The main purpose of every trust is to preserve assets that will eventually pass or transfer to beneficiaries. In order for the trust to be valid, the terms must clearly recognize that the assets will be transferred to beneficiaries. In addition, trusts are also used to: Continue reading “Purpose of a Trust”
Tag: irrevocable trust
Trust Basics
Estate planning is a complex process. Estate planning often includes a Last Will and Testament and may also include utilizing a trust as well as advance directives such as a power of attorney, health care proxy, living will, and HIPPA release form, among others. While these concepts may be foreign, these estate-planning tools assist with creating a comprehensive estate plan. One of the most important tools in every estate plan is a trust. A trust is created to protect property and assets. In order for a trust to be valid it must: Continue reading “Trust Basics”
Do Not Use Funds from an Irrevocable Trust to Cover the Cost of an Assisted Living Facility
Oftentimes, individuals will put the proceeds from the sale of a house into an irrevocable trust. When the time comes, an elderly person may move into an assisted living facility, which can be expensive. A trustee of an irrevocable trust may look to use the funds in an irrevocable trust to cover the cost of the assisted living facility. However, the money in an irrevocable trust should not be used to pay for care in an assisted living facility. The reason being is that an irrevocable trust is only exempt for Medicaid purposes when there are no principal distributions being made to a grantor or in this case to an assisted living facility on an individual’s behalf because doing so would violate the terms of a trust.
Funding An Irrevocable Trust Sooner Than Later
An asset is owned by a trust once it is transferred into the trust that was created. This is known as funding the trust. The transfer of assets into a trust can occur in a number of ways depending on the type of asset. For Medicaid purposes the five-year look back period begins one month after an asset is placed in the trust. This means that if a property deed is transferred into the trust in December, the five-year look back period begins in January and ends five years from that date. Every time a new asset is placed in the trust a new five-year look back period will begin for that specific asset, not for all the assets in the trust.
Continue reading “Funding An Irrevocable Trust Sooner Than Later”
