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Question: I am a 72 year old widow. I own my house and have an IRA but have very little in cash assets, do I need a trust?

A credit shelter trust (CST) is an estate planning tool used for married couples to help reduce, if not eliminate, estate tax due at the death of the surviving spouse.

Question: My parents are concerned about protecting their home. Some people have recommended that we consider creating a trust while others have suggested that they transfer the house to my siblings and me, with my parents retaining a life estate, which is a better idea?

When creating a last will and testament or a living trust, there are certain planning techniques that can be advantageous to those who inherit your assets. One such technique is distributing assets to your beneficiaries in trust to provide them with creditor protection, which they would be unable to create for themselves.

Question: My mother has an irrevocable trust she set up for Medicaid planning purposes. My sister is the trustee and she is paying moms bills from the trust. Is that correct?

Question: Several years ago, I went to a lawyer who convinced me to do a trust. Now, I am not so sure that it was the right thing for me. Am I able to revoke a trust? Should I revoke my trust?

The Setting Every Community Up for Retirement Enhancement (“SECURE”) Act became effective on January 1, 2020. While the Act was aimed at improving retirement savings, there is a negative change which effects those who inherit retirement accounts from the original participant.

Examples of Trusts Commissions

Medicaid Asset Protection Trusts, sometimes called Irrevocable “Income Only” Trusts or Medicaid Trusts, are used to protect assets and allow people to qualify for Medicaid long-term care. In order to protect the assets, the trust must be created 2.5 years before home care Medicaid is needed or 5 years before nursing home care is needed.

In order for an Irrevocable Medicaid Trust to be considered “exempt” for Medicaid purposes, it must provide that no principal distributions can be made to the grantor. This requirement ensures that the recipient did need Medicaid to cover the cost of her long term care, whether at home or in a nursing home facility. If the terms permitted distributions to the grantor or the trust was revocable, Medicaid would consider all assets in the trust as “available.” So using any money in the Trust for an assisted living facility is forbidden.