What is a Trust?

A trust is a relationship in which property is held by one person for the benefit of another person. A trust has three fundamental roles: settlor, trustee, and beneficiary. The settlor creates the trust and funds the trust with trust property. The trustee holds and...

Crummey Trusts

A Crummey trust, also known as an irrevocable gift trust (“IGT”), is a type of irrevocable trust. A Crummey trust is designed to help reduce estate tax liability by utilizing an individual’s annual gift tax exemption. However, a Crummey trust, like most irrevocable...

Missouri Asset Protection (“MAP”) Trusts

Missouri Asset Protection (“MAP”) trusts are a type of irrevocable trust. As the name suggests, a MAP trust is designed for asset protection. In sum, a MAP trust, like most irrevocable trusts, requires a settlor to sacrifice control in exchange for asset protection....