test Flashcards
Estate planning purposes
- Transfer assets in accordance with your wishes
- Preserve Wealth, minimize taxes at death
- Provide financially for dependents
- Ensure sufficient liquidity to eliminate debts, fund trusts or special bequests, e.g. donation to charity
Factor to consider for estate
Life expectancy, cost of care, outstanding debts, gifts to kids, Blended family, Dying without a will
- Will, PO Attorney for property and personal care, Trust agreement, succession plan for any business interest
Separation, Divorce not Invalidate a will or a bequest
POA-Attorney for Property and for Personal Care
legal document, give attorney the right to act on ‘grantor’s behalf
Power of Attorney for Property has LIMITED and GENERAL
Effective immediately, terminated automatically if grantor dies, attorney dies, grantor revokes and GRANTOR BECOMES INCAPACITATED
- POA for Property has ENDURING and CONTINUING PA
Power of Attorney for Personal Care
Unlike POA for Property, POA for personal Care only becomes effective when the grantor becomes incapacitated due to ILLNESS, INJURY, DEMEMTIA
Per Stripes Designation is Per branch, if kid pass away, leave kids’ portion to grand kids,
Each branch of beneficiaries receives equal share, whether or not they Survive the testator
- if child predeceases the testator, child’s share will be split among child’s kids–testator grandchildren
Per Capita= Per person
- each living member of beneficiaries receive equal share
- if child predeceases the testator, child share will be split among his/her siblings, the TESTator’s surviving children
What is a WILL
- Legal document
- Appoints Executor and Trustee
- Outline how testator’s assets are to be distributed at death
- Recommends guardian of minor children
- Describes specific powers entrusted to executor
Testator
Person who make a will
must conform to the laws of the province, e.g. age of majority
- mentally competent when written
cannot be under the influence of another person
- witnessed by authorized person, in ON, a lawyer
Holograph Will
Handwritten, signed and dated
- some provinces may have additional requirements, e.g. require witnesses
Executor/Liquidator/estate trustee
- family, responsible, reliable member- advantages objectivity coupled with family knowledge
- trust compnay - objectivity + Longevity
- if no will, Public Trustee
Role of the Estate/Public Trustee
- gather assets
- pay debts and fees
- Distribute estate assets
- Coordinate work of estate professionals, e.g. accountant who prepares deceased’s income tax returns
- Fees 1% - 2.5% of estate assets
Trustee
Manage the Trust
- Has fiduciary relationship with beneficiaries
- Act in best interests of beneficiaries
- Act imaprtially between beneficiaries
- authority to make payments to parent/guardian of minor beneficiary
- CAN also be beneficiary, guardian and executor
Common types of trust property
Investment portfolio
Real estate
Life insurance proceeds
Business interest
Beneficiary’s interest
Stated in Will –fixed amount or
Discretionary amount
- trustee determines if and when the beneficiary receives property, proceeds and income
Disadvantage of trust
- Costs, 1% to 2.5% of value of trust property, legal, accounting fees
- may last many years, limiting flexibility in changing world
- Trustee requires expertise and people skills
All INCOME retained in the Trust is taxed at the HIGHEST marginal tax rate