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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Does a Revocable Living Trust Protect Assets From Creditors or Lawsuits?
Does a Revocable Trust Protect Assets From Creditors? Understanding the Limits Learn Why Retaining Control Usually Limits Creditor Protection—and How Revocable and Irrevocable Trusts Differ Key Takeaways: What You Need to Know Right Now Does a revocable living trust protect assets from creditors or lawsuits? In most cases, no — not while you’re still alive…
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What Is a Pour-Over Will and How Does It Work With a Living Trust?
Pour-Over Will Explained: How It Supports a Living Trust and Handles Unfunded Assets Learn Why Trust-Based Estate Plans Still Use a Will—and Why Assets Passing Through It May Still Require Probate A pour-over will acts like a safety net for your living trust, scooping up any stray assets you forgot to transfer and sending them…
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Ongoing Living Trust Costs: What You May Pay After Setup
Ongoing Living Trust Costs: Maintenance, Updates, Trustees, and Tax Help Budget for Amendments, Restatements, Funding Changes, Professional Trustees, Tax Help, and Other Possible Expenses Key Takeaways You don’t pay a yearly bill just for owning a revocable living trust. That single sentence clears up more confusion than almost anything else in estate planning, and it’s…
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How to Put Bank Accounts in a Living Trust
How to Put Bank Accounts in a Living Trust: Retitling and Account Setup Explained Learn How Account Retitling Works and Which Banking Details to Review When Funding Your Trust Putting bank accounts in trust sounds like one more item on an endless estate-planning to-do list, but it’s actually one of the simplest steps you can…
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Living Trust vs. LLC for Rental Property: What’s the Difference?
Living Trust vs LLC for Rental Property: Estate Planning and Liability Differences Explained Learn Why Trusts and LLCs Solve Different Problems—and How Ownership, Probate, Liability, Taxes, and Management Can Interact A living trust helps your rental property skip probate and pass smoothly to your heirs, while an LLC helps separate your personal assets from lawsuits…
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Medicaid Estate Recovery and Living Trusts: Can the State Recover Trust Assets?
Medicaid Estate Recovery Living Trust Rules: When Trust Assets May Be Subject to Recovery Learn When Medicaid Estate Recovery May Apply, Why State Definitions of Estate Matter, and How Trusts Can Be Treated Differently Can a nursing home bill reach into a trust you set up years ago? For thousands of families, that question surfaces…
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Revocable Living Trust Taxes: How Are Trust Income and Assets Taxed?
Revocable Living Trust Taxes: Income, Estate, and Post-Death Tax Rules Explained Understand Grantor-Trust Tax Treatment During Life, What Can Change After Death, and Which Tax Claims to Avoid You already know the big question: will setting up a revocable living trust save you money on taxes? The short answer is no—at least not while you’re…
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What Happens If You Die Without a Will?
What Happens If You Die Without a Will? How Intestate Succession Determines Inheritance Learn How State Law Determines Who Inherits, Who Administers the Estate, and What Happens When There Is No Valid Will If you die without a will, your state’s default inheritance laws—not your personal wishes—decide who gets your house, your bank accounts, and…
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How Much Does It Cost to Amend a Living Trust?
Cost to Amend a Living Trust: What Changes Can Add to Your Estate Planning Expenses Learn What Simple Amendments, Major Changes, Restatements, and Professional Help May Cost Amending a living trust can cost anywhere from nothing if you do it yourself to several hundred or even a few thousand dollars if an attorney needs to…
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How to Put a House in a Living Trust
How to Put a House in a Living Trust: Deeds, Title, Mortgages, and Funding Steps From Deeds and Ownership to Mortgages and Insurance: How the Transfer Process Typically Works Putting a house in a living trust means transferring the legal title from your name into the name of your trust, so the trustee technically owns…