Ode to the Trust: 1st Sonata

So, here’s a topic almost as exciting as watching paint dry: How you operate your trusts? You know so much about seed gifts, guarantees and grantor trust status that you’ve become the favorite guest on the cocktail circuit. But will your fans go for something more basic?

The fun part is planning and signing your trust, but then the mundane (but essential) part begins — having your trust. What does that take? Paying attention to lots of mundane details. To have a shot at your trust getting the respect that eluded Rodney Dangerfield, an annual meeting of the fiduciaries and advisers (CPA, investment manager, attorney, etc.), is a must. What about the Congressional tax cacophony? While we only know what the estate tax looks like for 2 years, most of the tunes that follow are classics that you’ll have to hum for many seasons regardless of the Congressional tax winds. They’re oldies but goodies.