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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DIY Living Trust Cost: How Much Can You Save by Doing It Yourself?
DIY Living Trust Cost: What You Save, What You Pay, and What You Risk Look Beyond the Template Price to Understand Documents, Funding, Time, Updates, and Potential Professional Help Setting up a living trust yourself can cost as little as $100 for a basic template or run closer to $1,000 if you choose a more…
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How to Choose a Successor Trustee for Your Living Trust
How to Choose a Successor Trustee: Key Qualities and Decisions to Consider What the Role Requires, Who Can Serve, and the Qualities to Consider Before You Decide Choosing the wrong successor trustee can turn a carefully built living trust into a source of family conflict, delay, and expense—while choosing the right one can make the…
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Living Trust vs. Transfer-on-Death Deed: Which Does What?
Living Trust vs Transfer on Death Deed: Comparing Probate, Control, and Incapacity Planning Compare Probate, Incapacity Planning, Control, Beneficiary Transfers, Costs, and the State-Law Limits of Each Approach Choosing between a living trust and a transfer-on-death deed often comes down to one question: do you need ongoing control over your property while you’re alive, or…
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Living Trust and Capital Gains Tax: What Happens When Assets Are Sold?
Living Trust Capital Gains Tax: How Asset Sales and Cost Basis Affect What You Owe Understand Grantor-Trust Treatment, Cost Basis, Sales During Life, and Why Tax Treatment Can Change After Death Key Takeaways Here’s the short version: if your living trust is revocable and you’re still alive, selling an appreciated asset inside it generally triggers…
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Revocable Living Trust vs. Will: What’s the Difference?
Revocable Living Trust vs Will: Probate, Incapacity, Privacy, and Cost Compared Compare Probate, Incapacity Planning, Privacy, Asset Management, Costs, and How the Two Documents Can Work Together Article-at-a-Glance Which one actually protects your family better: a revocable living trust or a will? The honest answer is that it depends on what you’re protecting against, because…
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How to Avoid Probate: Estate Planning Strategies to Consider
How to Avoid Probate: Practical Ways to Transfer Assets Outside the Court Process Understand Living Trusts, Beneficiary Designations, Joint Ownership, Transfer-on-Death Tools, and Their Limitations Probate doesn’t have to swallow your estate in court fees and delays if you plan ahead with the right legal tools. Article-at-a-Glance Every strategy on this page can move specific…
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Online Living Trust Cost: What Do Online Trust Services Really Cost?
Online Living Trust Cost: Pricing, Services, and Hidden Expenses to Compare Compare Upfront Pricing, Attorney-Review Options, Funding Help, Subscriptions, and Other Potential Expenses Online living trust prices range from under $100 for a bare-bones template to nearly $3,000 for a fully supported digital estate plan, and the sticker price rarely tells the whole story. The…
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How to Transfer Property Into a Living Trust
How to Transfer Property Into a Living Trust: The Funding Process Explained Understand Retitling, Ownership Changes, Documentation, and the Trust-Funding Process If you’ve already signed your living trust and assumed your work is done, here’s the part that actually protects your family: nothing happens automatically until you retitle your assets into the trust’s name. Transferring…
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Can You Put a House With a Mortgage in a Living Trust?
Put House With Mortgage in Living Trust: Due-on-Sale, Title, and Lender Rules Explained Learn How Trust Transfers Can Affect Your Mortgage, Due-on-Sale Rules, Title, Insurance, and Future Refinancing Article-at-a-Glance Here’s the short answer: yes, you can put a house with a mortgage into a living trust, and your lender generally can’t stop you if you…
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Does a Living Trust Reduce Estate Taxes?
Does a Living Trust Reduce Estate Taxes? Understanding What a Revocable Trust Can and Cannot Do Learn Why an Ordinary Revocable Trust Does Not Automatically Lower Estate Tax—and Which Estate-Tax Concepts May Still Matter Article-at-a-Glance Does a living trust reduce estate taxes? For the ordinary revocable living trust that most families set up, the answer…