When it comes to investment accounts, the answer is usually pretty simple. They belong in your trust.
Investment accounts are the one class of assets that should almost always go into your trust, according to The Herald Bulletin in “If you have a trust, that’s where your investments should go.”
When an experienced estate planning attorney drafts you a proper trust, you need to start adding your assets.
That can sometimes be difficult, since you might not want everything to go into your trust right away. Your estate plan might be created in such a way as to keep certain assets out of the trust for various reasons. For example, you might not want to wait to put some things in the trust until after you pass away, when your will directs that those assets should then go into your trust.
Any investments you have should almost always go into your trust. This usually is done for tax reasons.
That does not mean that you should put your IRA into a trust, however. This is a complicated decision that should be discussed with your attorney.
An estate planning attorney can guide you in setting up a trust that fits your unique circumstances.
Reference: The Herald Bulletin (Dec. 17, 2016) “If you have a trust, that’s where your investments should go.”
