Irrevocable Life Insurance Trust
An ILIT is set up during the Grantor’s lifetime. Generally, the intent of this trust is two-fold. First, it allows for the value of any life insurance policies owned by the trust to be excluded from the Grantor’s taxable estate. Second, it allows for significant flexibility and control over how and when the proceeds of those policies are paid out to beneficiaries.
Living Trust
These trusts, also known as Inter Vivos trusts, are also established during the Grantor’s lifetime. Typically, a living trust is revocable, meaning it can be changed at any time during the Grantor’s lifetime. Primarily, living trusts are adopted to avoid having one’s assets pass through the probate process at the time of their death. Depending on a person’s state of residence and personal wishes, the appropriate use of a living trust can result in significant savings for a person’s heirs.
Charitable Trust
Charitable Trusts can be set up in many different ways. Depending on an individual’s goals, they can often be used to satisfy significant charitable desires while also achieving a secondary benefit. Typically, the benefit will come in the form of either income tax savings or removal of assets from a taxable estate. This is one area where proactive planning can often help someone achieve a charitable objective that may not otherwise be possible without the accompanying tax benefits.