According to IRS statistics, small businesses represent nearly one third of the value of affluent decedents' estates. CRT planning for small business owners is a critical capability for any gift planning shop. This advanced session will describe several CRT options that benefit the small business owner by increasing lifetime cash flow, increasing cash flow and business control to the next generation, increasing employee benefits, and increasing charitable gifts.

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This session provides a review of various gift techniques that can be applied to real estate gifts, including outright gifts of real estate, bargain sales, and charitable remainder trusts. It will focus on the topic from the standpoint of the charity as well as the viewpoint of the potential donor, covering reasons to consider gifts as well as the downside liabilities and potential risks of these gifts. For the experienced - it is a review of the subject from an asset specific standpoint. For the beginner, it is a compendium of opportunities and possible pitfalls of real estate as a gifted asset.  MORE »

Most gift planning focuses on the initial design and implementation of a gift plan. But planners also need to know the alternatives if a course correction is required during the very long term of a CRT. A CRT may make perfect sense to all parties concerned at the time it is established. But these irrevocable trusts can last for decades and many things can change over time, including a donor's income requirements and philanthropic objectives, and it may be desirable to explore ways to change the arrangement to fit changed circumstances (or simply to correct mistakes). Alternative ways to terminate, accelerate and alter CRTs and the tax consequences of each will be explored.  MORE »

This session explains the charitable remainder unitrust and annuity trust. Topics covered include the best way to identify a prospect for this type of gift, the benefits that these gifts provide, the selection of the appropriate income payment, the current income tax charitable contribution deduction, the gift tax charitable contribution deduction, and the taxation of the income payments. Syllabus for Gift Planners code: 3.01.04  MORE »

Charitable remainder trust planning involves several disciplines. This session will use several real-life examples from the presenter's experience with more than 13,000 CRTs to describe some of the ethical "gotchas" that arise in charitable planning. Planned giving officers, attorneys, and financial planners all face ethical situations that require careful thought before taking the next step. This session will look at the typical roles and responsibilities of a planned giving officer, attorney, and financial planner, then consider how those roles often collide in the CRT planning process. Syllabus for Gift Planners code: 3.01.04  MORE »

There have been many seminars on the advantages of charitable remainder trusts. But when the CRT doesn?t work out, can you get out of these irrevocable trusts? If so, what are the consequences? This session covers situations where the income beneficiary wants to terminate his interest due to a variety of reasons such as poor investment performance, divorce, desire to accelerate the charitable remainder interest, desire to exchange the income interest for something different. The tax and economic results of a CRT termination or amendment will be discussed. Syllabus for Gift Planners code: 3.01.04  MORE »

Charities may benefit from a little known new power of adjustment for trustees in states where the revised Principal and Income Act has been adopted, especially where charities are the beneficiaries of charitable trusts which currently limit the benefit to net income only. The presenters will discuss the applicable statute and what charities need to know. (Syllabus Code 3.01.04)  MORE »

This session will offer a brief overview of the basics of charitable lead trusts and charitable remainder trusts, focusing on a discussion of advanced issues such as Generation Skipping Tax calculation and avoidance, testamentary funding options, post-mortem planning options, disclaimer strategies, and selection of the proper CLT and CRT structure. (Syllabus Codes 3.01.04, 3.01.06)  MORE »

The author advises estate planners to consider a charitable remainder unitrust as a potential beneficiary of a retirement plan account any time a client expresses an interest in a sequence of beneficiaries. He examines the limitations of the "stretch IRA" and outlines specific estate planning problems that can and cannot be addressed using a CRUT. Syllabus for Gift Planners code: 3.01.04  MORE »

The author reviews case studies in which donors used a charitable remainder trust in tandem with a charitable lead trust to transfer wealth and achieve financial and philanthropic goals. He shows how tandem trusts can be structured and how to identify clients for whom tandem trusts are an appropriate planning strategy. Syllabus for Gift Planners code: 3.01  MORE »