Tag Archives: Trust Funding

What is a Pour-Over Will? – Estate Planning Basics

Posted on September 23, 2015 by Roger Billings

  It is time to get back to basics. A Living Trust takes the place of a Will. The Trust specifies how the estate is going to be disposed and who has the responsibility for carrying out its instructions. See … Continue reading →






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Not All Deeds Are Created Equal: An Estate Planning Vocabulary Tip

Posted on March 31, 2014 by Roger Billings

  “Great acts are made up of small deeds.” Lao Tzu In the legal world, the word “deed” is confusing. Used by itself, it usually refers to a document transferring title to real estate. There are different types of such … Continue reading →






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Steve Jobs Died Without Owing Estate Tax: A New Urban Legend?

Posted on October 19, 2011 by Roger Billings

  After the death of Steve Jobs last week, opinions started circulating that he was so smart that he even knew how to avoid paying estate taxes better than anyone else. Jobs was smart and he seems to have done … Continue reading →






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Hidden Perils of Refinancing

Posted on September 7, 2011 by Roger Billings

Be informed when refinancing a home in a living trust. The secret is out. Refinancing contains hidden perils for homes in revocable trusts. Recently I received a call from a client who fortunately had the good sense to question what … Continue reading →






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Part 2 of How to Fund a Living Trust

Posted on April 28, 2011 by Roger Billings

Funding a trust with retirement accounts, life insurance policies, securities and mutual funds requires some explanation on how best to deal with these assets. IRAs, 401ks and related retirement accounts have built-in estate planning, because they allow you to designate … Continue reading →






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How to Fund a Living Trust, Part 1

Posted on March 30, 2011 by Roger Billings

Funding a living trust refers to transferring assets into the trust. If a trust is a box then funding the trust means putting assets into the box.  For assets that are titled, such as real estate, accounts, stocks and bonds, … Continue reading →






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Unfunded Trusts: Pitfalls for the Unwary

Posted on March 23, 2011 by Roger Billings

Funding the Trust is an essential but often overlooked step towards avoiding a lengthy and expensive probate.  Creating a trust instrument, with all of the appropriate instructions, provisos and expressions of intent, is worse than useless if no step is … Continue reading →






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