What A Family Trust Is And Why Every Family Needs One

By Patricia Young


When one would hear of the word trust from a financial perspective, most would think of a bank account that is left for the next generation. While this is partly true, a family trust is actually much more than just that. It is actually a passing on of certain assets or properties from the parent to the child during a certain time in the childs life to help him or her live. Here are some reasons as to why setting one up is very important.

The very first reason as to why it is good to put assets in trusts is because it allows the child to be able to live even after the death of his or her parents. For instance, if the parent dies in a car accident and the child is not yet old enough to look for work, trusts can work as a safety net. It pays for all the living expenses until the kid can fend for him or herself.

One will also be happy to know that trusts are actually free from the hands of creditors. For instance, if one has some outstanding debt and will not want the creditors to chase after any assets, he can put the assets in trusts to his children. That way, the assets are fully protected.

If in the event a parent wants to leave an asset that only his son or daughter and not their respective partners can benefit from, he can do so through trusts. Even though most laws state that assets will be shared between husband and wife upon marriage, assets in trusts will not have to. With that, one can at least leave something that only his child will be able to enjoy.

Of course, trusts are not simply avenues for the kids to get assets and wealth. Trusts can also have limits imposed on them so that the kids will not just use the wealth foolishly. For example, there are actually some parents who would put a limit on the trusts of their kids so that the kids can only use the money to pay for education or living expenses.

If one is a divorcee, there is a chance that the former partner may be able to get some of the assets when he dies. In order to prevent such a thing from happening, one can actually put his assets in trusts for his children. That way, all of the assets that he will leave behind will only benefit the children and not the former partner.

Finally, trusts can also be used for avoiding certain taxes. When one dies, his property will inevitably go through real estate tax, which is required by the government. However, one way to work around that law would be to put it in trusts so that it will be under the name of your child after death.

As one can see, family trusts are very crucial to most families because it already ensures everything will okay with the children when the primary owner of the assets dies. In a way, it is a form of planning in order to avoid any internal conflict in the next generation. Trusts are actually more effective than wills since trusts are more solid in structure.




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