All About Trusts – How to Choose the Right Trust for Your Needs

When it comes to estate planning and wealth management, trusts are a powerful tool that can help you achieve a variety of goals, from avoiding probate to protecting your assets from creditors. Trusts are legal structures that allow a third party, known as a trustee, to hold and manage assets on behalf of designated beneficiaries. Understanding the different types of trusts and the benefits they provide can help you make informed decisions about how to best manage and transfer your assets.

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Estate Planning in Florida Basics: What to Expect | Crews Bank & Trust

Estate planning is a crucial step in securing your financial future and ensuring that your wishes are carried out after you pass. Whether you’re beginning to think about your legacy or need to update an existing plan, understanding the basics of estate planning is essential. In this blog post, we'll explore the foundational elements of estate planning, what to expect during the process, and how Crews Bank & Trust can assist you at every step.

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Writing a Comprehensive Will: A Step-by-Step Guide

Creating a will is something one often procrastinates about, assuming there’s plenty of time to do so. It can be overwhelming to think about, and you may not know how to go about it, or how costly it could be.

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Plan Ahead: Prepare for Your Future with Estate Planning

Many of us were taught from a young age that it’s not polite to talk about money or ask about beneficiaries. These topics can be awkward and uncomfortable, and no one likes to think about becoming unhealthy or worse, not around at all. However, clear communication and effective estate planning are crucial to ensure that your assets last and are distributed according to your wishes.

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Preventing Your Treasures from Turning into a Loved One's Headache

We all have read about or seen someone on Antiques Roadshow who had a family's collection of coins or garage sale find that turned out to be worth far more than expected - rare, but it happens. What do you do with these treasures when it's time to write your will or trust?

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What is a Corporate Trustee and Why on Earth Do I Need One?

If you are like many people, you may have seen or heard the term Corporate Trustee (or Corporate Fiduciary) and immediately assumed, “I don’t have lots of money, so I don’t need that.”If you did, you wouldn’t alone. Even the term, 'corporate trustee' seems a bit intimidating. Let’s dig into what a corporate trustee is and why, even without a huge bank account and a mansion, one may be exactly what you need.

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Securing Your Legacy: The Importance of Wills and Trusts

Creating a comprehensive estate plan is a critical step in ensuring that your wishes are honored, and your loved ones are protected. Two essential components of any effective estate plan are wills and trusts. While both serve to distribute assets upon your passing, they possess distinct features and advantages. Let’s explore the importance of having wills and trusts and shed light on how they can provide peace of mind and financial security for you and your family.

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Create a Lasting Legacy by Supporting Causes You Care About

By giving to a community foundation, you can support the causes that matter most to you and make a real difference in the lives of others. Professional staff and portfolio managers help ensure that your donation is used effectively and efficiently. They also provide ongoing monitoring and oversight of the organizations they support, ensuring that your gift is making a lasting impact. The first donation to the Harvard Endowment of approximately $20,000 in today’s dollars was over 400 years ago.  Therefore, a timeline of 500 years for an endowed fund is possible. 

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The Power of a Lasting Gift: Why Charitable Giving Through Your Will is Essential

Including your favorite charities in your will is a wonderful way to leave a lasting impact and help make the world a better place for future generations. By designating a portion of your estate to charity, you can continue to support causes that matter to you long after you're gone.

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What’s the Difference Between a Will and a Trust?

Estate planning is an important subject that almost everyone—but especially older people—needs to address. Many believe that estate planning is for those with substantial means. However, estate planning determines how an individual’s assets are preserved, distributed, and managed, so even people with assets limited to a residence, bank accounts, and a retirement plan need to form a plan. 

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The Answers to 4 Frequently Asked Questions About Roth IRAs

If you have typed your questions about Roth IRA retirement plans into Google, you have most likely come across articles from the IRS that detail the retirement plans in ways that aren't exactly reader friendly. 

Sometimes, the easiest way to understand Roth IRA retirement plans is to have a question and answer session with a knowledgeable source. Consider this blog post one of those “conversations.” 

Here are four frequently asked Roth IRA questions and answers.

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Which Estate Planning Documents Do I Need?

Estate planning is the process of deciding who will receive an individual’s assets, who will manage their financial affairs if incapacitated, and settle the estate after death. Estate planning is necessary for anyone who owns property that they wish to pass down to a relative, close friend, or charitable interests, and to name a guardian for minor children or provide care for pets. 

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Best vs. Worst

Some investment managers promote a strategy called “Sector Rotation” where they try to time the market by trading between the 11 major sectors of the economy. The gains can be tempting, but the risk is high. For instance, if you owned all energy stocks, you would be up +40% year to date, but if you thought communications was the place to be, you would be down -20%. This is a possible difference of 60% in your returns. According to the chart, which includes more sub sectors, the difference is the highest since 2000.

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Why Should You Begin Your Estate Planning Now?

Google “things to do before you die” and you’ll get over four billion hits. Most will involve experiences like “go on an African safari,” “visit the Grand Canyon,” “see a live Broadway show,” “swim with dolphins,” “ride in a hot air balloon,” etc.

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A Beginner's Guide to Understanding a Living Trust

One of the most common misconceptions about trusts is that they’re only for individuals of high net worth with substantial estates. While it is true that anyone with significant wealth should consider a trust, those of more modest means can benefit from asset protection and other features offered with a trust.

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