The Benefits of a Charitable Remainder Unitrust
A Charitable Remainder Unitrust (CRUT) was created to provide an income to a non-charitable beneficiary while simultaneously transferring the remainder interest to a qualified charity.
The donor would permanently transfer securities or property to a trustee. The trustee, in return, would reimburse the donor (or other income beneficiary) income from the property for life.
The donor could also make sure that if he or she died before a spouse that the spouse would collect income from the donated property for life. The donor would collect expenses based on a set percentage of the fair market value of the assets placed in trust. Every year the assets would be revalued.
Further Contributions
Unlike the Charitable Remainder Annuity Trust (CRAT), however, the CRUT may continue to receive assets in later years. The CRUT also differs from a CRAT since the stream paid out by the CRUT trust must be at least 5% of the annual reappraised value of the corpus.
Accordingly, the CRAT disburses a fixed sum of income that never differs in amount, while the CRUT, depending on the reappraised value of the corpus and accumulated income, may issue greater or lesser amounts of income.
Appreciation
The quantity of the payment to the non-charitable beneficiary can increase each year if the value of the corpus and income continues to appreciate. For that reason, the CRUT is an efficient method of fighting inflation. On the other hand, if the value of the assets continues to decrease in value over so many years, the CRUT may actually pay less income to the non-charitable beneficiary than was initially proposed.
If a grantor wishes to ensure an annual increase in the value of the income payment to the non-charitable beneficiary, the grantor should fund the corpus of such a trust with assets that pay a guaranteed rate of return, such as U.S. Treasury notes that pay interest tied to a specific rate of return. - 23217
The donor would permanently transfer securities or property to a trustee. The trustee, in return, would reimburse the donor (or other income beneficiary) income from the property for life.
The donor could also make sure that if he or she died before a spouse that the spouse would collect income from the donated property for life. The donor would collect expenses based on a set percentage of the fair market value of the assets placed in trust. Every year the assets would be revalued.
Further Contributions
Unlike the Charitable Remainder Annuity Trust (CRAT), however, the CRUT may continue to receive assets in later years. The CRUT also differs from a CRAT since the stream paid out by the CRUT trust must be at least 5% of the annual reappraised value of the corpus.
Accordingly, the CRAT disburses a fixed sum of income that never differs in amount, while the CRUT, depending on the reappraised value of the corpus and accumulated income, may issue greater or lesser amounts of income.
Appreciation
The quantity of the payment to the non-charitable beneficiary can increase each year if the value of the corpus and income continues to appreciate. For that reason, the CRUT is an efficient method of fighting inflation. On the other hand, if the value of the assets continues to decrease in value over so many years, the CRUT may actually pay less income to the non-charitable beneficiary than was initially proposed.
If a grantor wishes to ensure an annual increase in the value of the income payment to the non-charitable beneficiary, the grantor should fund the corpus of such a trust with assets that pay a guaranteed rate of return, such as U.S. Treasury notes that pay interest tied to a specific rate of return. - 23217
About the Author:
Hank Brock is president of Brock and Associates, LLC, a firm specializing in financial planning, retirement, estate, and tax planning. Visit him online for further information on charitable giving strategies and other financial planning topics.


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