About Jeffrey Smith
Jeffrey Smith, Licensed Insurance Agent and Estate Planning Expert
Jeffrey Smith is a licensed life insurance, health insurance, property and casualty insurance agent and retirement specialist with over a decade of experience. He is the author of CreateALivingTrust.com and Marketing Director of Bulletproof Legacy Financial, based in Medford, Oregon.
Articles by Jeffrey Smith
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Can a Living Trust Own Property in Another State?
Living Trust Property in Another State: Deeds, Ancillary Probate, and Multistate Planning Learn How Multistate Property, Local Deeds, Ancillary Probate, Taxes, Homestead Rules, and Trust Administration Can Interact Article-at-a-Glance: Key Takeaways Here’s the short answer: yes, a living trust can own property in another state, and for many families it’s one of the smartest reasons…
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Gift Tax and Living Trusts: Does Transferring Assets to a Trust Count as a Gift?
Living Trust Gift Tax: When Funding a Trust May—or May Not—Count as a Taxable Gift Learn Why Funding Your Own Revocable Trust Usually Differs From Gifting Assets to Others—and When Form 709 May Become Relevant Key Takeaways If you’ve ever wondered whether moving your house, bank account, or investment portfolio into a trust triggers a…
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When Does a Revocable Living Trust Become Irrevocable?
When Does a Revocable Trust Become Irrevocable? Death, Incapacity, and Trust Terms Explained Learn What Usually Changes at Death, How Trust Terms Control the Transition, and Why Amendment and Revocation Rights Matter One sentence answer: a revocable living trust typically becomes irrevocable the moment its grantor dies, though joint trusts, incapacity clauses, and state law…
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What Is Ancillary Probate and How Can It Affect Out-of-State Property?
Ancillary Probate Explained: Why Out-of-State Real Estate Can Create a Second Proceeding Understand Why Real Estate in Another State Can Create a Second Probate Proceeding and How Estate Planning May Help Owning a vacation home in another state can turn into a legal headache your family never saw coming. When someone dies owning real estate…
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Is a Living Trust Worth the Cost? How to Evaluate the Value
Is a Living Trust Worth the Cost? Benefits and Expenses to Weigh Before Deciding Compare the Price With Probate Planning, Incapacity Planning, Privacy, Convenience, Maintenance, and Your Estate’s Complexity Is a living trust worth the cost? The honest answer is: it depends entirely on what you own, where you own it, and how much control…
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Common Living Trust Mistakes and How to Avoid Them
Living Trust Mistakes: Costly Funding and Planning Errors to Avoid From Failing to Fund the Trust to Outdated Beneficiaries, Learn What to Review Before Problems Develop A living trust can fail to do its job even after you’ve signed it, and most of the time it’s not because the document was wrong—it’s because something around…
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What Happens to a House in a Living Trust When the Owner Dies?
House in Living Trust After Death: Trustee Duties, Mortgages, Sales, and Beneficiary Options Learn How the Successor Trustee Handles the Property, Mortgage, Expenses, Beneficiaries, Sale Options, and Distribution Instructions The keys don’t automatically land in anyone’s hands the day a trust owner dies, and that surprises a lot of families. What actually happens is a…
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Does a Living Trust File a Tax Return?
Does a Living Trust File a Tax Return? Grantor Trust Reporting and Form 1041 Explained Understand How Revocable Trust Income Is Reported During Life, When Form 1041 Can Apply, and What Changes After Death If you’ve ever wondered whether your revocable living trust needs to file its own tax paperwork, the short answer is almost…
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Can You Be the Trustee and Beneficiary of Your Own Revocable Living Trust?
Can You Be Trustee and Beneficiary of a Revocable Trust? Understanding the Key Roles Understand the Grantor, Trustee, Beneficiary, and Successor Trustee Roles—and Why One Person Often Holds Several Roles Article-at-a-Glance Can you really be the boss of your own trust, the worker who runs it, and the person who benefits from it all at…
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Does a Living Trust Avoid Probate? What It Does—and Doesn’t—Do
Does a Living Trust Avoid Probate? How Funding Determines What Stays Out of Court Learn Why Trust Funding Matters, Which Assets Can Still Face Probate, and Why a Pour-Over Will Remains Important Article at a Glance Does a living trust avoid probate? Sometimes, but only for the assets you actually put into it. That single…