate plan—Review and reassess your estate plan whenever you change marital status, make a career change or change your address.
• Select an executor— Choosing a reliable executor or personal representative to settle your estate gives you and your family security and peace of mind.
• Consider Trusts & Gift Strategies—If you have a sizable estate to manage, you may save on taxes through establishing trusts and gifting.

Trusts

A trust helps ensure the successful transfer of your estate to your heirs and beneficiaries. At Old National Wealth Management, we can assist you and your attorney in creating a trust to meet a wide range of goals. Some trust options to consider:

• Revocable Living Trust—This legal document resembles a will and includes directions for managing your property while you are living and distributing your assets after death.
• Testamentary Trust—This tool can provide sound financial management for your heirs. It’s established by your will and becomes effective after your death.
• Credit Shelter Trust—Designed to minimize taxes by applying the federal estate tax exemption to both spouses. The sheltered amount is the maximum amount allowed by law.

Gift Strategies

When developing your estate-planning strategies, consider a charitable contribution to the charity or charities of your choice. Charitable giving not only strengthens communities and impacts lives, it can provide significant tax advantages.

The easiest way to give is through a simple bequest specified in your will. Remember: charitable contributions are 100% deductible from your estate taxes.

Charitable Remainder Trust (CRT)

A CRT is an irrevocable, tax-exempt trust that offers flexibility, an income stream for life or a term up to 20 years and significant tax benefits.

A CRT can be funded with a wide assortment of assets, including bonds, mutual funds, stocks and real estate.

Benefits of a CRT:

• There are often no capital gains taxes on assets transferred to a CRT
• The donor has the potential to generate substantial income
• Creates possible income tax deductions for the donor

Charitable Lead Trust (CLT)

A CLT is basically the inverse of a CRT. A CLT allows you to specify a set number of years during which a guaranteed amount of a fixed percentage of the value of the assets placed in the CLT will be paid to a charity. You pay discounted gift taxes on assets transferred to the trust and do not receive a charitable deduction. However, your heirs ultimately receive trust assets free of estate taxes.