Originally used for charitable purposes, perpetual trusts are now available for personal use in some states. These trusts exist for as long as the trustor wishes, whether that is the lifetime of a beneficiary or the term of a particular charity or even forever. Assets in perpetual trusts can grow while being protected from future creditors and estate taxes. Because these trusts are irrevocable, the terms of the trust can never be altered.
A total return unitrust strategy enables trustees to satisfy the competing goals of providing for regular distributions to current beneficiaries and preserving trust assets for future beneficiaries. This method frees trustees to invest in assets that may not currently produce significant income, but that have the potential to appreciate. This gives the trustee an unparalleled ability to adjust the unitrust rate from time to time based on market conditions and the circumstances of the beneficiaries.
A purpose trust is one that is valid even though it may not have an individual as one of its beneficiaries. Purpose trusts are often used for the care of pets, the preservation of collections, such as antique cars or trains, and the preservation and maintenance of a family compound. Delaware provides the same protection to a trustor of a noncharitable purpose trust that it gives to the trustee of a charitable trust, providing standing to the trustor and the trustor's designee to enforce the purposes of the trust.
Directed trusts provide flexibility on management of trust assets. Rather than trustees retaining full authority over the way trust assets are invested and given to beneficiaries, directed trusts allow the trustor to direct their trust company to follow the investment choices of an outside advisor. This frees the trustee to focus solely on trust administration and helps minimize conflict over control of the assets.
A charitable trust is an irrevocable trust established for charitable purposes or to benefit charitable organizations. Establishing a charitable trust is an altruistic (and tax-advantageous) way for individuals to support causes they care about in a meaningful way.
A Special Needs Trust will enable family members to provide funds for the support of an individual with special needs without jeopardizing his or her eligibility for government benefits.