What is a U.S. Trust?

How can a United States trust help you?

Are you looking to save yourself from ever-changing tax laws? Are you trying to ensure your family is taken care of for the years to come? Creating a trust is used for many reasons. This article covers what a trust is, why the United States is an attractive place to create a trust, and how you can form your own trust.

The Basics of a Trust

Before diving into how to form a trust, let’s cover the basics of a trust in general. A trust is a fiduciary relationship where a trustor gives a trustee access to hold assets for the benefit of a third person, the beneficiary. Investors will typically use a trust for the purpose of providing asset protection, ensuring the assets are distributed according to the trustor’s wishes and can help individuals avoid or reduce inheritance or estate taxes. Many investors and corporations will use a trust because the tax consequences can often be lower than other tax planning options. Trusts can also be used for estate planning and privacy. Many high net worth individuals incorporate a trust in their estate plan to make sure their assets get equally distributed between children or any other beneficiaries. Also, a trust can be used to gain more control over assets than they would with a standard will.

Why a U.S. Trust?

There are a ton of benefits to opening a trust in the United States. For U.S. citizens, a domestic trust can be utilized to combat any adverse taxation and lower some taxes like estate tax. If a U.S. resident is looking for asset protection, it is advised the investor seek offshore options, some that favor the creditor less. Further, a U.S. trust can hold foreign assets. The full benefits of a person’s trust is entirely up to the state the trust is held in. South Dakota, Wyoming, and Delaware are three of the best jurisdictions to form a trust for non-citizens. They have not signed up for the Uniform Trust Code and have attractive laws to international investors. For more information on the benefits of a U.S. trust, contact Alpen Partners.

How to Set Up a U.S. Trust

There are several steps an investor will have to take to set up their trust. Let’s take a look at some of those steps.

1. Prepare

Before you jump into forming a trust, you will need to make sure all of your proper documentation is in order. You will need the titles and deeds of property, stock certificates, and any insurance policies that will be transferred to the trust. Assets can be real estate, vehicles, cash accounts, pensions, life insurance policies, and more. It’s essential to have those assets ready, so there is an easy transition. You will also need to determine the sole grantor, the beneficiaries, and the successor trustee. Since anyone under the age of 18 cannot inherit any assets until they are of age, you will have to choose who will manage their assets until that time comes.

2. Determine your goals

Once your assets are in order, you will have to think about what you will be using the trust to accomplish. Are you creating the trust to ensure your family is taken care of when you pass away? Are you hoping to take advantage of tax benefits? Determining your goals will help you decide the kind of trust you will form. Here are a few of the options:

• Bypass trust- This can help married couples take advantage of the federal estate tax exemption amount and then pass down more wealth to their beneficiaries.
• Revocable trust- This is any trust that can be revoked.
• Irrevocable trust- These trusts cannot be revoked, even if the assets have been distributed, spent, or don’t exist anymore.

3. Work with professionals

There are a lot of factors that go into step two. That’s why this next step is reaching out to a professional that you trust. Contact experts, such as Alpen Partners, to create a plan perfect for you. They can help you choose where to hold the trust and the structure that makes the most sense of your goals. They can also walk you through the logistics of creating the trust. The process can be confusing for everyday investors who are not familiar with legal systems, especially if their goal is tax advantages. To connect with one of our experts, contact us here.

4. Creating the trust

When you have your assets ready, you will work with your advisor to create a trust document which is a legal document where the grantor outlines the trust assets, the beneficiaries and trustees, and how the assets are distributed. Once the document is done, the grantor will then fund the trust. This means transferring the assets to the trust. Each asset has its own process depending on the kind of asset. For example, a grantor would execute a deed to a piece of real estate that transfers the property to the trust. It takes a few days to a few weeks to create a trust, depending on how long it takes you to prepare and any logistical processes.

Setting Up a Trust with Alpen Partners

United States trusts are one way many investors are protecting themselves from potential tax changes and offer strong asset protection. You can legally transfer assets out of reach of future creditors, put them in an impenetrable place, and save a lot on estate and inheritance taxes. With a trust, individuals take assets out of their name and place them into a trust that heightens the safety of their investments. Don’t lose what you have worked hard for. Determine if a trust is right for you with the guidance of Alpen Partners. We examine your current financial situation and goals and can implement the perfect asset protection plan for you.