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TrustsPosted by: Ken Himmler / Category: Retirement Distribution Strategies |
What is a trust?
A trust is a legal entity that is created when you transfer property to a trustee for the benefit of a third person. The trustee manages the property for the beneficiary in accordance with the terms and the instructions in the trust document. In legal terms, the trustee has legal ownership of the property, while the beneficiary has beneficial ownership.
Creator of trust
The person who creates the trust is called the grantor, settlor, donor, or trustor. The grantor usually decides what assets will be transferred to the trust, who the beneficiaries will be, what the terms and conditions of the trust will be, and who will be the trustee. The grantor may also be a trustee and/or a beneficiary. Moreover, a beneficiary can be a trustee. The only arrangement that will not work is if the sole trustee is also the sole beneficiary (the legal and beneficial interests are said to merge and the trust is therefore disregarded as a legal entity).













