Can a trust be a beneficiary of an investment account?

Trust as Beneficiary An alternative to naming individual beneficiaries is to place your investment accounts in a trust. The trust retains ownership of your investment accounts until your death. At that time, the investment accounts pass to the beneficiaries according to the terms of the trust.

Can a family member act as a trustee for a trust fund?

A better alternative to a family member is to let the bank act as trustee. To keep that personal touch, let the bank and a sibling act as co-trustees. Establishing a trust fund for your minor children enables them to have access to the funds that they may need in case you pass away.

Who is the beneficiary of a trustee savings account?

A trustee savings account is an account where money is held in trust on behalf of a beneficiary. The beneficiary could be a child, an adult that lacks capacity to manage their own affairs or an institution, and the funds held in trust could be to pay for a child’s education, to fund a house deposit or to make grants available to a local community.

Can a brother or sister be a trustee?

You think that since your children have a great relationship with your brother or sister (their aunt or uncle), that they will be great trustees. Even if this family member agrees to take on that role, it may not be in his or her best interest to have financial control over your children’s assets.

Who is the legal owner of a trust account?

Trustees are the legal owners of any funds or assets held in the trust, this allows them to manage these on behalf of the beneficiary. However, trustees cannot use this money for their own personal purposes. All trustees need to make sure their records are accurate and keep accounts for at least six years.

What happens if a brother or sister becomes a trustee?

Depending on the way the trust is set, there can be a situation, where the person that’s the trustee overseeing the money for their brother or their sister, will receive a windfall if that money is not actually given to that brother or sister. Imagine a situation where the bad brother passes away and the trustee receives the balance that’s left.

What should a successor trustee do after the trust creator dies?

As an example, you could direct that all assets and property held in the trust be transferred to beneficiaries when you die. You may further state that the trust should then be closed. Your successor trustee is obligated to follow these and any other directives you establish.

Why did my father make my sister owner of his bank account?

After nearly four months in probate I learned that Dad had accidentally made my sister an owner of his bank account, not just a signatory. The law firm we hired says this happens often and is usually corrected in the will or by the heir receiving the extra money. That never happened.

What should the grantor do when setting up a trust?

When setting up a trust, the grantor must make several decisions (here are a few): 1 Choosing what type of trust to set up 2 Selecting successor trustee (s) and beneficiaries 3 Defining payouts and the terms of the trust 4 Deciding what assets to put in the trust (e.g. financial accounts, real estate, life insurance, etc.)