Plain-English guides to the trusts American families use, from ILITs to Dynasty Trusts. Read them before you sit down with an attorney, so you know the questions to ask.
updated for 2026 lawThe 2025 tax law made the $15 million exemption permanent, with no sunset. Learn what changed, what it means for state estate taxes and basis planning, and why most families still need a plan.
Read GuideUse your lifetime exemption while keeping indirect access through your spouse. Learn how SLATs work, the reciprocal trust and divorce risks, and the basis trade-offs.
Read GuideKeep life insurance proceeds out of your taxable estate when the trust is set up correctly. Learn how ILITs, Crummey notices and premium gifts work, and how they provide estate liquidity.
Read GuideTransfer wealth across multiple generations while minimizing estate, gift, and GST taxes. Learn how Dynasty Trusts, GST exemption allocation and state perpetuities laws work together.
Read GuideShield assets from future creditors while maintaining some beneficial interest. Understand which states allow self-settled asset protection trusts and key requirements.
Read GuideProtect your home and savings from Medicaid spend-down requirements. Learn the 60-month look-back, 2026 Medicaid figures, state differences, and what the 2025 law changed.
Read GuideSupplement a loved one's quality of life without disqualifying them from SSI or Medicaid. Explore first-party, third-party, and pooled trust structures.
Read GuideProtect inherited assets from a beneficiary's creditors, lawsuits, and poor financial decisions. Learn how spendthrift clauses work and when they apply.
Read GuideTransfer appreciation on assets to heirs with minimal or zero gift tax. Understand zeroed-out GRATs, the Section 7520 rate, and rolling GRAT strategies.
Read GuideTransfer your home to heirs at a reduced gift tax value while continuing to live in it for a set term. Discover how QPRTs freeze property values and reduce taxable estates.
Read GuideA marketed installment-sale strategy for deferring capital gains, with no IRS ruling approving it. Learn the risks, what the IRS scrutinizes, and how it compares to 1031 exchanges and CRTs.
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